The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-14
B00Ns IN MARSHALL S
Plan FOR MORT Invest
Denaturized Alcohol Plants Would
Mean Added Industries and
Farmers Markets.
8 BY W. W. Jermans.

lied alcohol, for use in the arts and
in general manufacture and in
a variety of other practical ways. The /
general plan as, outlined looks first to
suitable legislation in congress at this
session, and then to getting together
capital for investment in these distill- |
ing plants.
If this scheme is worked out, even in
lines Of industry in the northwest, give
the farmer permanent market, at
good prices,N for his potatoes, corn,
sugar beets, and other crops possessing
quantities of starch and sugar, and at
the same time strike the Standard Oil
company terrific body blow.
In a general way, this scheme is the
most ambitious of it's kind that ever
has been undertaken for Minnesota, the
Dakotas, Iowa and Wisconsin, and its
-potentialities are almost without limit.
Capital in abundant amounts has al
ready been promised Mr.. Marshall, and
as soon as there can be legislation in
congress, the work of building the
plants will be begun.
Repeal Internal Tax.
The legislation alluded to looks to the
repeal Of that section Of law which
levies an internal revenue tax of $2.O7
a gallon on alcohol for use in the arts,
etc. Europe has already discovered the
wisdom Of legislation on this character,
and, in France and Germany especially,
the manufacture of denaturized alcohol
has been carried on for several years
with astonishing success. The result is
that it is impossible for American man
ufacturers of certain lines of goods,
such as drugs, druggists sundries, ETC.,
to compete in this country with the
foreign trade. In Europe the alcohol
used in these goods is free Of tax, while
here the $2.07 per gallon is levied.
By the denaturizing process, the al
cohol is mixed with a certain per cent
age Of wood alcohol, or some similar
product, thus rendering it poisonous
and therefore unfit for use as bever-
age. This denaturizing will, of course,
be done under the immediate direction
of the revenue officers of the govern
ment, and will be rigidly safeguarded
SO as to prevent any improper use Of
the product. There is now no provision
in the revenue laws by which alcohol
may be used in the arts and in manu-
facture without the payment Of the,reg-
| ular revenue above referred to. The
legislation required will provide that
alcohol, after distillation,. shall be
poisoned, and then that the revenue
| shall be removed. -=5...
MarshalI's Efforts.
Representative Marshall has been
giving this question careful attention
for number Of months. He had sew
eral conferences in this city before the
holidays, and during the present week
at which there were present, in addition
tos himself, Representatives Hill. OF
Connecticut, and Murdock, Of Kansas
and certain capitalists ofthe New. Eng
land states, the latter being anxious te
furnish all the money that will. .bt
needed to equip as many large alcoho
distilleries in the northwest as will b,
needed to- take care Of any crops til,
| farmers may raise with a; view to fur
thering this new industry. It is tn
plan Of these gentlemen to take up tn
work of an active campaign at once
J Petitions will be circulated over tn
country, for general signature, askin,
congress to enact the desired legisla
tion, and other petitions will be pu
into circulation with view to havin,
them sent to certain members Of tn
two houses from voters along by abou
Feb. 20, to justify a meeting on tina
day Of the ways and means eommitte
{ to consider the proposed Legislation
: Several bills have already been. intro
> dueed bearing on this question, bu
Representative Marshall will himsel
introduce another bill after he has ha
time for further investigation.
Standard Oil Opposition.
| The chief opposition to the legisla
l ton will probably. come from the Stand
ard Oil company, which always ha
friends in congress. The manufactur
on a large scale of denaturized alcohc
q in the United States, free Of revenu
/ duty, for commercial purposes, woul
\ cut tremendously into gasolene an
9 kerosene consumption, just as it ha
: done in Great Britain, France, &c:
Y many, Belgium, Holland and Austri,
q In the countries named this alcohol
t rapidly taking the place of gasolene fc
fuel, power and light, and the place {
than either Of these older products,
cheaper, and not offensive to the smell
There may be another objection j
s congress because of the claim that wi
probably be put forward, that this lie!
islation will reduce the revenues Of til
government all the way from $4,000
: 600 to $30,000,000 year. It is said b
: experts, however, that this reductio
9 will be less than half million dollar
:: and If it should be anywhere near TIL
> sum, it will be important.
!. V The legislation has already appeale
s strongly to the national grange, whic
: has Endorsed it. It. will also appeal
: temperance people and prohibitionist
! It is said that the New Voice, the pr
!. hibition organ Of the country, has a
= ready Endorsed it earnestly. I'll
:. ground for this Endorsement lies in II
!. strong probability that, if this legisl
+ tion should be enacted, many alcoh
i. distilleries which now make alcohol f,
!, consumption as beverage, will find
: more profitable to discontinue this pra
tice, and make it exclusively for tt
T. arts and manufactures, thus saving I'll
$2.07 a gallon tax and increasing pre-
s. emit profits. This is the way the thi1
+ has worked abroad, and there is ]
s. reason to suppose that it will not wol
r in that way here.
a How It Works in Germany. !,
& AS showing something of the impol
ance Of this situation in one small eou
A., try, quote from the American cons
f / I.G1 4