The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-05-22
N|N0T HAS A Chance
FOR C0vERNM'T PLANT
Uncle Sam Is Trying to Figure Out
Best Way of Spending 100000
In Briquetting and Gas Ex-
periments

M. Darling, fuel engineer OF the same
organization, visited in Minot Monday
and made an investigation relative to
North Dakota's Ignite industry, with
a view of locating the governments
new Ignite testing plant. They state
that while they will not know until
the first of June just where the plant
will be located, they believe that MI
not has fair prospect of getting it..
The gentlemen were very favorably
impressed with Minot. They were
guests of the Minot Rotary Monday
Aoon and the hour was given over to
them to address the members.
Mr.. Hood explained that the gov
ernment had appropriated $100 900 to
experiment with Ignite coal. The
government does not hope to make any
money out of the project, in fact It
expects to spend the entire 10000
in the best manner that looks toward
the developing of the Ignite coal in
dustry. Mr.. Hood said that the gov
ernment's proposition in way was
Jug handle arrangement, with the
handle on the side of the government.
The government has interested num-
ber Of cities in the Ignite coal fields
Of Texas, Oklahoma and North Da..
kota and will consider the various
proposals from those cities, accept
ing what it considers the best offer:
The plan is something like this. The
government will furnish Ignite coal
and gas experts. The city that gets
the plant must furnish some 1Snpany
to handle the business end of the ven:
ture. all the way from buying the coal
to marketing the .briquettes, oils and
water gas and other products Of the
plant. TIA profit is shown the surplus
is to be turned over to the goverf,-
ment. The 100000 will be used to
back up the company manufacturing
and handling the projects. Whenever
AGENT is paid out Of the 500. 900 fund
l,6 more money can be put back into
this fund and when the 500, 900 is gone
the government is thru. Should the
plant runAat an average loss oft$l0,'
900 4 year, the government will WASH
its hands of the proposition in ter
years, unless there is another appro
priation in the meantime. The 500,
900 will ,he,, used lin paying Tor ex
perts bAt.sthe, plas.t will have to pay
for its ordinary laborers. ,taa9tm y
The Association of Commerce !:
handling the matter for the city o.
Minot.. There is talk of securing tn
plantu;of. the Northern Briquettine
Co. to manufacture the briquetes. Th'
gas product will be one of the BIZ
Items Mr. Hood explained that tn
one unit that will be installed will fur
nish enough gas for a city ten time
che size Of Minot.. This gas can b
used for either lighting. cooking o
for heating. The briquettes he state
can be manufactured so that they cal
be sold at fair profit for around >
a ton. or about half what anthracit
coal costs. A ton Of briquettes ha
greater heating value than ton 0
anthracite. s
Mr.. Darling. who is noted fuel en-
gineer.. is positive that this industr
can be made great success an
whether Minot gets this government
plant or not, it is safe statement t
make that inside of q year, gas an
briuuetting plant will be in operatio
in the city of Minot
The; fuel experts predicted tha
there was a great future for the cit
Of Minot industrially on account Q
this city being situated on the edge Q
the richest coal deposits in the worlt
Industry always follows the coal, the
declared.
Il was reported that the location Q
the plant lies between Waco, Tex, an
Minot..