The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-03-21
.LAUDS n. D. COAL
Ignite Wins Recognition Denied
for Many Years.
Capt. I. p. Baker, Federal Fuei Al
Rninlstrator, Shows How Ignite
saved Suffering and HeIps
Win the War.

Bismarck, N. D.-"Never has q nat
anal resource had . longer or more
Encouraging fight for recognition
and never has such recognition I'm
ally come so spontaneously and "
enthusiastically and with such unan
inity Is in the case Of Ignite" said
Capt. l. P. Baker, Federal Fuel Ad
ninistrator for North Dakota, In dis
eussing the sudden leap into popu
larity Of the Flickertail fuel.
I'VE have had people right here IL
central North Dakota, near the heart
Of the coal fields, who nave used no
other fuel for years 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 was q strange fuel
to our friends In the Red River val,
ley, those who have occasion to So
tourn there have made 1t point to
make 1t more strange by exaggerat-
ing ifgnfte's pet pecu1iarities.
1T Is quite another story today
Lgnite has just saved North Dakots
from bitter winter beside which
the deprivations the east has sut
fered would have been as nothing
It would have been almost imposst
Die with conditions such as they
were to have supplied all Of NORTH
Dakota with eastern dock coal. West
ern Wyoming and Montana Goals
were hard to get and the prices we're
exorbitant. That North Dakota did
NOT suffer and that it did not pay
double prices for every ton Of coal
It used, was due entirely to Ignite.
"And all at once we find a fast
awakening appreciation for this
coal. The North Dakota State Coun.
Gil Of Defense meets and adopts res
olutions endorsing the use of Ignite
in North Dakota as a patriotic duty
and memorializing congress to fur.
Their the development Of the Ignite
industry. The North Dakota legisla.
ture, in special session. adopts SINH
lar resolutions, which are given wide
publicity in the state press and are
forwarded to our representatives at
Washington Secretary of the Inter.
Tor Lane obtains an appropriation of
100000 for the exploitation OF this
great natural resource. Congressman
Norton interests himself in procur-
ing further appropriations. Newspa-
pers throughout North Dakota begin
commenting upon Ignite and advis-
Ing it's use. The Twin Cities, in the
Heatless Monday belt, turn their
eyes Dakotaward, and the st. Paul
and Minneapolis newspapers in edi.
torials and news stories urge an in
vestigation of the possibilities OF
fsred by North Dakota Ignite fields.
Finally comes the greatest and
best endorsement Of all in the splen
did, stirring, patriotic resolutions
adopted by the greatest loyalty rally
ever held in North Dakota-ths
Council of Defense war conference
which, convened in Bismarck the last
days Of February. Again is there
urged upon the people Of North Da.
kota the patriotic duty of burning
Ignite coal, not only from the sell
hsh motive that in so doing they are
Contributing greatly to the develop
mont and enhanced prosperity Of
our state, but with the greater and
more patriotic motive Of doing our
very best to help our country to win
this war by releasing for consump
ton in the eastern munitions works
and in the stoke-holds Of the ships
which are carrying our soldiers and
their supplies and munitions across
the Atlantic and millions Of tons Of
eastern coal which we have demand.
Cd in other years. AZ was pointed
out by men of national renown who
spoke at this conference, all the
wheat we can raise, all the soldiers
We can train, all the guns and am.
munition we can manufacture will
be worth less than nothing to us Il
W are denied the ships to trans
port them to France. Not only
must we nave coal for the ships
bunkers, but we must have coal to
produce power for the manufacture
Of these ships-hundreds and thous.
ands of them we must have If we
are to replace tho worlds shipping
destroyed by the German U-Boat
campaign and supply the surplus
tonnage which this great emergency
demands.
'Wor the first time in the history
Of the state committee representing
the manufacturers of North Dakots
In this conference went on record IN
favor Of the use Of Ignite in ill Of
our manufacturing enterprises, In
sisting that It is solemn duty these
industries owe their country and
their state as we'll.
"Out of all this agitation has come
sincere appreciation Of Ignite
The consumption mas not been In
creased to the extent which might
Do expected; many Of our good cit
lzens still regard Ignite as weird
II not dangerous, sort of thing. But
they are slowly adopting more
tolerant attitude. They are hearing