The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-19
FOR FREE ALCOHOL
BILL so0N WILL DE REPORTED TO
 THE HOUSE.
Spirits Which It Is Designed to Foster Is Not of Inc Drinknbie Kind, However.--Payne Favcrs
 Measure.
BY ALFRED :. STOPPER.

\
 BY ALFRED ,. sTOFER. i Washington, March 1S.--(Speciai, l---- I What is known as the free alcohol bill | will soon be reported to the House, and ! Chairman Payne of the Ways and I Means Committee, will he states, do his | utmost to have the measure passed this I session. It is now being prepared by subcommittee consisting of Messrs. | Payne, of New York; Hill, of Connec- | ticut; and Boutell, of Illinois, Republi- l cans and Clark, of Missouri and Un- derwood of Alabama, Democrats. They are unanimous for the bill. but 1t is understood that one or two of the general committee will oppose 1t. The acohol proposed to be made free of tax is not of the drinkable sort As explained by Secretary Wilson of the the many interesting hearings granted by the committee, 1t will ultimately benefit wonderfully the farmers of the United States. He is enthusiastically in favor of this legislation and so are Professor Wiley and many other of the high officials of the department. Secretary Wilson contends that the question of heating and lighting on the farm is becoming quite insistent. In the prairie countries there is some coal, but the readily obtained supply will be- come exhausted before a very remote date.
 Hard coal taken out to the prairies is expensive at all times. and very exs pensive quite often; besides which, 1t is becoming more and more expensive as the time goes on, apd he thinks that people must begin looking about for other sources of heating and lighting. The starch and sugar plants are the present source of alcohol and will con- tinue to be. In Europe the chief sour ces Of alcohol have been the potato and the sugar beet by distiilation. either di- rectly or from their by-products. Other sources of alcohol which may be ad- vantageously utilized in the United States are the white potato, the sweet potato the yam. the casava plant, waste molasses from the sugar cane and from the sugar beet, and the waste product from the stalk of corn at the time of hardening Of the grain. Tn the list may be included also all plants that yield heavily of starch or sugar.
 Nahum Batcheldor, Master of the Ma tional Grange Of the Patrons of Hus- bandfy, which has n membership of over SO0,090 has spent a great deal of time here this session. He says the farmers are anxious for the passage of the hiil. The great importance, he states, to the agricultural Interests of the proposed legislation arises from
 
 These are. first. the invention of a method of using alcohoi in connection with the incandescent mantle for light ing purposes; and, second the perfec- tion of the interna1- combustion en- zine and its general adoption as mo- tive power for motor vehicles, power boats and farm and e5ther stationary engines.
 Most of the large manufacturers of wood alcohol iaythe United States are opposing vigorously the bill. There are HIS or these concerns in this coun- try, lSe1ted in Maine, Vermont, New YoTA, Pennsylvania, Ohio. Michigan, '- Alabama, Wisconsin and Missouri
 MT. Henry J. Pierce of Buffalo. the president of one of the largest firms claims that If the bill is passed it will practically ruin an industry in which many millions of dollars are invested and which employs, including wood choppers. over 10000 men.
 John w. Yerkes, Commissioner Of In- ternal Revenue, has advised the com mittee that for the protection of the government a stamp will have to he provided in the event the measure be- comes law. His idea is that as it will cost ten cents each to print the stamps and that nominal sum ought to be charged on each barrel or case that is put fin government warehouse.
 Ah WiSOH ldElH DIIt passed in 1894 there was virtually a free alcohol provision, but Secretary Carlisle de- clined to put the provision into opera tion. claiming that the interests of the government were not properly guard ed He thought there was chance for frauds upon the revenue. The next congress repealed the law.
 Some of the officers of temperance organizations do not like the words l free alcohoP and they have so inform 1 ed many members of Congress; but | they have been assured that there is 1 nothing in the proposed Legislation to | which they could possibly object. The kind of alcohol that is to be made free | of tax will be denatured as the chem | ists say, and it cannot be used as a bey- | craze unless some, foolish or reckless | man or woman burning up for strong | drink should take what they must | know is rank poison, for after the | liquid is denatured it certainly is not | it for a beverage, as, it contains noxi- ous and poisonous ingredients.
 Representatives Clark and Under wood are of opinion that If the bill | becomes a law it will result in great benefit to the agricultural and nianu- interests of the United States They are heartily In favor of its passage | and seem to think that 1t has a very good prospect of being put through the house this sessiol.