Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-12
COAL
IS NOW COMING
INTO ITS own
N. D. Rapidly Awakening to
the Appreciation of this
Native Coal.

NEVER AdS d udLuTdl TcSOuICc 1ldu d
longer OF more d~iscouraging fight for
recognition, and never has such recog-
milton finally come SO spontaneously
and so enthusiastically and with such
unanimity as in the case of Ignite"
said Capt. I. p. Baker, Federal Fuel
Administrator for North Dakota, in
discussing yesterday the sudden leap
into popularity of the Flickertail fuel.
I'VE have had people right here in
central North Dakota, near the heart
of the coal fields, who have used no
other fuel for year and years and
who would use no other, who yet,
when away from home, have found
enjoyment in poking fun at Ignite,
and. because 1t vas a strange fuel to
our friends in the Red river valley,
those who have occasion to So
journ there have made it a point to
make it more strange by exaggerating
lignite's pet peculiarities.
ut is quite another story today.
Ignite has just saved North Dakota
from a bitter winter beside which the
would have been as nothing. 1t would
have been almost impossible with
conditions such as they were to have
supplied all of North Dakota with
eastern dock coal. Western Wyoming
and Montana Goals were hard to get
and the prices were exorbitant. That
North Dakota did not suffer and that
it did not pay double prices for every
ton of coal 1t used was due entirely to
Ignite.
"And all at once we find a fast
awakening appreciation for this coal
The North Dakota State Council of
Defense meets and adopts resolutions
endorsing the use of Ignite in North
Dakota as q patriotic duty and
memorializing congress to further the
development of the Ignite industry
The North Dakota legislature, in spe-
cial session, adopts similar resolutions,
which are given wide publicity in the
state press and arc forwarded to our
representatives at Washington. Sec
rotary of the Interior Lane obtains an
appropriation Of 100000 for the ex-
ploitation Of this great natural re-
Newspapers throughout North Da-
kota begin commenting upon Ignite
and advising its use. The Twin Cities,
in the heatless Monday belt. turf
their eyes Dakotaward. and the St
in editorials and news stories urge an
investigation Of the possibilities offer
ed by North Dakota Ignite fields as a
source of fuel supply for. their indus
trial and domestic consumers. Min
nesota cities such as Moorhead and
Detroit send representatives out to
our Ignite mines to contract for sup.
plies; they experiment with the coal
and increase their contracts.
best endorsement of all in the splen-
did, stirring patriotic resolutions
adopted by the greatest loyalty rally
ever held in North Dakota-the Coun-
|cil Of Defense war conference which
convened in Bismarck the last days
of February. Again is there urged
upon the people Of North Dakota the
patriotic duty of burning Ignite coal
not only from the selfish motive that
in 50 doing they are contributing
greatly to the development and en-.
HANGED prosperity Of our state, but
with the greater and more patriotic
motive of doing our very best to help
u country to win this war by releas.
ing for consumption in the eastern
munition work. and in the stoke-holdt
Of the ships which r carrying oul
soldiers and their supplies and NUM-
tons across the Atlantic the million:
of tons Of eastern coal which we have
demanded in other years. AS was
pointed out by men of national re.
nown who spoke at this conference
all the wheat WI can raise, all the sol
diers we can train, all the guns anc
ammunition we car manufacture will
be worth less than nothing to us If wi
are denied the ships to transport then
to France. Not only must we have
coal for the ships bunkers, but we
must have coal to produce power fol
the manufacture of these ships-hun'
dreds and thousands of them we mus
have if we are to replace the worlds
shipping destroyed by the German u
Boat campaign and supply the sur.
plus tonnage which this great emer.
gency demands. f.
''For the first time in the history Of
the state a committee representing the
manufacturers of North Dakota in thi.
conference went on record in favor o
the use Of Ignite in all Of our manu-
featuring enterprises, insisting that i
is a solemn duty these industries owe
their country and their state as well.
"Out of all this agitation has come
a sincere appreciation Of Ignite. Thu
consumption has not been increased
to the extent which might be expect
ed; many of QUE good citizens still re
gard Ignite as a weird. If not danger
Gus. sort Of thing: But they are slow
ly adopting a moro tolerant attitude
They are hearing from other CON
munities which have burned it ant
liked it; they are making up thei,
minds to try 1t during the milde
weather that is coming. with a view t
adopting its use exclusively next win
ter. The Ignite producers have beel
thoroughly aroused. to the ~necessit.
for a much heavier output, and SHOULD
North Dakota be cast upon its owl
fuel resources next. year, as seem
probable, the mines will be ready"
SHOULD REGULATE CEREAD
PRICES.
(waseca Herald.)