The Daily Alaska empire., 1945-03-14
TOWNSEND CLUB MEMBERS HEAR
 LEGISLATORS
Senators, Representatives Address Members at
 Regular Meeting


 Pepper of Florida had introduced Townsend bill into Congress. Sen ate Bill No. 69 and that made three bills now before Congress.
 G. E. Almquist, Club President, said the petition circulated last year to bring the Townsend Bill out of committee and place it on the floor for debate failed by one vote and the Townsendites have high hopes this year.
 After the reading of the weekly communication it was voted to hold potluck dinner next Tuesday night in the Miners Union Hall at 6.30 o'clock.
 Legislators Talk
 After the pusiness meeting Repre- sentative Chris Hennings of Juneau was called upon to introduce other members of the legislature present and coll on each of them for few words
 Representative Harry Badger, "The Strawberry King of the North, was the first speaker. He stated he thought the Townsend plan was "a forward looking plan' and briefly outlined some of the many economic changes facing the countr;; at the close of the war.
 Representative Frank Peratfo- vich, of Klawock, stated the plan was for the needy and. as such, was forward. looking and he congratulat- ed the Townsend members for try ing to do something to aid those in need.
 Senator Don Carlos Brownell, of Seward, said he didn't want the older people put on the self in making a plea that older people be allowed to keep their new indepen- dence and job assurance they had found during the war. Economic Problems
 Jesse Lander, speaker of the House, then outlined some of the economic problems facing the coun- try after the war and stated the Townsend people were well-justi- fled in plugging their plan.
 Representative Ed Anderson "The Man From the Creeks of Nome, said some plan should be made so that people lin the evening of our lives" will have a share of the pro- duction.
 Representative Walter Huntley, dairy farmer from the Matanuska Valley, gave several highlights on the colony that will be 10 years old this May.
 Huntley scored the impression most people have Of the Matanuska Valley propect, that of it being a costly failure. He thinks, and more than that, knows, he said, that the valley is a success and that agri- culture, as whole in the Territory is a success.
 Misfits No Farmers | Pointing out the oft-repeated tale that misfits and men with nc previous farming experience were shipped to Matanuska, Huntley said this was only partly true. The man, he flatly stated. who was the biggest financial success, was a man whose previous farming experience was limited to back yard garden. In 1943, the farmer representative said, this mans income amounted to gross of $16,000 and he will gross $20,000 this year.
 Huntley pointed out the valley could not possibly have been a suc- cess the first year. Most of the tracts were heavily timbered when the colonists arrived. He said it took him the first season, from May to November to build house, He then hired out that first winter as a carpenter and with the wages he earned hired two good" men to clear land. After the land was clear ed it took another year for the land to sweeten up before the crops were any good.
 Huntley then pointed out that af- ter the first three years he was just getting started as he was in the dairy business and needed more land than the truck farmers. This year, he said, T had enough grain to last all winter for the stock until this month. He said it took lot of land to pasture and raise grain for cat- tie.
 Coop Business The Matanuska Valley farmer then outlined the Coop business, over which there has been much controversy in the past, and which, he says, is still not completely set tied. In 1943 the Coop did $1 900 ,085 worth of business.
 Huntley went on to say that he had faith in the future of agricul- ture in Alaska and pointed out that an area back of Haines was suitable for fruit raising provided a strain of bees could be introduced into Alaska that would survive during the winter. Bees are necessary for pol | linization of the fruit trees. In answer to question from Representative Peratrovich about the markets for products, Huntley stated that, because of the rather small amount of land in Alaska suit