VALLEY FRONTIERSMAN
Entered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947, at the post office at
Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
PRINTED AT PALMER, ALASKA, EACH FRIDAY
By the Matanuska Press, Inc.
Publisher, Bus. Mgr. A1 J. DeJulio
Editor
Mrs. Marian Badcon
Associate Editor
Virginia Gallant
Barbara Carter .Wasilla Correspondent
Subscription Rates.50c a month, $5 a year
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States
WE'VE BEEN TOLD OFF!
In a letter to the Frontiersman this week, Mr.
Rasmussen of the M.V. F.C. A. notified the Frontiers
man that all Co-Op advertising would be dropped
. from the Frontiersman until further notice.
Mr. Rasmussen proclaims "We intend to pub
lish a small throw-away sheet on our own and feel
that it will be much more effective . ... as there will
not be anymore slanderous propaganda against the
Co-Op in it."
Frankly, if Mr. Rasmussen wishes to produce his
own advertising medium, it's okay with us. Although
we do not concur with his thought that it would be
more effective.
Further, Rasmussen adds that his organiza
tion regrets being forced to discontinue patronage to
local industry, "but in view of certain events we find
it necessary to do so." How sad! !
Rasmussen's first motive for discontinuance of
advertising in our paper appears too weak and insig
nificant. We refuse to believe he intended it to be
taken seriously.
we are razner incunea to Deueve mr. Kasmussen s
last statement is apparently the sole reason for his
boycott.
Mr. Rasmussen wasn't as specific as he could
have been in expressing his motives for the boycott,
but we'll guess a little.
No doubt he feels his unquestionable integrity
has been besmirched, and his tender feelings annoyed
by several statements revealed in a letter printed in
last week's issue of the Frontiersman. The letter was
drafted by City Council members to the Co-Op, after
negotiations had fallen through with Mr. Rasmussen,
concerning a larger and improved water system for
Palmer.
We've been told by reliable authority that Ras
mussen agreed to several certain stipulations—one of
which is causing most of the squabble—whereby the
Co-Op would take on the project of enlarging and im
proving the water system without financial assistance
from the city.
< It is alleged that Rasmussen made this statement
and others, in the presence of Councilmen Mick and
Hagen and a Territorial Department of Health official.
It is further alleged that Rasmussen, after mak
ing the agreement, at a later date changed his mind
and requested financial assistance from the city before
the Co-Op would do anything about the water situa
tion.
That is the water squabble in a nutshell.
Rasmussen denies he made the "no f inancial as
y sistance from the city" statement.
Who's telling stories?
In printing the City Council's counter-proposal
which shed light on the negotiations agreed upon—
and later allegedly broken by Rasmussen—the Fron
tiersman has been accused of slanderous propaganda.
How simple!!
We reiterate, we printed facts given by the City
Council.
In referring again to the boycott—we, too, could
shrivel up into a little worm and ask our employes to
stop trading at the Co-Op, because of the unfairness
„ of Rasmussen's ad ban. But we aren't. We intend
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I believe Palmer has the biggest little hospital in the world, but
that hospital needs help now....... .... 6
I have just come out of it. They saved my life.. ......The skill of
the surgeons, the care and inspiration of the nurses.
We need a new hospital badly. The hospital is understaffed and
underequipped. The staff now in charge of the 'little hospital" is
doing a job which would be a credit to a big hospital—and doing that
job against all odds.
The people of Palmer should be proude of that hospital staff, but
they also should recognize the terrific handicaps against which they
work and should do something about it. The peaple of this commu
nity should get together right now to raise emergency funds for
maintenance and equipment terribly needed until the funds for the
new hospital come through. That will be late 1952, and we have the
problems in this interval.
Today, there are such little
things needed which almost any
person could supply and which
would mean so much to a patient:
two or three electric fans, some
floor rugs, radios—surely, there
are persons in this community
who can give those.
Repairs Funds Needed
From my personal experience I
know that plumbing and lighting
fixtures need repair. Why don’t
people of Palmer do something
about this? It might be their own
children who will be there next.
People seldom plan to go to a
hospital—it happens to most of us
as a sudden emergency. Tomor
row it might be you.
From my experience there in
the past two weeks when they
saved my life, I want to say that
for courtesy and kindness, for ef
ficient treatment within the full
limits of their facilities, Palmer
has the biggest “little hospital” in
the Territory.
As a veteran of World Wars I
and II, I’ve seen a lot of hospital
ization. I have been in some of
the finest and biggest and best
equipped hospitals in the nation.
But our little hospital in Palmer
has the human touch they could
not give.
The present need of the Valley
hospital for funds for essential
repairs and equipment could be
met if wage earners would give
one day’s pay—if business houses
would donate 10 percent of one
day’s net receipts.
Palmer does not need a hos
pital as big as Anchorage but it
does need one as good. At pres
ent there are no facilities for con
tagious deseases; there’s a lack
of private rooms; equipment and
supplies are needed. Let’s help
provide them.
Words cannot express the grati
tude I feel for what the biggest
“little hospital’’ has done for me.
(Signed) L. A. CHANEY.
giving the Co-Op some of our business as usual—Ras
mussen or no Rasputin.
In closing, our remaining hope is that Mr. Ras
mussen doesn't become too angry with us. We may
need his able assistance if the Co-Op boycott reduces
us to poverty. We ,may revive the Townsend $100-a
month, Ham 'n Egg plan—sit on our fannies and make
life miserable for water users.
Palmer's water situation "steenks." Let's get
more water and wash the smell away! ! !
William J. Sweetman, dairy
husbandman with agricultural re
search administration, will give a
review of livestock and equip
ment Tuesday night at the Breed
BLOSSOM OUT WITH
FLOWERS
for ihe home
PLANTS
for the window boxes
MANY MORE
for ihe gardens
Mai. Valley Gardens
MAUD HOSLER
NORTHERN
NEON
- CORP.
SIGNS
Trucks, Cars Lettered
Manufacturers of
Neon Signs, Marquees,
Store Fronts and Tube
Lighting
540 Borrow - Dial 43734
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
er’s association meeting.
The meeting, set for 8 p.m., will
be held at the Experiment farm.
All members are invited to at
tend.
PmUcUU
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
RAY ADAMS
Valley Frontiersman, Page 2
Miss Pat LaWalter of Anchor
age is in Palmer, visiting Mrs.
Betty Mears and her grand
mother, Mrs. Minnie Clark. Pat,
who was graduated from Central
Junior highschool in Anchorage
this spring, formerly lived in Pal
mer. She attended school here
and has many friends in the Val
ley.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Niemann,
formerly of Springer Road, Pal
mer, have returned to Elgin, 111.,
where they have purchased a new
home. The family spent the past
winter outside, returning to Pal
mer two weeks ago to dispose of
their property.
Passenger Service
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From Seattle
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June 6
for Seward and Valdez
FOR INFORMATION
Phone 22001
T. J. MALONEY, Agent
Office: Westward Hotel
Anchorage, Alaska
Fine Photography
Palme*. Studio
Palmer Drug Bldg.
SIGNS
OF ALL KINDS
Sho-Cards-Truck Lettering
PALMER SIGN CO.
Box 1833—Basement Palmer Drug