The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-14

Never has natural resource had a
longer or more discouraging fight for
recognition, and never has such re-
cognition finally come so spontaneous
ly an so enthusiasts ically and with
such unanimity as in the case of lig-
Mite" said Capt. |. p. Baker, Federal
Fuel Administrator for North Dakota,
in discussing today the sudden leap in
to popularity of the Flickertail state
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 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 it was a strange fuel to
our friends in the Red river valley,
those of who have occasion to so
journ there have made it point to
make it more strange by eXagerating
Ii3nite's pet peculiarities.
Another Story Today
1T is quite another story today.
Ignite has just saved North Dakota
from bitter winter beside which the
deprivations the east has suffered
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 Wyom
ing and Montana Goals were hard 10
get and the prices were eihCrbitant
That North Dakota did not Snller and
that it did not pay donb'a prices TO,
every ton OF coal it lSel was due u
Ignite. ...
And all at once we lind fast
awake ling appreciation Tor this coal
The North Dakota State Council of
Defense meets and adopts resolutions
endorsing the use OF Ignite III North
Dakota as a patriotic dnty and inam
orializing congress to further he de
yelopmell OF the Ignite Industry. The
NORTH Dakota legislature, il special
session, adopts similar resolutions
which are given wide publicity in the
state press and are forwarded TO Gun
representatives at WaShirgtGn. Sec
re.ary Of the Interior Lane Untains al
appropriation of 100000 for the OK
ploitation Of this great natural re
source Congressman Norton interests
himself in procuring appropriations
Newspapers thruout North Dakota he
gin commenting upon Ignite and ad
vising its use. The Twin Cities, il
the Hea'l less Monday belt, turn then
eyes Dakotaward, and the st. Pau
and Minneapolis newspapers in editor
ials and news stories urge an investi
CATION of the possibilities offered by
North Dakota Ignite fields as I
source of fuel supply for their indus
trial and domestic consumers. Min
nesota cities such as Moorhead ant
Detroit send representative out tt
our Ignite mines to contract for sup
plies; they experiment with the Goa
and increase their contracts.
The Patriotic Side
FINALLY comes the greatest ant
best endorsement Of all in the splend
id, stirring patriotic resolutions adopt
ed by the greatest loyalty rally evel
held in North Dakota Council O.
Defense war conference which con
vened in Bismarck the last days O.
February. Again is there urged up
on the people of North Dakota the pa
triotic duty of burning Ignite coal
not only from the selfish motive tina,
in so doing they are contributing tc
the development and enhanced pros
perity Of our state, but with the great
er and more patriotic motive of doing
our very best - help our country tC
win this war by releasing for con
sumption in the eastern munition
works and in the stoke-holds OF the
ships which are carrying our soldiers
and their supplies and munitions
across the Atlantic the millions 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 we can raise, all the
soldiers we can train, all the guns and
ammunition we can manufacture will
be worth less than nothing to us il
we are denied the ships to transport
them to France. Not only must we
have coal to produce power for the
manufacture of these ships-hundreds
and thousands Of them we must have
if we are to replace the worlds ship
ping destroyed by the German U-boat
campaign and supply the surplus ton
mage which this great emergency de-
mands. III
Manufacturers Wake Up
"FOr the first time in the history OF
the state a committee representing the
manufacturers of North Dakota in this