Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-12-05
FREE ALCOHOL A DELUsION.
Great Opportunities for Manu- iacture Dwin.
q de % Regulations Governing Il
Il Become Known.


de % Regulations Governing II
Become Known.
The denatured alcohol business has
developed into q real "will.o'. the.
wisp," q delusion. "now you see il
and now you DON'T says the Iowa
State Register and Farmer. Some.
thing over q year ago farmers were
led to believe that by placing alco-
hol on the free list and by adding
something to it SO as to make it unfit
for drink, such as wood alcohol,
pyridine, bone oil, turpentine. or
other such substances which would
make it not only poisonous but offen-
sive to the smell. and taste, that it
could not be used for drinking pur-
poses, but it could be used to COM
pete with other substances now used
for fuel and lights and in running
farm engines and great saving
could be made thereby. In the dis
cussion of the matter we were inform
ed that it could be manufactured from
corn cobs, corn husks, corn stalks,
potatoes and many other by.products
Of the farm that are now practically
wasted. Some of the more thoughtful
farmers said this was too good news
to be true and discounted the claims
made in connected with the agitation.
A bill was perfected and passed con-
gress without opposition. The matter
has been turned over to the revenue
department., and there it is about to
get it's death blow. According to the
rulings of that department it will be
impossible for any farmer to engage
in the manufacture Of this cheap pro-
duct, as he was led to believe could
be done. 1t is absolutely obligatory
for the makers Of the product to own
not alone distilling machinery, but
il is necessary. under the law, for
the manufacturer Of the denatured
product to have one bonded warehouse
on the premises for the storage Of
natural spirits as they are first distill.
ed and another bonded warehouse ad.
joining the first for the denaturing or
poisoning of the free tax product.
We are informed that this is not all.
~ every drop of alcohol that comes
from the mnufaacturer's still must be
measured, recorded. kept under lock
and key, and guarded by armed en-
ployes OF the government from the
moment the process Of distillation is
started until it leaves the premises
under the seal and label of some
licensed dealer, who shall, in his
turn follow it's travel toward the
consumer.
In short. it is the purpose Of the
government to watch very closely the
manufacture Of spirits, which seems
right and proper. The buyers and
users of the product will probably
be aware of what they are handling,
and they will know when it is
present. for Commissioner Williams
says that "the stuff will smell so loud
that it will knock dog of dump
cart" It is said that in smell it
will double discount bi-sulphide of
carbon. or that it could be used for
skunks out of their bur-
rows.
The claim has been made that
industrial alcohol can be sold at 35
cents per gallon. In Germany in 1901
Consular report) such alcohol was
being produced for II cents. and in
1902 for 1915 cents gallon. It is now
apparent that the cost is going to be
largely augmented by the expensive
methods adopted for denaturing it.
After all the congratulations
showered upon farmers by reason of
the "great victory they won" last
winter, it is beginning to be ap-
parent that an admission is due that
the real spoil Of victory is Dead sea
fruit. While farmers may not be
benefited as it was hoped they
would be. manufacturers who use
large amounts Of alcohol in their
business will be amazingly benefited
in the reduced price Of sort Of alco.
hol that is a. good for them as the
highly taxed article, and it is believed
that it will not hurt the big distillers.
for they will doubtless make as much
profit on the untaxed alcohol they
make a. on the taxed. and probably
more. It begins to look like q big
bunco game. We hope it will not so
prove to be.
The immense sum Of Sl24, S62. 700. 80
is now on deposit in the savings banks
of the state to the credit of the in
dustrious people Of Iowa, according
to the state auditors Office, which has
just compiled the bank statements for
~. This is an increase Of
e808. 489. 04 in deposits during the last
two months aud q total increase for
the savings banks Of elS, 688. .0S4. 8S
during the present year. 1t shows
kl,~ ~.,~.