The Alaska daily empire., 1922-11-07

BY this system it VIII BE- possible to
always have a supply OF vegetables
on hand. to sort and grade the prod
ucts, keep the local goods up to the
market standard. maintain prices ana
to supply the local merchants with
home grown products as The market
calls for them.
Local Market Attainabe
az is a prevailing opinion that d
local demand cannot be created 10Y
| the home grown products. The sue
! cess of a number OF local merchants
| doesn't bear out this belief. those
men have been successful in mdrhct-
! ing their goods because they have
j maintained the grade of their veg
etables. delivered their products to
! the merchants on certain days each
! week during the season, and given
! some attention ID the wants OF the
merchants. The success OF those few
mon can be duplicated in much
! larger scale by the rdnchers OF tn2
entire FIRST Division through profer
marketing methods.
But it is only through 90 operation
! tina this success can be gained. Il
| will require the attention and care
Of the bes. type OF farmers in ;h.s
! district to bring this success ahout.
1 And there are great many ..iHcn-
\ ers in this section who are CONVINCED
/ that the time has come when proper
! care must he given to the STANDARD Of
I! foodstuff that is placed on tn mar
I ket, and that a system be established
4 through which the local products can
1 be pooled and distributed as the
/ trade demands them. The ranchers
! whom we have approached on this
! organization arr optimistic about
! the scheme and are anxious to be-
I come members OF the association. 1t
/ appears at this time that we will
] start out with membership Of be-
4 tween 60 and 10 farmers and gar
I deners.
j For Benefit Of Farmers
4 This is a farmers organization.
4 for the benefit OF farmers, and should
I be managed and differed by farmers
! If the right type of men can be per-
/ suaded to take leading part in the
J association, and give sufficient time
i to the administration OF It's affairs.
] the society should be the means OF
! establishing agriculture on highly
I profitable basis.
/, s'There are several problems which
! this organization should take up in
addition to perfccting a market for
4 farm products. and viii no doubt do
! SO at the March meeting One OF
( the questions is that of having the
county agent system extended to AL
| aska. BY this system a man who is
| thoroughly familiar with scientific
farming methods is located in each
farming community. ii is his duty
! to visit the several sections, study
local conditions. and advise and in
! struct farmers on problems on
which they are@not thoroughly ia
| miliar. 1t may be necessary for the
Legislature to appropriate sufficient
money at the next session to provide
! funds for the payment OF half of such
a mans salary. This would amount
! to only few thousand dollars pro
! viding three founty agents were ap-
| pointed to the entire Territory An
other question that will no doubt
come up is starting movement to
! have the Federal Farm Loan Act
4 extended to Alaska, This govern
lnent aid would be the means of fur
! nishing tho raneheis who have re-
| ccived patents to their homesteads
!. cheap money to operate on and en-
able them to increase their annual
output several hundred per cent
! Cooperation Is Required
| "Onc point that must be impressed
| on the minds of the ranchers Of this
district is, that they must develop a
closer business relation with the To-
cal merchants in their communities.
1t is through those men that they
/ must find a market for their prod
/ nets. The local business men, too.
should make an effort to study the
| needs OF the ranchcrs and endeavor
I TO aid them in working ont their
problems. A closer business rela.
| tionship between those two classes
or men VIII be the means OF keeping
surprisingly large amount of
! money in the home market that is
! now going to the States. 1t is a
short-sighted business policy on the
part OF the Alaska farmers to look
outside the First Division for mar
Ret Tor their products, and 1t is
equally serious business. error on
the part Of local business men to
continue to buy vegetables in the
States when they can secure sun
ply OF the home. grown products.
Developing market for any com.
modify requires the best efforts %
the most capable business men In
every field. To maintain a market
is-an overcoming struggle the world
over. The Alaska farmers are cot
alone in their fight. They should
not feel thar they are being imposed
upon, and spend their time and en-
ersy IN crying their troubles to the
world. but should buckle down to the
job and determine to win their fight
IL.