The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1906-12-28
Can CONDUCT Stills
Senator Hansbrough's Bill Would Let
the Farmers Run Distilleries at
Their Farms.
-.

An amendment to the denatured all
cohol law was offered in the senate
by Senator Hansbrough of North Da-
kota, which If adopted promises to
revolutionize the production of dena-
tured alcohol and accomplish the end
sought by the enactment of last ses-
sion, an end that law has so far failed
to attain. When congress passed the
free alcohol act of last session, it sup
posed it was making it possible for
farmers throughout the country 10
convert their waste products, most of
which are SO convertible, into dena-
tured alcohol, which they could utilize
to run thresher engines, pump water,
and produce other power at home, or
else store it and finally sell to those
in need of material for power, heat or
lighting purposes.
When, however, the experts of the
department of agriculture came to an
alyze the bill, they found that it would
do nothing of the kind. 1t might ulti-
mately result in somewhat cheaper
fuel for owners of automobiles and
those who make a business of produc-
ing power, but there was, according
to DR.. Wiley, of the bureau of chem
istry, nothing which would make 1t
practicable for anyone to produce al
cohol unless they made a business OF
it, and conducted a still which will
produce from seven to ten gallons a
day. 1t is to remedy this situation and
achieve the purpose which prompted
most members of congress to vote for
last years law that Senator Hans
brough has devised and introduced the
amendment offered today.
The senator found that in Germany
farmers conduct small stills on their
own farms, and so convert their waste
products into alcohol, which, on its
being denatured, they are free to make
such use Of as they may see fit. To
accomplish this end the farmer erects
his still and then sends for the rev.
enue officer, who attaches a contain
err made according to government
regulations. The revenue official seals
the container, and into it goes all the
alcohol distilled, the producer being
unable to touch the distilled product
without breaking the seal, for which
there is, of course, heavy penalty
When the producer finds his still prac-
tically full, he calls the revenue officer
WHO Q0LdCH6S lHG CUHldluSIy .-BduSeS
and measures its contents, witnesses
the process of denaturing, and then
permits the producer to devote his
product to any purpose he chooses.
Senator Hansbrough believes that
the existing law can benefit only the
trusts the alcohol and the wood
alcohol makers, but that by the adop-
tion of the amendment he offered to-
day the production of denatured al
cohol and the utilization OF many
waste products which are now lost,
will be placed within the reach of ev-
cry farmer who tills any considerable
l.amount of land, and that where one
farmer has not sufficient wastage to
operate still, several farmers can
combine in its operation, and thus de-
rive the benefit of the law. While it
is regarded as probable that certain
interests will oppose the amendment,
the senator from North Dakota be-
lieves that most members of congress
intended to do last year just what this
amendment will accomplish, and for
that reason expects that it will receive
generous support.