The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-03-03

vention a movement was started to Sc
cure removal of the internal revenue
tax on certain kinds Of alcohol. Since
then Mr.. Marshall of North Dakota
has introduced a bill in congress bear
ing on the subject. It's passage is Of
vast importance especially to such ag-
ricultural states as Minnesota. Not
only will it benefit the farmer who p:o
duces the raw Waterial from which all
| cohol is> made but it will contribute TO
his further advantage in a cheap and
safe motive power for use on the farm
| as we'll as light and heat for his home.
TIL removal of the internal revenue
will also tend in, no small way TO les
sen the enormous dividends of the
Standard Oil company made possible
by its monopoly
The bill provides that free alcohol
does not carry with it license to in
du]ge in the original intoxicant as 4
beverage. 1t contemplates that ample
protection shall be provided along this
| line by demanding that it shall con-
tain an obnoxious poisonous sub
stance.
1t is not difficult to point out the
| far-reaching effects which the removal
of the tax would have upon the in
dustries of the country, and it is equally
simple to produce proofs to show that
arguments in favor of free alcohol are
based upon sound economic principles.
At present alcohol for beverages and
industrial alcohol are subject to tax
Of more than 50 a gallon. Industrial
alcohol, according to the department Of
agriculture, could be sold profitably
were there no tax on it, for about Is
cents a gallon; and under the in
| creased demand that would be sure
to follow, it is possible it could be
sold profitably for 10 cents a gallon.
The U. S. a. Disadvantage.
| The fact that the United States is
! the only important manufacturing and
| commercial country in the world which
| makes no distinction between alcohol
! used in the arts Of manufactures, is
due chiefly to the popular lack of
knowledge as to the value Of alcohol
! as an industrial material.
Alcohol is absolutely necessary in
the chemical industry, and in the man.
| ufacture Of most chemicals large
quantities must be used. Owing to
| cheap alcohol the German manufac-
| turers in these lines have developed
! their industries so that they are the
foremost in the world. and have Sc
| cured almost the entire trade in neut-
raj markets. Not only this, but they
sell large quantities in this country,
| the advantage resulting from cheap
! alcohol being sufficient to enable their
products to BE sold here III: Spite 81
| the protective tariff. The total manu-
facture of fine chemicals in this coun-
try is valued at less than $5,0OO,OO0;
the value of these articles exported
by Germany exceeds $50,OOO,OOO.
The revenue laws Of all other COM
! mercial nations Of the world, including
| Great Britain, Germany, France, AUS
tria- Hungary, Italy, Belgium, Holland,
Russia, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden,
Denmark, Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Ar
gentine Republic, Chile and Peru. dis
| tinguish between the beverage and al
cOhOl used only for industrial pur~
| poses
The use Of alcohol as an industrial
| material figures prominently in the
| manufacture Of nearly one hundred
different articles. These range from,
articles Of household use and neces-
sity to electrical machinery, ammuni-
ton and fire arms. But few luxuries
| find a place in the list. The more
common ones are as follows:
Stiff hats, silk hats, women's and
| children's straw hats, smokeless pow
der, illuminate of mercury. cartridges,
artificial silk. picture frames, mould
ings, manufacturers Of metal goods,
including hardware. brass beds and
brass trimmings for iron beds. gas and
! lamp fixtures, lamps brass. musical
instruments, electric fans. bird cages
clocks, toys, etc.. coaltar dyes, celluloid
zylonite, fibroid and all manufacturers
Of nitro-cellulous compounds and pryo-
xolin plastics, photogra phic supplies
electric generators and motors, lead
pencils, watches and clocks, ole
-stearine, or steric acid. automobile
| IoWer boats and small stationary CON, y
bustlon engines, furniture and other
| polished wood productions. including
railway and passenger street cars, car
riages, pianos. organs, billiard tables
! burial caskets, rattan goods and al
polished wood interiors: whips. trunks
shoe dressing. patterns, shoes frs
works. emery wheels, pipes, umbrellas
and canes, handles and novelties
chloroform, fusel oil and Transparent
| soap.
Tho Making Of Soao.
Take the item OF soaD for instance
Alcohol is used in the manufacture o.
soap as solvent FOR cje1r:l'.Sk,.
Transparent soap is made by r1ixin:
fat and soda to form soap nixi:.rf
In the usual way. Alcohol is ther
added and a n emplsion formed hu VIC.
lent agitation thus bringing the alcoho
into contact with every particle O.
the soap. The alcohol is then allowed
to evaporate and now transparent soa,
is run into mou]ds and pressed into
the shapes in which 1t is sold,
The sales Of transparent soar
throughout the world are enormous
the annual sales Of one foreign man.
ufacturer in the United States alone
being about 100000 cakes. Verv 1T.
tie is made in this country owing to The
fact that the manufacture is increased
over IS gross on account of the in.
ternal revenue tax Of $2.O7 per gallor
on alcohol.