Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-04-26
Free penatured Alcohol.

Free Denatured Alcohol.
Because the bill for free denatured
alcohol is one of the most important
passed by the house in this congress
/ give my remarks in its favor in full:
Mr. Speaker, the proposition to remove
the tax from denatured grain alcohol for
technical uses is the only one of which
history furnishes an authentic record on
which distillers and prohibitionists man
ufacturers and farmers, producers and
consumers are agreed.
If the roseate predictions of its most
optimistic advocates are fulfilled, we will
witness veritable Aladdins lamp work
ing its myriad wonders before our eyes
in this prosaic age. If even half of them
are realized we will see a revolution in
lighting. heating, manufacturing and
motors.
Buckle. in his immortal fragment, says
that the three most potent factors in
modern civilization were the invention of
gurpowder, the invention of movable
types and the use of steam as a motor
and a manufacturing agent Had he
lived in our day he would have classed
electricity as the fourth. If the hopes
of the proponents of untaxed denatured
alcohol find fruition in fact, then it will
rank as the fifth.
1T is said that he who causes two blades
OF grass to grow where only one grew be-
fore is a public benefactor. If that be
true-and it certainly is incontrovertfble
then the declaration may be made with
out fear of successful contradiction that
he is also a public benefactor who fur
nishes cheap light cheap fuel and a
cheap motive power to the masses of the
people These are among the blessings
promised by this measure. Every MEM
Der of this house can enroll himself
among his countrys benefactors by vot-
ing for this bill. A cordial invitation is
hereby. extended to all members to place
their names upon the roll of honor.
In passing, it may be well to state
that this is the only civilized country I'M
der the sun in which any considerable tax
is levied upon denatured alcohol intended
for technical uses. In this age of fierce
Industrial and commercial competition
constantly growing fiercer-we cannot af-
ford to neglect any of the natural advan-
tages which we possess, and as alcohol
can be made from anything containing
starch OF Sugar = grain Of every sort,
white potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams,
cornstalks, etc-we can easily and prof
itably produce substances from which a
limitless quantity of alcohol can be made.
1t is not the part of wisdom to agree
with the extremists on this subject, either
pro or con.
One set seems to think that untaxed al
cohol will usher in the millennium the
other set concludes that it will destroy the
wood alcohol and the charcoal iron in
dustry. The former are unduly elated:
the latter are unnecessarily scared
Alcohol can be made from the corn
STALKS which we produce and waste in
quantities to supply not America only,
but the world. with cheaper and better
light and fuel Alcohol however, will
not be made from cornstalks in any con-
siderable quantities so long as grain and
potatoes are as cheap as they now are.
So, far from the wood alcohol industry
being destroyed, 1T is doubtful if it will
be injured to any appreciable degree. In
deed, some persons think it would help it.
for the best denaturing material thus far
discovered is one-tenth part of wood al
cohol.
Last year the entire output of wood
alcohol was about 100000 gallons. The
enthusiastic proponents of the pending
measure predict that in a short time we
will be consuming 200, 600 gallons of de-
natured alcohol per annum That would
necessitate the use of 20,0O0,000 gallons of
wood alcohol per annum for denaturing
purposes alone, or twice our entire pres
Now, be it remembered that nobody
starts out to make wood alcohol as an
original proposition 1t is a byproduct
Of charcoal burning, wood alcohol and
acetate of lime, constituting 81 per cent
OF the money value of charcoal making.
On the other hand, what is called
grain alcohol'' is the principal product
Of distillation, except the Stops, which,
as animal food, just about pay the cost
- r., ~
,plest processes known among men.
That free denatured alcohol will be a
powerful competitor with the Standard
Oil trust and the coal trust there can be
no question, and for that reason, if for
no other, this bill should be enacted into
law 1t can be made in this country for
from Is to 80 cents per gallon, at which
price it is cheaper than kerosene or gas
oline, for a gallon of alcohol contains
about twice as many heat units as a gall
lon of kerosene or gasoline. At the same
time it is much cleaner and safer. Why,
then, refuse it to the people?
Aside from it's use for lighting, heating
and motor purposes, it is surprising in
what variety of manufactures it Is a val
uabse necessary, factor.
In an elaborate report Senator Plat
and Mr. Russell enumerate the following
Acids, bicycles, backing, brass work.
bronze work. burial caskets, cabinetmak-
ing. carriages, cars, wagons. etc: car
tridges. cellulold and zylonite chairs,
chemicals, chemical preparations, cigars,
colors, dental goods, desks. dyes, dyes
used in textiles, enameied ware, havoring
extracts, folding beds, Illuminating pow
der, furniture, gas and electric fixtures,
gliding, granite ware, guns and pistols,
hats, japanned ware. machinery, mold
ings, organs, paints, paper pharInaceu-
ticals, Photographic materiess, pianos,
picture frames, rattan goods sheilac,
silk silver plating ssnokeless powder, to-
bacco, toys, varnishss, whips.
There are. perhaps. others. The nuIn-