The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1906-09-18

product as denaturizing element, is
explained by chemists as a perfectly
natural desire.
DR.. Wiley, chief chemist of the agrf-
cultural department, than whom there,
was no more earnest advocate of the
free alcohol law, calls attention to the.
fact that the government often, in the
passage of laws, works serious hard
ship upon legitimate industry. He
asserts that the manufacture of wood
alcohol is a legitimate industry; that.
1t sprang into being to furnish
cheaper article than is possible to be
done in manufacturing alcohol from
grains, with the existing tax of $1.1O a
gallon. The wood alcohol manufac-
turers find their business seriously in
jured by the sudden change of policy
by the government.
For that reason, Dr. Wiley is one
of the advocates of reasonably lib
eral treatment of the wood alcohol in
dustry in connection with the new
policy. He is convinced that within
a short time experimentation in chem
istry will evolve an ingredient pos
sibly more effective as a denaturant,
and certainly very much cheaper. In
the meanwhile, other industries, in
Guiding that of wood alcohol, will be
able to adjust themselvesi to the
changed conditions.
III regard to the subject Of reduced
cost of manufacturing ethyl alcohol
Secretary Wilson of the agricultural
department, is pursuing line of in
Ivestigation, which he is confident will
produce important results. The sec
lretary's Investigations are in the di-
rection of manufacturing ethyl alco-
hol from refuse and waste of agricul-
tural products; the utilization of farm
products now unknown to this coun-
try, but which are utilized in non-corn
producing areas of the world; and also
along the line of engineering tests to
determine the utility of alcohol for
power purposes.
I'VE have experts now engaged in
testing the utility of the waste pro-
ducts of a corn canning factory in
Illinois" said Secretary Wilson, and
from their first report we are led ito
believe that from ton of corn cobs
lit is possible TO obtain eleven gallons
of alcohol. The tests are now being
Guiding husks, parts of stalks, and
similar waste which comes from such
factories as utilize only the corn,
THE public must. be patientswitfi
this great industrial question: said
Secretary Wilson, because it is not
only new question, but it is one of
tremendous import to American i'm
dustries, and one which will grow in
Importance with the reduction of our
stocks of fuel and the rise in the price
| of mineral oils. The large question
involved is whether when coal and
wood become too high in price, we
shall be able to supply an industrial
alcohol at. a reasonable price, and here
is where the farmer becomes a factor
in the problem. He may be able to
produce upon American farms all the
requisite material for the production
/ of low priced industrial fuel and
Fighting agency.
To this end, / have sent an expert
into European fields where they are
not able to produce in sufficient guam
titles staple foods for stock, such as
corn and grains, and where they have
successfully employed a potato stock.
This potato is unknown in the United
states. Here we have produced only
the edible variety, and our aim has
been to obtain the best standard OF
Epotat0afor the table.it By iratroducing
lthisapotato, known l,sas 81 stotasR food
ABROAD we may find vegetables that
is RICH in alcoholic elements.ss ssees
Then there is the. side, Of thesAaes-
ton as to what extent We shall, he
able to utilize denatured alcohol for
industrial purposes. We have conn
n1fssioned engineering experts at Cor
nell university and sfff New York CITY
| to make experiments in the use Of al
cohol for power PURPOSES and from
these experiments we hope Ito obtain
much useful information" $50
The evidence thus obtained, from
this inquiry into governmental condi-
tions tends to show that the officials
are already active along lines which
will tend to produce the best possible
results. There is almost a universal
belief among the government officials
that the expectations of the people
were raised too high during the entfu-
siastic movement for, Industrial alco-
hol legislation. Nowhere among the
officials can be found opinions tend
ing to show that an industrial alco-
hol will be produced at prices below
20 cents a gallon for some time. There
| is wide variance of opinion on this
subject, and among the most careful
experts the advice is to wait patients
!iy for results" 500
"A good lot on north side, near A..sC..