The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-07-12
New Dealers do not live
Up to their
Promises

! the MatanuSka valley IN Alaska,
described it as "dusty, mosquito
infested country
One Of the leaders of the return
ing workers declared that 178 more
of the 400 FERA workers in the
colony had begged to come back"
talt had been refused OH the
grounds that there was insuffic-
lent room on the returning ship.
"Three women cOlOnists begged
me to give them my Identification
tag" said William Peek, one of the
returning men, $50 that they could
clip their hair, put on mems
clothes and get back to the states.
"They wanted to get back here
and work to send their families
enough money to break away too"
Statements similar to the charg-
es of the disaffected groups were
made by several members of the
returning contingent.
"They had carpenters helping in
the kitchen; kitchen workers boss
ing logging gangs, and tractor
men doing the carpenters work, -
said E. R. Skaggs.
"When we Geft," said Murl HI.
Montgomery, another returning
transient, "there was only one ca
bin wheHe they need 200. It's a
crime for those families with tiny
children to face the Winter with
prospects like that. l only wish
could testify before a Senate in.
,estigating committee"
Donald Heron Koenen, four year
old son of Henry Koenen, former
ly of South Range, Wisconsin, was
the first victim of the New Deal
paradise. He died of pneumonia
and an attack of the measles.
=
Palmer, Alaska. - Untitled pro
misses with winter coming closer
this is the Promised Land that
the Matanuska colonists have
found.
"When we left Minnesota in
April we were promised work fo1
the men in shops and on roads,
said Mrs. l. M. Sandvik, one of the
colonists.
owe learned it was to be ar
agricultural project in a valley
which had but 1T families anC
that roads had to be built to the
land on which we were to settle
so that didn't sound much like
shops.
"The colonists had to set tt
work cutting logs and building
houses for themselves, although
we were given to- understand that
transient men were to build oul
houses and barns, drill wells anc
clear IL acres of land. Not one
house has been built yet, and ac
tual winter is some 80 days away
owe are doing what we expected
to have done for us, and still WI
assume the same mortgages.
Medical Problem Serious
"Our medical problem is serious
The doctor here is for transien
men, but he has voluntarily help
ed us out. He has no automobile
and some outlying camps are 1.
miles away, with no telephones ant
infrequent transportation service
There are more than forty expec
tant mothers in the colony.
Their Share of Disease
Contagious diseases have bee
going the rounds among the chill
dren and we have had our share
First Dale, II, had the measles
Then Petite, 7, and Lynn, A, con
tracted chicken pox and on top o
it came down with measles. So di
baby Kent, 2, but not so seriously
Them pink-eye started and Dial
got that. The two who were ser
iously i'll looked like pictures o
starved war babies for few days
"But all told, there has been
small death percentage in tn
length of time we have been here.
Palmer, Alaska. = In every i'm
portant respect the Matanuska col
ony project is not only far benin
the plans laid down but the littl
accomplishment is woefully benin
the needs of the colonists.
Only two wells have been dug o
homesites, while but five cabin
are under construction.
Of the 200 homesites needeN
only so have ben selected, and G
these only 20 have been cleared.
The community center site ha
been surveyed and mostly clearec
but not a building is under cor
struction.
Excluding homesites and tn
site for the community center sit
not more than so acres out of I'll
proposed 2,4OO have been cleare'
! No shelters for livestock have bee
started.
Six families have already aske
to be taken out of the valley ar
brought back to the states. Othe
NAV follow. Those who wish
leave BECAUSE of the intolerab
conditions are being denounced !
officials as "agitators."