VALLEY SETTLER
Published every Friday at Palmer
Alaska, by the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Cooperating .Association;
for the purpose cf giving news of
the Association's work, it!s pro
blems, it's accomplishments, and
news of local and general inter
est.
By H e J ■■ 0" Pro Tern _
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Ed TOR I Alls
The following editorial from
Grange New3, October 17 *42 ed
ition, has just come to our at
tention, Inasmuch as It seems so
particularly pertinent and thought
provoking, we have taken the lib
erty of reprinting it in full in
this issue of the Settler:
"TEST CP DEMOCRACY"
There’s an acid test for American
democracy in the sale of U.S. »Var
Eonds and Stamps.
This war-financing program calls
for voluntary Investment by farm
ers and other citizens of all ex
cess funds on ban chin contrast to
money paid in taxes, this invest
ment is payable back to the cit
izen with interest in full at the
end of a ten-year period, or with
guaranteed earnings at any time
before maturity. The collateral
for the loan is the United States
with all of its resources of
people and materials and earning
power. Its security depends upon
victory in this war.
Here's where the test of democracy
comes in: If Americans will vol
untarily invest ENOUGH money in
stamps and bonds, there will oe
no need to take the money sway
through oales taxes and other in
iquitous means of getting excess
revenue, f ota carefully, vie said
ENOUGH. So far, we haven't given
enough, and the time is runninto
out on our opportunity to do so.
October is the farmers oond month
(Ed. Note: It might just as well
be November up here) and October
is half gone. Ey now we should all
be familiar with the Grange plan
of pay-your-debts-and-taxes-first
then-buy-war-bonds. Vve should also
recognize this opportunity to
build up reserve purchasing power
against the post-war reconstruct
ion wnich. Is bound to come.
If farmers are out of debt and
have this nest egg, they will be
in an excellent position to win
the peace lor agriculture aid
Amer i c. a.
Most important, don't let a single
drop of nmericsn blood be shed be
cause of s n Oh, well, I'll buy
3 one b one. s s one t ime 0" b
V/ith dim-out. orders in effect for
the eniire Pacific Coast area, we
should like to again remind our
readers that a quite a few lights
can as yst oe seen gaily shining
from various windows. Cooperation
in observance of this necessary
restriction will greatly aid the
job of those to whom is given the
task of trying to see that such
regulations arc carried out. Let's
pull down our blinds, eh?
E.J.C.
ARMISTICE DAY 194R, and here we
are., reminiscing over the days of
World War No. 1. We sometimes wond
er if our present war effort might
not be somewhat aided, insofar as
private citizenry in concerned,
by a revival of the "community
3 inf", -'.s we recall it, these get
togethers used to create consider
able interest in the war, and, at
the same time, provide a common
ground on which all could meet, to
forget for the while, personal
troubles and grievances in the
broader interest of community and
Nation.
Maybe a lot of our voices have
gone sour or flat, but there
should be enough "sweet" or at
least lusty singers in the com
munity to msk e for considerable
enjoyment and interest. How's
about It?
H. J.C
NATIONAL GRANGE
The National Grange,76 year-old
farm organization, is holding its
annual sessions in Wenatchee Wash
ington,November 11 to ty0 The meet
ing was moved from Spokane to Wen
atchee because of scarcity of hous
ing facilities due to war activity*
5,000 to 7,500 Patrons of Husbandry
are expected to attend* The pres
ent National Master is A.S.Goss,
for many years, Master of the
Washington State Grange and active
in many western activities; he was
later Federal Land Bank Commission
er at Washington D.C.