New-York tribune., 1906-06-03
TRIP TO STUDY ALCOHOL.
Dir. Yerkes and Others to Observe
Conditions 4brOad.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau. 7

Washington June "A government commission
headed by John w. Yerkes. Internal Revenue Com
missioner. will leave Washington Immediately after
the adjournment OF Congress to visit Great Britain
and Germany, for the purpose Of studying the
regulation of denatured alcohol. Several members
of Congress will be included in the party. among
them Representative Hill. of Connecticut. Mr.. Hill
suggested the idea the President few days ago.
and the latter gave his immediate sanction TO the
plan.
Mr. Yerkes will be the held responsible for
the enforcement of the law relating to denatured
spirits. which will become effective on January l.
and the President believes he will be able to do
this effectively If he can see the actual OPP
Grafton of the regulations in force abroad. Secre-
tary Shaw will grant him two or three months
leave of absence from the Treasury Department, In
order to allow him ample time in which to make
the investigation. Mr. Yerkes said to-day, in dis
cussing the trip:
The party has not yet been made up. but it is
probable that & several members Of Congress in ad-
that number Will make the trip, for the subject
IS one that ought to be thought out very care
way of framing regulations for the manufacture
Of the product and the method of procedure from
the time the spirits made until they m
sumed in the manufactures, the arts and in the
1t is interesting fact that nearly ali the gov
ernments abroad have been liberalzlng their la aws
began to recognize the product. In nearly all the
9 me od M0rid the Tax on spirits Ike
revenues Although this is a fact they are year
R ee @ On and s S
showing very, conclusively that the industry does
alarming extent, and also proving that the fraud,
lent use of the spirits a beverage is at ell
tho chief agent used 10 convert the spirits from
drnkable to an undrinkable liquid. Some Of them
USE, use percentage & Of benzne or some retrolel m
there is a distinction made between the denaturCd d
alcohol manufactured for in the arts aud in
dustIies and that made for consumption m the
home. In the former the aim is to use such gt nts
for dcnaturizirE will not tnjure the 1rodust for
= IN he Fer
Of denaturng it with wooG alcohol or some coal
OIL or coal TAR product Varnlsh itself Is used. In
order to protect the government special precau-
tons will Of course have TO be taken TO kee track
of the exact amount of alcohol used
1t remains be seen whether the denatured
alcohol will prove q competitor of coal oil and
gasolene, and whe ther it viii he made proftabiV
BY the farmers and small gardeners of he coun
try. In Germany most of II Is manufactured from
potatoes and it is cheap. In ENGLAND il has nnt
proved serious rival Of p@troIcin as @ Ii6ti~g io
and heating agent, but great deal of II IS used
II is probable that in localities where cane is
it can be made IT good profit by men af small
means. In the main. however, IT will becon1n n
greatest quantities by the disters and s1' Tu Ia teS
ineTs from their products e" re-
bill becomes effective it will rain them 7 do nor
believe that any such thing will come TO PASS In
ly by the producers of charcoal Ii is \ nv
uct cS charcoal. ana does not amount at most m
more MN 40 ItI Ctn % OF tne charcoal mans output
It Is safe TO say that 10 PEI cent of the denatured
alcohol that is sold will consist of wood alcohol
~ I!i'c - 70 meet the gov
ernment requirements. SupDoSing that there are
50.o00o00 galions of the denstuIed product pIaSed
alcohol Will be needed TO make IT, ACCORDING to
the wood alcohol peoples figures tbey mann
facture only 100000 gallons a year They saw that
the denatured product and their export trade not
affected In the least there is reason to believe
gallons. -'''VV'