Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-03-09
Pro and Con.

ITO anu SoHs
The testimony given at the hearings
Mt Washington last month before the
national house committee on ways ana
means, in regard 10 proposed legislation
removing the internal revenue tax from
denatured alcohol used in the arts ana
industries. was such as 20 convince any
reasonable person Of the wisdom OF the
desired action.
The committee heard a variety OF
reasons for the proposed measure;
Temperance people consider the arts
and industries the only proper fields
for the use Of alcohol and declare that
the United States is the only civilized
nation in the world that, through its an
terpal revenue taxes, absolutely pre-
vents the use Of grain alcohol in any
way except that most injurious to
man; automobile manufacturers ana
owners want alcohol as substitute
for gasoline. the supply of which Is I'M
certain and unsatisfactory; manuiac'
turers want it as substitute for
noisopous wood alcohol which they are
now obliged TO use; union painters
want il used in their business instead
of wood alcohol, the fumes OF whieh
have made one of their number per
manentlv blind; farmers want it used
industrially so that they may have a
market. in its manufacture, for their
surplus corn, potatoes and beets, and
the general public wants alcohol for
light, power and fuel, for which pur-
noses il is shown to be both better and
cheaper than kerosene, gasoline and
coal.
But ON the other hand: Wood al
cohol manufacturers declare that the
movement to free alcohol is purely
selfish and if successful will ruin the
wood alcohol industry in which many
millions of dollars are invested, thou
sands of men employed and the welfare
of at least 100000 persons involved;
they insist that their product is inJuri-
GUS to health only when drunk and that
it does not figure materially in the
destruction of forests.
Back of the wood alcohol forces, and
the real backbone of the opposition, is
the STANDARD Oil company. 1t was
made evident at the hearings that its
powerful allied interests are RESPONSE
BILE for present conditions, under which
this country uses Standard Oil products
where the rest of the civilized world
uses alcohol. Grain alcohol, untaxed,
would prove a strong competitor OF
kerosene, naphtha and gasoline,
Therefore,: While the removal of
the tax in question was Shown at the
hearings to be desired by the general
interests of the country and favorable
to such, it is doubtful whether legisla-
ton to that effect can yet be secured
from congress. So many powerful IN
terests will be affected by the change
that only the insistent public clam
orr which congress despises, yet fears,
will be able to bring about this action
which has been urged, with more or
less vigor, for fifteen years.
If it could be brought about, it
would relieve the people of various
trust burdens; opening up to their use
a great source of light and fuel supply
in the surplus of damaged products of
the farms. Secretary of Agriculture
Wilson said at the hearings that the
coal, forest, mineral oil and natural gas
supplies are fast disappearing and that
eventually the world will have to look
to agriculture for its fuel, light, and
motive power. This could be furnished
in most convenient form through the
medium of alcohol, which can be pro-
duced almost limitlessly from corntops,
potatoes, sweet potatoes and vans and
from sugar beets. He estimated that
40 gallons of commercial alcohol could
be produced from an acre of corn on
the heavier corn lands of the country
and 500 gallons from an acre ofpota
toes. 1z ,s8na. ,aFle SSM agg !
Sometime, whengthe people Of the
United States have studied this subject
and understand it as fully as they now
understand the subject of pure food,
the United States senate will pass "a
free alcohol measure as readily as MsreS
Gently passed pure food bill. But not
until then.
ew