THE FRONTIERSMMn
EnterfKl as second class matter on Oct. 21. 1947. at the p.*st office
at Palmer. Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879
T. 0. SCHMIDTKE MILDRED JOHNSON
Publisher News Editor
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: S6 a year in Matanuska Valley Area
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States $7.00 per year
National Advertising Rep.-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER REPRESENTATIVES
404 Fifth Avenue. New York 16. New York
A CAUSE OF UNEMPLOYMENT
During November there was a sudden, substantial
Arid unexpected increase in unemployment among teen
gt^rs. Some 150,000 of them started looking for jobs,
■according to press reports. This was a puzzle to the De
T»«riment of Labor, which instigated an investigation
into the reasons.
One reason, which is g<ven much less blame for
such developments than it deserves, is the present
federal wage-hour law.
Over the years, the minimum wage has been stead
ly increased The number and classifications of workers
covered have been steadily broadened. Regulation has
oeen imposed upon regulation. The invariable result has
.’.seen a decline in job opportunities for the unskilled and
*he beginner.
This is particularly notable in certain service indus
■es Retailing is a prime example. By the nature of the
>usiness, it can employ, otten on a part-time, week-end
■ >d after-'chool basis, considerable numbers of people
.••hose productive value i. small. The employment pro
'- cles them wth an opportunity to develop skills and ex
perience which will qualify them for better jobs later,
dut if law-imposed costs of such employment become
•rxcessivfcly high, the store, will pare it to the limit. And
‘hen the opportunity to learn is lost.
No one can say with certainty how much of the
" 'e in teen age unemployment this winter was due to
■his cause But there can be small doubt that it was an
important factor.
w M V v «^v ^
Dear Dan: I would like to correspond with any amateur
•ad:#, enthusiasts in the United States and Canada. I'll answer
the letters I can. Your advice in the column is very plain
me decisive, so keep up the good work.—Dennis Philip Mott.
Audi-Naughts, Box 603. Kingston, Out.. Canada.
Dear Dan: I gave a party ! -4 week for some of the couples
Tiing steady at school. The boy I had as my date isn't my steady
•o> friend because I don’t have one. Anyway, my parents
-'ere out of town and the parents of two of my friends were
‘-ht chaperones at the house.
After tire party broke up, this boy said he’d stay and
»~e. » me clean up and the chaperones and the kids said good
night and left. This was about 1:30 in the morning and
ie bov d;dn t leave until i early 4 o’clock. We cleared up
verything right away but then we started dancing. He
:dr : try anything funny and didn’t even kiss me goori
.ignt but what I'm wondering, was what we did right or
wrong? I’m nearly 16.—Candy.
Dear Candy: It was wrong. The blame is not only
on you but on the chaperor.es as well. They had no
right to leave until all the guests had gone home, you
had everything under control and were about set for
bed.
They didn't do the job they should and you're just
lucky you had a gentleman helping with the housev/ork.
Next time, know better.
Dear Dan: What does a widowed mother do when she
*>;#.■; a 16-year-old son who won't listen to her? My husband
'bed three years ago and up until last year, Dennis, my son, !
vas as good a boy as you could find.
Since last year he’s gotten lazy, he's failing in school,
romes and goes as he pleases and is smoking. The worst thing
>t all is that he argues with me all the time I can't blame his j
'friends, because the boys he usually runs around with are fine ;
hoys and I know them and their parents very well.
I need some help before this situation gets completely out
*X control.—Mis. Mary G.
wvrWW*VVVVVVVVVV' W»-Vi'.v. v ..
Dear Mrs. G.: I'm sure you've had numerous talks
with your fcoy, impressing on him his responsibility.
Bight? If this hasn't penetrated and you're sure a talk
with your clergyman or your doctor would have equally
poor results, then you’ll have to take the opposite tack
and throw a scare into yovr son. Your chief of police,
your sheriff or your juvenile officer would be only too
happy to talk to the boy and impress on him what's ex
pected cf him, not only by you but by them. If worse
comes to worse, he can be put under an enforced curfew
by the law but I hope that doesn't become necessary.
