THE VALLEY SETTLER is published
every Friday by the Matonuska
Valley Farrier’s Cooperative
Association at Palmer,Alaska.
ling.Editor: Marie Wilson
Subscription rates: $1.00 year
by nail: 1.50 year
jailed anywhere: 10^ copy
This paper is issued for the pur
pose of giving information and
news of the Matansuka Valley
Farmers Cooperating Association's
work, problems, accomplishments,
and also, new3 of local’.and gen
eral interest; and to help foster
the cooperative spirit of the
farmers of the luatanuska Valley.
In fenturins the activities
and accomplis rnents of our Co-op
Board for the past, year, it is
evident that they have attempt
ed everything possible to im
prove this organization* They
admit that relations with the
ARRC Board have ranged all the
way from extremely bitter to
congenial. In "going to bat"
for the Cooperating members, they
have jenpardized their position
in the Somnunity through misunder
standing; trying to fight for
requests not their own,
In return follow members abuse
them for inaction, lack of im
mediate success and hold them
responsible for every conceivable
item of individual failure.
The strength of an army is not
in the number of captains and
colonels it has but in the
number of privates in the ranks
ready to support the leaders*
Our Co-op Board are the captains,
we are the privates. The answer
to success or failure lies with
the individuals collectively.
The farmers of the ftatanuska
Valley owr a Vote of tinocrc
thanks to the Extension service
for t he most beneficial instruc
tion yet received.
( ANNUAL REPORT CON'T)
$160,000 to bo sot aside for the
purpose of assuring that the
MVFCA wot1 Id have funds to carry
on after tho ARRC was through
with thi3 project. This request
has boon' rcf\iscd in a letter from
the ARRC, which states that none
of tho v?50,C0O appropriation was
being earmarked for futiirc use.
Investigation ahov/s that the ARRC
Board included this in its requests
from Washington, but it was cut out
there.
During all of this time, the Board,
meeting twice a month or oftener
found the innumerable details of
their work becoming more and more
pressing and many of_them being
neglected. That a Manager for the
I/IVFCA would eventually have to be
hired to assist the AHKC manage
ment make some of the Cooperative
units function more efficiently
was very evident, and the immediate
need for him was distinctly felt.
In a joint meeting with the ARRC
Board, the request was made and
favorably received. The need for
an agricultural coordinator was
also felt, and expressed at this
meeting.' This was also favorably
received. Immediat</steps were
then taken to find such a manager.
Applications wore requested from
all available sources. The result
was disappointment. One candidate
after another failed to live dp- to
the needs. Today the Beard faces
you with a candidate under consid
eration, but nothing definite.
In the meantime, the ARRC Board,
faced with diminishing funds, and
the urging of ttis Board and their
own manager s, has consented to
sell this organization the Trading
Post on March.i, 1939, to release
their agency on this unit, and to
release other units as rapidly as
possible.
Considerable dissatisfaction has
been expressed at times v/ith the
men on the ARRC Board, the princilal
objection seeming to be that too
fev; of them were farmers or sympa
thetic in that direction. This
feeling results in a request from
the MFFCA Board for further •" i
( continued on page 4)