VALLEY SETTLER, Palmer Alaska,
Carl rasmussen,
Editor
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Published every Friday at Palmer Alaska, by the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Cooperating Association for the purpose of giving news of the
Association's work, problems, accomplishments, local and general news.
Subscription by Mail, $ 1.75, yearly, Box 4 1.00. Single Copy 10#,
DO WE WANT TPE WHOLE TRUTH?
An article about the Matanuska Valleyyand the farming possibilities
in Alaska, appeared in a national farm magazine recently, that has
caused considerable comment up here. Some people contend that it gives
a true picture of the situation, others think that it ridiculis and
unfair and written without sufficient Information to justify the writer
in making statements that are given as facts. i
Weil,regardless of the merits of the article mentioned, what we would
like to know is just how accurate does the average person connected
with this farm project, want the authors of articles, regarding subjects
in connection with the farm expierences of people in the Valley,want?
About twenty five years ago this Valley was settled and farmings has
been conducted to some extent ever since, with the arrival of the men
and women of the Farm Colony there has been an extensive effort to
place the small farms in profitable production, just how well this has
succeded is somewhat of a mystery, no doubt, to the average investigator
who has a very' short time to look the propisitlon over, for some of°the
citizens of the Valley will tell them that everything is working out
fine and that a great future Is in store for the farmers who will work
have' patience, others who have'been here just as long and who have tried
just as hard are sure that this Valley and Alaska as a whole, are
unfitted for agriculture and that the farming propisitlon is a complete
failure and that it never can succeed in this part of the country.
Eoth sides can point out incidents that tend to prove their contention
rnd that makes it even more difficult to arrive at an honest conclusion.
Now just a long as this condition exists we will read articles like the
one in question, because writers will continue to writs because that is
‘he way they make.their living, and if the facts ore not clear they will
:11 it the way they hear it and according to the nppea.rnnces in sight,
oo it looks to the writer like it is up to the people of the Valley to
get together and decide just what the truth is and prove it by evidence
that can npt be refuted*
Arc we ready for this action? If not then why complcin about the gross
misstatements made by the writers who are investigating us. If we cant
get together and make up our minds about this, then how can we expect
people who lack the expierences that v;e have had to give the facts?
Are we ready to draw up a balance sheet and show what we have thrt is
useful as assets,and how much it cost us to produce it and what we have
in view,on a long range plan? Would it not be interesting to know how
much money and labor has been expended to get. where we are and how near
we are to self sufficcncy. Suppose that the cost of goods shipped into,
and used b7^bthe people of the farms in the Valley, was computed, along
with the cost of transportation end hindleing, also include payments on
interest and principal on debts owed by the farmers, that are taken out
of Alaska and do not return, and then to balance, figure just what the
value of the products that are produced ana sold from the farms in the
Valley is, that are sold to people outside of the Valley--- are we
willing and anxious to learn these facts and then broadcast th>sm to the
World? so that writers and other interested persons can have the true
facts. We cannot see how ,it would hurt any honest industrious farmer who
Is and has been on the square, or uny other person who is giving useful
service to the Valley. And it would give conscientious propspocts -for
farms in the Valley some Idea of the ultimate chances for success, if
after investigating the propisition, they still felt favorable to the
idea of settling here. Would it not be well to follow the Co-Op's policy
of informing through financial statements, the condition of the Volley
"s a whole, to the people who are located here of the condition of the
’.rms and the agencys that heave such a large financial Interest here?
•«e think that it would serve a very useful purpose but are very doubt
ful if it will be done, and again we ask you,why not?