The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-04
OLO D|STILLERIES
 JAN BE UTILIZED
Denatured AICohOI Can Be Made
 By Any One
LAW HAS BEEN AMENDED
Comm issioner of Internal Revenue Sends Out instructions Showing How Alcohol Can Be Made
 from Various Products.

Washington, October 3.-(SpeeiaL J-Joln | G. Capers commissioner of internal reye- nue today addressed circular to internal revenue collectors and agents on the sub jeet of denatured alcohol, with special l attention to the more liberal construction as provided throughout amendments ny Congress of the original law.
 The commissioner also points out that In cases where the prohibition sentiment | has rendered stills useless for distillins beverages they can, with slight changes, be converted into industrial distilleries.
 "In the preparation of regulations" l says the commissioner effort was made so to llberalze the methods of dealing with the production of industrial alcohol | as to encourage such production. Many of the provisions of the laws relating 10 the operation of dlstilleres at which spirits for tax payments are produced were suspended as applied to industrial | distileries and the artificial element of cost of production resulting from rules | and regulations more or less restrictive in | their character necessary at regularly | established dstillerles, are eliminated in | the case of industrial distieries. The effort has been, so far as governmental regulation and supervision are concerned. to remove every obstacle to the placing of industrial distilleries on the same basis as the sawmill, the gristmill, or flour mill.
 | Industrial distilleries are those at which not more than 100 proof gallons of spirits can be produced in "A hours and at which alcohol for denaturation only can be produced
 Tn the production of spirits at such distilleries any substance whatever may be used.
 An industrial dlstiller can set LID and operate his plant at any point on land owned or controlled by himself, except upon the premises of a brewery, or within 600 feet of the premises of rectifying establishment or vinegar factory using the yaporizing process.
 There must be filed with the collector of the district a statement describing the distlllery, the distilling apparatus, and the distillery premises.
 The distiller must give bond equal to the tax on the spirits that can be pro- duced at the plant in 30 days operating at its full capacity, and the penal sum of this bond must at all times be equal to the tax on all uMdenatured spirits on hand at the distillery.
 The proprietor of an industrial dis tillery is not required to produce 80 per cent or the spirits called for by his survey. If he accounts for all the ma
 
 terial used and all the spirits produced he can not be held for deficiency under his survey. He can operate his distilery at such times as suit his convenience. and an officer is not put on duty at the dis tillery unless in the opinion of the col lector of the district the interests of tho l service demand it.
 One or more persons, or an, association of persons, may set up. register and operate an industrial distilery-that is to say, it may be operated by one farmer two farmers or a dozen farmers.
 ''rhe operators may have all or part Of the product denatured at the distiery for their own use or for local consump- tfon or they may sell all or a part of it to central denaturing bonded warehouses for transfer thereto for denaturing pur- ! poses.
 Alcohol before or after, being dena- tured may be transferred from the dis- tillery in tanks or tank cars.
 Record of all rit-producng material brought. on the dstillery premises and used for the manufacture of spirits of the time the plant operates each day. and of all alcohol produced each day | onI
 by the operator of the dstillery, and monthly returns of the operations of the distillery must be made to the collector of the district.
 "ln the application for the survey of his distillery, the owner or operator must name some person who will be in charge of the distillery and be responsible for the same during his absence.
 The government, on application made to the proper collector of internal reye- nue for the establishment of an indus trial distillery, will send an officer to make the necessary estimates, surveys etc. and to advise persons desiring to establish industrial dlstilleres as to what is required of them. etc.
 Tn view of the fact that in many sec | llpilS ol lHe tOuHlIy locdl pTOnlDuOly municipal. county or state laws making the production of distilled spirits unlawful have rendered worthless. for the produc- ton of beverage spirits, many dstilling plants, this office deems it proper to call the attention of those interested to the fact that it is entirely practicable, by making slight changes and additions 60 many of said plants, to convert them into industrial dstilleries In many instances | it Is believed that the slight additions necessary can be made with a small ex- | penditure of money.
 This office is not in possession of any | information as to the application of the | various state laws to the production of spirits for denaturaton only. Tn some states the prohibitory laws have especially provided for the manufacture and sale of denatured alcohol In other states it will probably be u question for local judicial determination. The prospective manufacturer of industrial alcohol should investigate for himself as to the laws of his own particular state. It is believed by this office that industrial dis tilleres can be operated with greater safety to the government in prohibition localities than in localities where spirits are legally sold. for the reason that in . prohibition localities both the federal and local governments would be interested in preventing any of the product of the plant | int pnnSunptiOu S bpVPra