All he really needs to do is recognize his responsibility
in a home without a father and act accordingly.
Dear Dan: Boys from another school across town some-!
ttirrer comes to our dances and when we girls dance with them,
v-he boys from our school sometimes stu.t iigh.s and then
utor,'t talk to us. We don't like this but we don t appreciate
being told by our boys just who we can and can't dance with.
Do you agree?—The Girls of the 10th Grade.
Dear Girls: Any well muscled teen-age boy. with
more in the head than in the arms, can start a fight
with a strange boy. It's be just as easy to welcome the
other boys aboard and good politics. One of these days
the local boys might want to go across town to attend
a dance and fair is only fair.
'Dan Halligan will answer all questions submitted by teen
■ vgTT'i and children. Address him care of The Frontiersman.
:-V,t personal replies enclose a stamped, self-addressed en
velope.)
SUNRISE BAKERY
OVER 35 VARIETIES
OF BREAD
DELIVERED FRESH DAILY TO YOUR FAVORITE GROCER
"IF ITS FRESHER THAN SUNRISE
IT HASN'T BEEN BAKED"
IN THE
!/jjii£Y
Thursday, February 11, 1948
The 33 Valley dairy barns,
which were recently inspected
by Lloyd C. Morley, district
sanitarian for the Territorial
Department of Health, all were
1 ‘Grade A plant-producers for
j the first time in the history of
the Valley," the sanitarian re
1 ported.
* * *
I
Wasilla residents, who met
recently to consider com
munity action in regard to
the much-discussed Palmer
school district incorporation,
which would include Wasilla,
decided instead to conduct
investigation into the possi
bility of incorporation of
Wasilla itself as a school dis
trict.
Ed Barrett left the Valley
'.art Monday to go Outside for
surgical attention. He was ac
companied to Anchorage by
Mrs. Barrett.
Members of the Valley Min
isterial Association met last
week for their first regular
monthly meeting since organ
ization. In their discussion of
problems common to the group,
it was voted that the Associa
tion would sponsor publication
of a column, to appear weekly
in the Valley Frontiersman.
* * *
Complete plans for the an
nua! Farm and Home Institute
in the alley were announced
this week by Parker Lester, lo
cal Extension agent. Th<j Insti
tute opens in Palmer on Feb.
IT and continues for a four-day
session through Feb. 20. Meet
ings will be held at the Grange
hail. On Friday, Feb. 20, the
final day of the milk seminar
m Palmer, there will be a one
day Institute in Wasilla, at
which a resume of the three
day program in Palmer will be
presented.
By Heinie Snider
The medical profession
! claims that gambling is a tiis
i ease. Blue-noses say that play
ing cards, seven-up. or betting
on the ponies is habit-forming
and an invention of an old
timer by the name of Satan.
History, even the Good Book,
informs us that at the dawn
of civilization the boys were
shaking the dice. How the
i games were played we do not
know, but little blocks or con
es with hieroglyphics on them
were found with the skeletons
in the peat bogs of Denmark.
We surmise that the present
day playing cards with kings,
queens, and knaves, were used
during the Middle 'Ages, the
same as today.
] In Soapy Smith’s day. there
were many games of chance.
Pedro, poker, pinochle, and. as
in Dawson when Dangerous
Dan McGrow was shot, the
game of Solo. In present-day
| gambling, anyone can try his
luck against the house by pull
ing the handle on the one-arm
j ed bandit, a well-deserved
; name for both the machine and
j the owner,
This writer at one time pos
sessed all the bad habits a man
j can have, with the exception of
chewing snuff. Well do I re- ;
, member the time when I was
I a member of the Wasilla school
; hoard. The meetings were of
; short duration, hut the poker
games lasted until midnight.
One evening when I was get
| ting dressed, the Frau asked
; me. "What’s happening tonight
in Wasilla?” !
“Oh.” I said. “There is a |
: school board meeting, it seems.”
“There are a lot of meetings
for a small school.”
