The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-23

Is essential that Ignite should come in
TO use as quickly as possible, but in its
raw form 1t Is futile to attempt to use
It at great distances from the mines,
through the experiments of the School
of Mines. at the university it has been
ascertained that briquettes can be
manufactured and that gas can be &C.
cured as a by-product on a basis that
makes 1t possible to develop a great
industry in this state and to flrnish
the people of North Dakota, at a cost
of between ST and SIS a ton. a fuel that
Is practically anthracite in character.
The School of Mines has also been
carrying on extensive Investigations In
clay n pottery, and here again is the
basis for the establishment Of a great
industry.
The time is coming, too, when we
shall attempt to use the wind mower
which passes freely and sometimes
fiercely over our state. Millions Of foot
tons go to waste annually, and the pro-
blem Of utilizing it is one of securing
adaptation between the electrical FACT
llties that now exist and this force.
Sometime, too, we shall turn to the
use Of the sunlight, with which we are
much blessed, and we shall come to
understand that We can grow plants
here far beyond anything that is being.
done elsewhere at the present time,
"Ihere are. some educational pro-
olems in our state. Without question
we need to raise the standard of orr
rural schools, to secure better teachinc.
and a more generous attitude toward
them. 1t is likewise desirable to bring
al! the schools of the state into closer
re~iatlonshlp through the department of
public instruction n to coordinate tho
work Of all schools, the university, the
Agricultural" college, the normal
schools, and the science and Industrial
schools. to the end that duplication
snail not exist, but each have a field
that will be sufficient and fully cover
ed; and to the end, too, thai science
and. thought may be advanced in orr
common-wealth, that the intelligence
OF the people may be materially in
creased, and that we may reach the
high basis of civilization which will
give US the reputation of being the
most advanced state in the union.
when we talk of problems, however.
we are always brought face to face
with costs. There Is need of greater
revenue and yet in many places a.
heavy burden of local taxation bears
GOWN upon the community. The state
tax is not large under existing circum-
stances some $2.06 per capita only. but
there is much to be done in the way of
equallzing the burden in the way of
centTaIlzlng administration of the fiscal
problems of the state, and Of changing
the law here and there, so that moth
ing may be lost in the conduct of the
business end of our commonwealth,
ms is speclhcally important, for the
reason that in the fina analysis all
these problems must be taken care of
from the point of view Of their cost,
and unless we pay attention to this
side we are bound to be confronted
with increasing difficulty in solving he
others. 'No
we are engaged in building here a.
real commonwealth. On the whole, he
view of the citizens is a broad one and
they are ~open-Tninded to the demands
of progress, but it is essential hat we
should recognize the state as a great
unit, that it is in fact the work Of ali
OF us together. The time has now come
Tor us to lay aside sectional points of
view and to regard these problems in
a statesmanlike way. We have a great
opportunity to make an ideal
wealth in North Dakota. A real demo-
cracy, exists here, and little of tradi-
ton handicaps us in the work that
is to be done; but if we scatter our
resources of money. and of effort, if we
fail to look at the larger and
n d of the state, If we adopt a little
view concerning u future, we are NOT
going to reach the end that our condi-
tions and our opportunities n u
hopes justify I see the evening star
leading us on, emblem of hope and of
aspiration, evidence of things to De
accomplished and results to be achiev-
ed in North Dakota"