The Washington herald., 1906-11-19
FARMER ASSATLSLAW
Fears Results Of Denatured
Alcohol Act.
YERKES REPLY IS SARCASTIC
Tells Writer That Farmers May Dis
till All Alcohol They want, IL 1t IL
Done In Irregular" DistiIlery and
Under Supervision of Government.
Explains Workings of Department..

There is sarcasm and some humor in a
sioner Of Internal Revenue to a man in
New York, who wrote to him. expressing
the fear that the farmer would not be
given a square deal" in the enforcement
Of the denatured alcohol act. and that the
whisky trust and other special interest
would probably be given the best Of II"
The writer wanted 20 know IL farmers
would he permitted to make alcohol on
their own premises az they manufacture
cheese" This brought forth a ruling
from the Commissioner Of Internal Reve-
nue.. that there is no objection to a
farmer manufacturing alcohol in his back
yard II he wishes to establish distillery
there Here is a part OF the letter re-
ceived by Commissioner Yerkes:
At present regular disulleries only can
engage in the manufacture, enabling the
whisky trust to secure practit ally a
monopoly. II is proposed 20 ask Congress
TO let the farmer, (as in Germany and
others in on the manufacture Of the pro-
duct. I regret TO attack the law, but must
if the present law is to stand favoring
SDtCAdl interests. II - UtCPNS-- " III tlAIA
simplify the law, reducing the manufac-
ture to the easy basis of cheese making,
and cut out the ridiculous red tape Of the
regulations and instructions. l regret
that I must attack this feature also and
show how our people are TO be prevented
from making simple and cheap fuel by
red tape restrictions. unless assured that
a change NAV be hoped for"
Congress Made the Law.
Commissioner Yerkes replied that the
department does not make the law, but
endcavors TO administer It as enacted by
Congress.
''As 20 what Congress proposes 10 pass
/ am not advised" he said. This Office
knows OK no processes by which alcohol
can be manufactured, except by distilla-
ton. and as regular distiIIeries are the
only kind recognized by law, alcohol man.
Ufactured under the supervision Of this
department must be manufactured at
regular distilleries. For your informa-
ton, however, ! will state that there IS
nothing mysterious or complicated about
a regular distInery, and that the manu-
facture Of distilled spirits at a regular
distiile-y Is probably simpler than the
manufacture OF cheese
Mr.. Yerkes is from Kentucky.
Commissioner Yerkts declared that the
law does not favor one class Of distil-
leries as against another" and 'lf there
IS such thing as a monopoly in the
whisky business, il is not because OF the
internal revenue laws, or the manner in
which they have been administered"
Gives Instructions.
Instructions are then given in the let
ter for the guidance Of the farmer who
wants to make alcohol in his back yard
He will be required to give bond. the effect
of which is 10 prevent him from defraud-
ing the government Of the tax on any dis
titled spirits produced by him. He will
be required TO establish a distillery ware
house, TO establish q denaturing bonded
warehouse, and TO tax-pay or denature
just as he may wish. the alcohol produced
by him. All Of this viii be done under
governmental supervision. but the govern
mCnt pays for this supervision. The man
ufactuTer OF alcohol does not bear one
cent OF It.
Now Mr. Yerles prides himself that In
the administration Of the internal revenue
business he has done away, as far as pos
sible. with what Is known as red tape
Therefore when his correspondent referred
TO ridiculous red tape" he got rise out
Of the gentleman from Kentucky, who re-
piled:
Only Business Proposition.
IF YOU will take the trouble to investi-
oata vou will find that the laws and regu-
lations relating 10 the manufacture OF de-