The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-10-12
FREE ALCOHOL AFTER ooT i.
Representative Hill Tells About the
Farm Distilleries in Germany .
The Waste of American =
Farms May be Turned =
Into Cash-Great
Chance for the
Investors.

YORK sun.
Representative E. J. Hill, Of Con.
necticut, is in Washington assisting
the commissioner of internal revenue
to formulate the rules under which
the free alcohol law is to go into oper-
alton on October I. Mr.. Hill went
! abroad with Commissioner Yerkes and
spent most of the summer in making
a study Of the application Of the de-
naturized alcohol laws in the Euro
pean countries, where a consistent at
tempt is being made to develop the
production of alcohol for industrial
purposes. Germany was the country
! in which the most progress was found
to have been made, and Mr.. Hill has
many things to say of the interest
ing things he found there.
Mr.. Hill was asked about the many
small farm distilleries to be found in
Germany, some of which, according
to government reports, do not make
more than dozen or fifteen gallons
of alcohol in year.
"Isn't it exceedingly expensive for
the German government to keep track
of 10000 farm distilleries, many Of
them being so small that it cannot
pay to send an inspector to them ~
ne was asked.
"Not at all,' said Mr.. Hill. "The
German government has that matter
down to fine point and has no more
! trouble collecting the revenue from
those small plants than our govern
ment has in collecting it from the big
distilleries of Kentucky. You see, the
stills have to be made in a certain
way, which includes a tank that can
! be locked with a government lock and
sealed with a government seal. The
small farm distilleries do not operate
all the year round. The distilling is
kept for the winter, months, when
there is nothing else to do, just as
the American farmer chops his wood
! or shells his corn in the winter after
the crops are all in and he has the
leisure to do something other than
straight farm work.
"When the German farmer has
sorted out his refuse stuff. such as the
small and dccayed potatoes or reject
ed fruits, he drops line to the gov
ernment that on certain date, thirty
days hence, he wants to begin operat-
ing his still. They have to give thirty
days notice, according to the German
law, in order that the government Of
ficials may have all the time needed
to do their part. Some time during
the thirty days all inspector comes
along and looks the still over to see
that it is clean and in good running
order land especially that the tank is
empty. Then he locks and seals the
tank, after which the still is ready
for the farmer He is at liberty to go
ahead and distill until the tank is
full.
"Whcn the farmer has finally COM
pleted his distillation and wants to
get the money for his alcohol he mott
fies the person who is to buy it fror.
him, and as soon az he knows the date
it is to be removed, he notifies tho
government and an inspector comes
and removes the seal and measures
the contents Of the tank and collects
the revenue. IF the farmer wants to
denaturize it on the spot he can do 50
in the presence Of an inspector, when
the amount of the tax will be return
ed to him: But generally the farm,
ers sellthrough the great central sell
ing agency Of Germany, which de-
naturizes at central point and in
large quantities and collect the rebate
from the government in considerable
sums. Thus, you will observe, tho
government agents do not spend any
apprnoiable time at any one farm and
oi.v : ,ector can cover large terri
tory. Meanwhile the central selling
agency pays the farmer on the basis
Of beverage alcohol and rebates to
him for all which is dena, urized. It is
q perfect acting system and is not ex-
orbitantly expensive for the govern
ment. .s,s,. r. ..
"T tln are, Of course, many farm
ers wnu do mot feel that they 70
enoNgh Of an slschol crop 70 pay them