The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1906-06-29

The following, from the Cincinnati
Enquirer, calls to mind recent con-
versation The Tribune had with Ex-
Gov. Joe Devine, on the subject of the
widespread Importance of the free alco-
hol bill of Hon. Thos. F. Marshall, when
the ex-governor gave it as his opinion
that it was the greatest measure for
the benefit of the masses that has been
enacted by any congress of recent times,
and that Immediately the new law goes
into effect the people with one acclaim
will, on realizing it's beneficial effect in
the matter of economy in lighting, heat
ing and power, hail the Marshall bill as
their deliverer from the extortion to
which they have long been compelled to
submit at the hands of the Standard
Oil octopus and kindred trusts and mo-
nopolies. The Enquirer recites few of
the benefits the people will derive from
the enactment, as follows:
So various and far-reaching, it is ex-
pected, will be the results of the cheap
ening of alcohol used in the arts and
manufactures by the new law removing
the internal revenue tax upon it that
no one man can be found who cares to
estimate or guess at the total effect or
to enumerate all the lines of manufac-
ture which will be quickened by it. The
law, which provides that there shall be
no tax on such alcohol when it is ode
naturized," or mixed with a sufficient
quantity Of other substances to render
it unfit for drinking or for medicinal
purposes, will go into effect next Janu-
ary, and already the commercial world
is taking note of the immense changes
which will follow and getting ready to
meet them. All experts agree that it is
the most far-reaching legislation enact
ed in many years.
The alcohol affected by the law tech
nically known as ethyl alcohol, now
costs about $3.50 a gallon, of which
$2.08 is the tax upon it. 1t is available
for producing heat and light in all sorts
of ways, for varnishes, solvents and
for operations in many trades, but be-
cause Of it's great cost it has been ex-
cluded from these uses in this country,
and other things, such as gasoline for
some purposes and wood alcohol for
others, have been substituted for it.
None of the substitutes are as good or
perform the desired function so we'll.
PRICE TO TAKE BIG DROP.
Gasoline is'rapidly rising in price be-
cause of the dwindling supply, while
wood alcohol is poisonous, even to
breathe, injurious to the eyes, skin and
general health of those who work with
it, and in many other ways objection
able. Ethyl alcohol may be made of
grain, potatoes, corn-stalks, or. indeed,
any vegetable rich in starch, and, though
the cost of manufacture, exclusive of
the tax, is now about 40 to so cents a
gallon, it will soon be much reduced be-
cause of the large market which the
removal of the tax will open. Much
refuse and farm produce which now
goes to waste or is allowed to rot can
be manufactured into alcohol when the
demand makes it profitable. Wood al
cohol now costs about 70 cents per gal
lon, but even if the ethyl alcohol should
cost that much it would still supplant
wood alcohol because of it's superiority.
Ethyl alcohol now costs, in Cuba, where
there is no tax, ten cents gallon, and
experts expect that the price in this
country will soon drop to that figure,
or near it.
While wood alcohol is now used in
many manufactures where ethyl alcohol
would be better, there are some opera
tions where the use of the latter is i'm
perative, despite it's cost, so that the
cheapening of it will result in a better
quality in some manufactured articles
and lessened cost in others. Among
large list of manufactures in which
there will enter the free alcohol as given
by Mahlon N. Kline, of this city, at a
hearing before the Committee on Ways
and Means of the National House Of
Representatives when the bill removing
the tax was under consideration are:
Aniline colors and dyes, hats (stiff, silk
and straw, electrical apparatus, trans
parent soap, furniture, picture mould
ings, burial caskets, cabinet work, pas
senger cars, pianos, organs, whips, toys,
rattan goods, lead pencils, brushes, wag-
ons, boots and shoes, smokeless pow
der, illuminate of mercury, brass beds,
incandescent mantles, Photographic ma
terials, celluloid, sulphuric ether and
organical chemicals. In all these there
have been used heretofore wood alcohol
at about 70 cents gallon, or ethyl
alcohol at much greater cost, and now
the ethyl alcohol will be used at from
IL to Is cents gallon.
WILL EFFECT HEAT AND LIGHT.
AS an example of what the change
will mean, the manufacture of hats is a
good illustration. Alcohol is used for
the shellac needed in felt hats, about
half gallon being the average used
for each dozen of hard or stiff hats.
This, if wood alcohol, costs IS cents,
while the free alcohol will cost not over