Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-02-21
ron CHEAPER ALCOHOL,

other States VINO have been expecting to |
profit to a material degree from the pas |
sage by Congress of a law providing for
the free admission of denatured alcohol, |
have been disappointed In the slowness
with which the new commodity has been
introduced 1t was announced about the
time Of the passage OF the measure in
question that denatured alcohol would
displacc naphtha and other substances
used in automobiles as fuel. and would
nection with the generation OF heat, light
and power.
AS time has progressed, however. the
suspicion has gained ground that the
project OF the Standard oil people to
establish a monopoly in connection with
| the manufacture of denaturod alcohol
| may have proved success. BE this as
it may, the price has not dropped to as
low 1t point rs was expected. and the
chances are that alcohol will not come
into the general use prophesied for ii
until it is sold much cheaper than at
present.
1t will be of general interest therefore.
to learn than Senator Hansbrough OF
North Dakota has introduced a bin into
the Senate which has already passed the
House and which provides for amend
ments to the laws relating to the distil-
lation of alcohol so as to give greater
facilities for the production, denaturing,
and transportation of the untaxed. dena-
tured spirit
The purpose OF the bill is announced
as to still further reduce the cost OF
denatured alcohol. by enabling farmers
on small scale to do so in suitable
} locked stills. and without the expense
of bonded warehouse. The provisions
allowing the Transportation of denatured
alcohol in tank cars would materially re-
duce it's cost to the consumer, and permit
its general use for lighting, heating. mo-
tor fuel ana other Industrial purposes.
1t is worthy of note In this connection
| that the bill has the backing of the Ma
; tional Association Of Automobile manu-
! facturers.
. Attention has already been called to the
{ fact while any one can legally engage in
! the distilling business. the expense in
volved in the construction and manten.
ance of the distilery with the bonded
warehouse and separate denaturng ware
$ house. even though all of the cost Of SUI
E pervison is placed upon the government
4 will tend to discourage the farmer ant
other small producers and concentrate
large distilers of beverage spirits, an,
4 not only result in more or less of
n monopoly. but it will deprive those sec
ions Of the country away from centra
ncwed and cheap source of supply o
fuel, light and power
In other countries where the right t
q use denatured alcohol freely has been con
., coded for twenty-five to nifty years. prob
- ably two-thirds of the entire consump
II ton Will be OF what is known as com
pletely denatured' spirit. This is wha
. is used for domestic purposes, for heat
O. ing. cooking, lighting, for all kinds of In
ternal explosion engines, and for man
. manufacturing uses 1t is purchased an
consumed at the will of the buyer a
freely as oil or coal can be. and no rec
>, ords are required TO be kept by him an
% no license needed, except in the case G
=, the manufacturer using an average {
-. more than fifty gallons per month.
1t will be helpful to know that the CON
-, pletely denatured spirit In England
made by adding to ninety parts Of eth.
alcohol ten parts of wood alcohol an
three-eighths of per cent. of miner
naphtha. In Germany the mixture col
sists of 81 1-2 per cent, ethyl alcohol . p
cent wood alcohol. and one-half Of pr
, cent of pyridine bases. In this countl
practically both methods have bee
-, adopted. under the regulations issued
-, the treasury.
~
denaturant in England and Germany is Il
i, American product. it is manifest that Il
advantage in cost Of the denaturant
well as the pure spirit should rest wi
us. The expense of making the mixtu
with reference to the time required
labor involved is insignificant.
1t follows. therefore, that with the gre
- area of the United States and the di
" tances between tho natural points of pr
y duction, the cost OF transportation or a
Wv semblng the ingredients will be one
the largest items of expense. The woo
=" alcohol industry Is largely centred tod
VIZ in the states of New York, Pennsylvar
'' and Michigan. The cheapest ethyl ale
mol will be made from West India m
81 lasses on the Atlantic coast, from co
~ in the corn belt. from potatoes In Mai
'e' and the Northwest. and from waste pl
re- ducts of sugar production In Hawa
'c- Louisiana and the beet sugar States.
ire the interest of the local consumer a
lie with a view to a competitive distribute
of the surplus product OF any sectit
ne either Of the pure spirit or the denatural