The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-21
SAYS RESTRICTIONS DESTROY
ALL GOOD IN MEASURE.
Two Large Concerns viii Manu- acture
Distilling Apparatus Here as Soon as
Regulations for Fuel Product Are
Nodded Trust Now Controls All
Authorized Denaturants. -,

gree of profit.
D. O'Connor of the Otto Gas Engine
company, who lis authority for this
statement, alsos has much to say upon
the subject of the. free, alcohol bill, its
brilliant promise and--in his view
its dismal fulfllment. He insists that
unless congress ienacts a new law, home
of dream sever, despite the law Of
last winter. N
Thomas Marshall, congressman { OF
North Dakota, one Of the most ardent
| champions Of free alcohol, takes a diff
ferent view. While deploring the ham
pering restrictions now placed on the
denaturing Of alcohol, he promises that
everything will be made right at the
present session Of congress.
O'Connor in Europe.
Mr.. o'Connor has just returned from
Europe, where he has spent three
use Of denatured alcohol in both France
and Germany. He has this to say of
the present day situation of the indus
| try in the United States:
Congress professed to give us free
alcohol, but as things stand today the
| manufacturer Of denatured alcohol is
handicapped by having to use 10 per
| cent wood alcohol and some benzine.
And who furnishes the wood alcohol
direct tax of 31h to 5 cents a gallon
on denatured alcohol, and the trust can
raise this enough more to kill all eff
| forts to make cheap fuel alcohol.
NOW, congress put alcohol, appar-
emily, on the free list, but left all the
| doors open and walked out and left the
law half finished, and said to the COM
| missioner of internal revenue: You
can have all the say so as to how to fin
ish up and doctor this bill : Thus, the
destiny of 90,000,000 people is left to
one or two men. Is this law or JUS
t!cey Why, you can see between the
lines the result. Our Legislatures
should say, the denaturant shall cost.
at a maximum not to exceed l cent.
| and as much cheaper as can be salts
factorily and practically used. One
| half cent a gallon is sufficient It is
seriously hoped our present congress
will amend this law, and that at once.
Picks the Worst.
| The commission then went abroad
last season to examine the system of
9dIenaturizing in Europe, adopted the
french system which has practically
killed its usage in France Mr.. Yerkes.
|
gresham Hill and another formed the
commission.
| The United States consul at Paris,
Frank w. Mason, said that he was as
founded and astonished when he heard
| what they did, as they not only knew.
but went to Germany and found out,
that the German system of denaturiz.
ing was five times cheaper. Germany
requires per cent methyl alcohol and
one half Of l per cent pyridin, which
makes 1T cost for denaturizing less than
I cent q gallon, approximately. The
German law expires Oct. IL, 1908. and
when it. expires they will denaturize
for one-fourth of cent a gallon, using
no wood alcohol at ALL There are dozr,
ems of chemical ingredients used, any
one of which would answer as well. If
not better.
1T seems to me class legislation. If
congress makes law that saws we
must use an article controlled by y
| trust.
Cause Of Delay.
This is why Minneapolis will have
to wait for the establishment Of these
two large manufacturing plants. AS
tnlngs are at present. there is no chance
either to save or to make money by
making denatured alcohol, and there;
will not be, go long as the. denaturants
are controlled by the very trust which
fought the passage of the free alcohol
bill.
1.-THE persons contemplating the es-
tablishment Of these factories are CON
WINGED that Minneapolis offers them the
best advantages. It is midway between
the copper mines of Michigan and Mon
tana, and they can draw on both
sources for the metal most used in dis
tllling apparatus. Then, too, Mime
apolls is in the heart Of the great grain
! and tuber region which will use most
of this sort Of machinery. These con.
s!derations, and the transportation IA
cilities it affords, assure Minneapolis
this new industry as soon as congress
takes steps to make it's own law effec-
| tive.
Any vegetable that contains sugar
and starch contains alcohol. Our north
west has all kinds Of such vegetables.
Corn is preferable to any other, as
| 1T contains bushel, so estimated, five
Ito six gallons of 90 degree alcohol. Bar
LEY and screenings could be. used to
good advantage and in such latitudes
where corn can not be raised, the farm
ers Should grow potatoes and not figure
the cost of them, as they should grow
for such purposes special potato that
is not palatable or edible.
Easy to Grow Potatoes.
Il r.