The San Francisco call., 1896-11-25
ALCOHOL M ATS AND TRADES.
Some Interesting Statements Made Before
the Congressional Joint hyest-
qatinq Com nittes

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 24.-The
Congressional joint committee inyesti.
eating the subject of the result OF the free
alcohol in the arts and manufactures and
in medicinal compounds. with view to
devising and reporting a scheme of regu-
lat;ons by which that use may be secured
without detriment to the revenues of the
Government, resumed Its session to-day at
the Capitol. All the members were pres
ent except Senator Aldrieh. Charles III.
Merritt, accompanied by S. c. Holly, ]. Q.
Millard, Frank NJ. Storr and Nelson
Booth, appeared as representatives of the
National Association of Hatmakers and
addressed the committee. He explained
| the operations of making stiff hats to
show wherein alcohol was used in the
| construction of the article. Its office is
to dissole gum shellac and thereby ht
| it for introduction in the hat body to
stiffen it. Wood alcohol is almost entirely
| used, although the general consensus OF
| opinion of manufacturers was that grain
alcohol was superior to wood alcohol. The
competition in the trade is SO close, Mr..
| Merritt said, that the makers felt that
| they were entitled to Government aid.
Wood alcohol pays no internal revenue
| tax, so that it cuts no figure to the Gov
| eminent. But the trade wants to use
grain alcohol and would do so if it were
| free from tax.
Mr.. Holly, also a member of the hat
makers committee informed the COM
| mittee that if the manufacturers could use
grain alcohol in their trade the people
would get better hat Tor the same money.
Mr.. Bates of the Internal Revenue Bureau,
who was present with two or three asso-
ciates, expressed the opinion that the re-
| moval of the tax upon alcohol used in
manufactures would be a tremendous
tenn ptation to commit frauds upon the
revenues. The hearing at this point
| drifted into a somewhat informal discus
sion of methods by which frauds could be
prevented, if at all. Mr.. Bates said the
least Objectionable method, probably,
would be TO require the manufacturers to
pay the cost OF extra precaution.
Frank Storr and Nilsson Booth, opera
tiyes, gave to the committee the results of
their experience as 10 the effects of wood
alcohol upon employees who work with it.
These are generally bad, producing
headache. Inflammation of the eyes and a
catarrhal-like condition of the throat.
Senator Chandler of New Hampshire
informally addressed the committee. He
said that three propositions could not be
denied-First, that alcohol used as
beverage and to make men drunk should
be taxed 900 per cent; second, that
alcohol used in the arts and medicines
should not be taxed at ali or at most only
to save the Government in the matter of
expenditure for extra precaution; third,
that it should not be taxed more when
used in beneficial medicines. To say that
such q law could not be passed and sue
| cessfully administered was to impeach the
ability OF the American people to organ
| ize proper Internal Revenue Bureau. 1t
had been done in other countries and
| could be done here
After an executive session the commit
tee adjourned, TO meet Monday morning
in New York CITY.