The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-30
RAIL BOARDS
TO GO TO MAT !.
ON COAL RATE ! Il.
Little Delay Will Be Suffered in
Bringing Ignite Cues
ton to Crux
| MINNESOTA LIKES FUEL
Moorhead Favors Use of Slack
in Automatic Stoker Fur. 4.
naces for Economy '
MINNESOTA LIKES FUEL

Schedules of proposed new freight
rates on Ignite to Minneapolis and
South Dakota points will be submit.
ted at an adjourned conference OF
the railroad commissioners of the
three states to be held in St. Paul
as soon as the proposed tariffs are
completed, it was decided at the con:
ference held ut the Waldorf hotel,
Fargo, this week. .,... 49,. :, =.
The effort on the part Of the repre-.
sentative OF one OF the railroads to
delay until the situation could be
studied" did not meet with favor;
and the Ignite producers were told to
prepare rate schedules for. Minnesota
points and the South Dakota com.
missioners agreed to have their
schedule ready to present at the,
adjourned meeting. . ~ "
1t is probable that the suggestion of
A. l.. Flynn. rate clerk of the Mime
sofa commission, will be followed In
that state. Mr.. Flynn suggested the
establishment of rates that apply to
both sires ofsthe river at Fargo and
Moorehead,s Grand Forks and East
Grand Forks, Wahpeton and Brecken.
ridge. Rates from the river points to
increase at the rate Of IL cent q ton
a mile on the zone system. This
would make the rate from the mines
to the twin cities $3.50 ton based
on the $1.6O rate to the Fargo cross.
ing of the river The present rate
$3.50. On the same basis Detroit
would have rate from, the mines OF
$lS4 in place of the present one OF
$2.65. T.. -
The railroad commissioners In at
tendance were unanimous In the
opinion that lower rates are neces-
sary and new tariffs will be recon-
mended as soon as the schedules are
prepared. While, there is no authority
with the state commissioners to en-
force rates it was decided at the aft.
ernoon session of the conference, yes
terday to carry the recommendations
to Director General of Railroads Me-
Adoo and; Federal Fuel Administrator
Garfield If the railroads refuse. to
make the proposed. tariffs effective.
*. ~. Warner: superintendent of
the .Moorhead electric light and
water works: plant: told at the con.
ference yesterday Of the ,experime nts
in the. use of'lignite made at the city
plant. Superintendent Warner SAID
the tests showed that one pound Of
Ignite will evapOrate,. :. 40 pounds
of water and; one pound OF bituminOus
S.5 pounds. BY mixing Is per, cent
of bituminous screenings with the
crushed Ignite the evaporation a Is
increased to SIS pounds of water for
each pound of the mixed. fuel. An
other important feature IL that Ignite
screenings considered little better
than waste at the mines can be used
In the :Moorhead plant where auto
matte stokers feed the furnaces, An
additional drayage charge of Is. cents
ton. to the cost of delivering coal
at the plant is paid under the pres
ent freight schedules as. the Ignite is
hauled from the Fargo railroad yards
instead OF sMoorhead where the price
Is 50 cents ton. H., ~, =. !. ~. -
The discussion yesterday afternoon
brought to the surface the old rate
contests in North Dakota and the
various phases of the numerous dis
putes between the Ignite producers
I and the railroads. 1t was urged on
the part of the railroads that reduc-
ton in rates at the present time
might have some effect upon the
Holmes and Howell case now in. the
courts. This argument did not worry
the commissioners who told the rail.
road representatives that the changed
conditions warrant a lowering of
rates and a change at the present
time will. have no bearing on o suit
begun before there was necessity for
lower rates. .:s.,. +. .,....,. $2''9af ~.,.,..
Judge Mills of the Minnesota COM
+ mission urged that the relief be
provided at once so the miners can
make, arrangements with. their help.
i Commissioner: NJ. J.. Johnson sug.
gested the appointment. Of a COM
mittee, representing the three com.
missions, the miners and the rail-
roads to agree upon rate schedules
and report to an adjourned confer
enCe. 10 ... ri. ......,r ,..s, IT, i,.s..a :.
| Commissioner O.. Z. Sweet Of South
Dakota said the proposed rates for
that state would be scheduled by the
commissions rate, expert on the
basis of the; information received
from the producers the railroad repre-
sentatives and knowledge Of condt.
tons in that state:
1t was then decided to adjourn the
conference for. about two weeks when
it will be reconvened in st. Paul aft.
er the proposed schedules have been
prepared; and. ]. w. Deemy Of the
North Dakota council Of defense re-.
turns from Washington where he will
20 this week for a conference with
Federal Fuel Administrator Garfield.