“True, dear, but you must j
remember that our school needs j
a lot of attention. Think of the
problems—fuel, teachers’ sal
aries, and above all the proper
curriculum our children need.” >
The meetings, as well as the
, games, were held in the road
house, owned and operated by
| a woman known as “The Fool
Hen.” We paid her for heat.
gas lantern, and the use of the
table with the green cloth by
giving her one chip out of
every jackpot. It was my duty
to pick up the chips, put them
in my shirt pocket, and. after
the game, change them to dol
lar and cents and hand her the
money.
After kissing the wife good
bye. I arrived at the roadhouse,
where the game started early,
j Things were not going too well
for me. It looked very much
like mv lucky star had faded.
| For more than an hour. I
! didn't even get a pair.
But at last I looked at my
five cards, and, by gosh. I had
three kings. Discarding two
I cards and receiving two more,
I now had four kings. Every
card player knows that’s a
good hand. I made a het. Most
| of the players dropped out. but
Charlie Isaacs stayed and rais
ed me. I called, laying my cards
on the table and showing four
beautiful kings . . . Charlie laid
down four aces and raked in
the pot.
I was not only broke, but
mad. talking to myself all the
i way home.
Arriving there, I found the
, children all sleeping and the
i Frau reading a book by the
light of a small kerosene iamp.
"Well!” she said. “You’re
home rather early. How was
the board meeting””
It was a tough one. I said. I
told her in no uncertain terms
that something had to be done
. . . the kids were getting out of
hand.
During my speech about the
shortcomings of our hoys and
girls. I took off my shirt and
out of the pocket came rolling
and tumbling into her lap a
cascade of red, blue and white
poker chips which I had for
gotten to cash in for "The Fool
i Hen.”
Dead silence.
Then, smiling broadly, she
asked sweetly, “ARE THE
KIDS PLAYING POKER,
TOO?"
Choose your Pharmacist
as you would
choose a doctor
OUR
TO SERVE YOU
Whatever your pre
scription calls for,
you can rest assured
that our pharmacist
will be able to fill
your prescription ac
curately and promptly.
Bert's Drug Store
PI 5-4500 & PI 5-4515
Palmer
.. .EE REVIEWS YEAR,
THAkKS GROUPS, PERSONS FOR HELP
i_.a. i. ,ji „ .vcomplishments
weie i<- ewed hy the Palmer
community park committee at
their Jan. 28 meeting. Chair
man Gerri Knettle pointed out
that this is truly a community
wide project involving many
organizations.
Those named so far in the
records include the Evan Jones
Coal Company, the City of Pal
mer street and fire depart
ments, the Cheechakos Home
| makers Club, and the Palmer
Kiwanis Club.
The committee pointed out
that other organizations were
involved, but in the rush of
getting work done, their names
were not written down.
For the same reason, some
names may be omitted from
the list of persons who are
thanked by the park commit
tee for their help. Names list
ed are Dick Demining, Harold
Hughes, Leif Loberg, Dean
Bronson. Dick Miller, Larry
Vasanoia, A1 Brooks, Leo Lu
cas, Bill Hayes, Doug Maze,
Jim Knettle, Betty Mears. Phil
j Everett. Ron and Don Payne,
Jo and Dean Hamon. Allan
i Linn, Dave and Lois Kepler,
! Edna Wieking. Pearl Trow
bridge, Barney and Mrs. An
i derson. Betty Jo Riddle, and
Bill Zahradnicek. Persons who
donated heavy machinery as
well as personal labor were Leo
Lucas. Bill Hayes. Jim Knettle.
and Bill Zahradnicek.
Pat Wells, Funky Pullen, and
Gladice Swift of the Matanus
ka Hotel should also be given
recognition for initiating the lo
cal can collections by which
over $300 have been raised for
park projects, Mrs. Knettle
said.
Ed Crittenden's help with
ST. JOHN
LUTHERAN
CHURCH
Sev. R. H. Frilz,
Palmer, Alaska
Divine Services
Sunday School 8:45 A.M.
building plans is also gratefully
acknowledged, committee
members stated.
