Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-06-07
DENATURED ALCOHOL.

drug by means OF the addition Of
other liquids that make ii unpalatable
and injurious to the human system.
All alcohol, the product Of distilled
grains, is at present subject TO a
government internal revenue tax
amounting to S2.08 per gallon, at its
manufacture. In most cases, dealers
have to pay heavy state license fees
for handling alcohol, as il is an in
toxieant The result is that not only
the alcohol used as drug or bever
age, but VIII It is employed in count
less other ways, comes very high to
the buyer. 1t costs at retail about 81
gallon. One can see how cheap it
would be were it not for the heavy
tax to which it is subjected.
Now there has recently passed
Congress a bill to strike off this tax Of
| S2.0S a gallon completely from all
| alcohol that has been denatured, so
that it is fit only for use in mechanics
and the arts. This bill passed the
House 222 to Z, and the Senate
passed it unanimously. The
House concurred in certain amend
ments made by the Senate, and
the bill has received the presidents APP
proval and become law.
A wide field will be opened mp by
the freeing of alcohol from this heavy
tax. The effect will be TO so cheaper
it in price as to bring 1t within the
reach OF almost everybody tor the
common uses for which it is especially
adapted. Principal among these are
lighting, heating and power uses.
For lighting, one gallon OF alcohol is
equal to two gallons OF Kerosene.
At present cost OF production, when
freed from the tax, alcohol could not
compete with kerosene, probably, but
the expectation is that while kerosene
will constantly appreciate, owing to
It's scarcity. alcohol will fall in price.
as an immense stimulus will be given
10 its manufacture, for the purposes
intended. Eventually, it may be
cheaper and better to burn alcohol
for lights than kerosene.
For heating, as is we'll known, alco-
hol surpasses everything else. We
shall soon have alcohol cooking and
heating stoves that will be the neatest |
eleanest and safest imaginable, /
But it is especially for power pur-
poses that the compound will find an
immediate field. The introduction Of
automobiles and launches, and the I
building of gas, naphtha and gasoline
engines for so many common power
purposes of late has so broadened the
demand for these fuels as to raise the
prices to high figures. Alcohol for
power will even now enter as an aux
Hilary fuel, when tax free, and with i'm
provements certain to be made we may
regard it as the popular motion maker
of the near future.
Alcohol is so easily made from such |
a variety OF farm products that the in
dustry promises much profit to agri-
culturists. Raising the grains for de-
natured alcohol should widen the
farmers market. There will be no |
opportunity to corner the product and |
build up colossal fortunes at the pub
lies expense as the Standard Oil COM
pany has done. Indeed, the Standard |
may sooner or later find its power
curbed by this new rival.
Il will occur to readers that making |
alcohol SO cheap and plenty may pro-
vide an easy means for persons so dis
posed to secure intoxicants, and that |
sobriety may suffer. Denatured alco-
hol is OF the same nature as wood alco- |
hol, now used freely in the mixing of
paints, oils, etc, and is no more appe- |
tizing to the drinker, and no less fatal. |
we suppose. The process Of denatnr-
izing is carefully guarded by govern
ment inspectors while the compound |
is being. manufactured.
This kind Of alcohol figures largely
in certain foreign countries that have
been quicker than we to see the adj
vantage OF its cheap production The
comparatively small loss in revenue
will never be noticed. Natural alco-
hol, the drug. will still be taxed as
heretofore. and the cost OF the COM
pound has been so heavy that tor the
purposes covered by denaturei alco- /
hol other things have been substituted.
so that the field opened is almost a
new one.
You cannot induce a lower animal to eat 4
heartily when not feeling we'll. A sick dog 4
EfarWeg himself and s.efs we'll The cerr,,- I