If other persons who assisted
have been overlooked, the com
mittee would like to have their
names.
The City Council's budget
allowances for the park and
past expenditures by the Pal
mer Kiwanis Club kicked off
the original development.
Bake Sale to Continue
The St. Michael’s Church
rummage and bake sale will
continue this Saturday, Feb. 9,
since high winds last weekend
prevented many from partici
pating. The sale will be held in
the Snow White building next
to the Center theatre.
Parishioners are asked to
' bring their baked goods to the
' Snow White building on Sat
I urday morning. Hours tor the
i sale will be from 10 a.m. to 5
1 pm.
RYAINTS LYHES
By Jack Ryan
Five years ago I decided to
quit smoking. I'll tell you how
I came out as soon as I have
another cigarette.
First I tried to taper off.
But before I could pass up
a smoke, I had to have a cig
arette to think it over.
£ *
Then I threw all my cigaret
tes away. But I burned my pro
. boscis while trying to light up
my fountain pen.
Finally I switched to a pipe.
I smoke it between cigarettes.
THOUGHTS
OF A
LAYMAN
I
Bloodless Revolution
In the year 1905 Norway
separated from Swedish rule.
Because of King Oskar, not
a single shot was fired, and
nobody was killed. This is in
contrast with such bloody af
fairs as the Communist up
rising in China with 15 mil
lion liquidated, and the Span
ish Revolution, and the Irish
uprising, all very bloody
feuds. The reason for the dif
ference is not hard to find.
Kind Oskar and his advisors
were Christian rulers.
GUILD MEETS
FRIDAY, FEB. 8
The Matanuska Valley Thea
tre Guild will hold its regular
meeting Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:30
p.m, at the Palmer high school,
it was announced this week.
Members are urged to be
present at this meeting, as the
next play will be chosen if the
report of the play reading com
mittee is ready.
•:-){-**-*********4Hf***#**^
I Wasiila |
| Assembly of God f
Rev Paul E. Riley, *
% Pastor *
f *
;.Sun, School 10 a.m.*
.*Morn. Church Serv. 11 a.m.*
*Even. Serv. 7:30 p.m.*
H Prayer and Bible
J Study, Wednesday 7:30 p.m.*
Phone FR-6-3161
J*******-***-K-->r*-*****-SHHR
SUTTON COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF GOD
Sunday School and Worship Service
each Sunday Morning at 10:30
EVERYONE WELCOME
JOHN MARSHALL, Pastor
THE CHURCH FOR ALL...
ALL FOR THE CHURCH
The Church is the greatest fac
tor on earth for the building of
character and good citizenship.
It ia a storehouse of spiritual val
ues. Without a strong Church,
neither democracy nor civiliza
tion can survive. There are four
sound reasons why every person
should attend services regularly
and support the Church. They
are: (X) For his own sake. (2)
For his children’s sake. (3) For
the sake of his community and
nation. (4) For the sake of the
Church itself, which needs his
moral and material support.
Plan to go to church regularly
and read your Bible daily.
Our neighbor has a firm opinion about children
an pets: When a boy is old enough to assume
responsibility for the care of a dog, it’s time enough
for him to have one.”
, . Davey is growing up with his dog —
his frolicking playmate today, his faithful friend
and protector tomorrow.
„ ^neS0r has an °Pinion also about children
and God : When my son is able to weigh the claims
of religion with a mature mind he can decide for
himself whether he wants to go to Church.”
R Jat,ih£ritafe Would men have of Truth and
,aad * reedom if each generation had not im
b els?s.to the next? lt is the faith °f
, .. f1s w^lch is ours to cherish, and to teach
our children.
gr0T Up with that Christian Faith
and it will have its rightful place in their lives.
Sunday
Joshua
24:14-18
Monday
Joshua
24:19-25
Tuesday
I Samuel
2:18-26
w ednesday
Daniel
1:3-14
Thursday
Daniel
1:15-21
Friday
Luke
2:21-35
Saturday
Titus
2:6-14
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