The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-09-06
ENJOYING
PROGRESS MADE
On ALCOHOL BILL
Legislation Beneficial to Them and
Detrimental to Oil Co., is Well
on Way For Passage.
PRESENT LAW FULL or I0KERs
Organizations Submit Two Additional
Propositions Which May Be In.
nn corporated in Law.

sa corporated in Law.
BY Congressman Clyde Il. Tavenner.
Washington, Sept. 6-The farmers
of the country are just now enjoying
the novel spectacle of seeing leeisla-
ton very beneficial to them, but very
detrimental to the Standard Oil Co..
and the whiskey trust, being set well
on it's way to passage without a long
and expensive preliminary campaign
on the part of the farmers themselves.
This is the legislation removing
the restrictions from the manufacture
of denatured alcohol from waste farm
products. The movement inaugural
ed by Senator Harry Lane of Oregon,
has been taken up enthusiastically
by Vice President Marshall and Sena-
tor Simmons, chairman of the senate
finance committee, and has enlisted
the support of the president himself.
There is good fighting chance that
the notifications of the present law
desired by the farmers will be incor-
porated in the pending tariff bill.
The present law over which there
was so much hullabaloo several years
ago was filled SO full of jokers by AID
rich in the senate and later hedged
about by SO many impossible regula-
lions by the Republican commissioner
of internal revenue that it is practi-
cally a dead letter. To operate an
alcohol plant which conforms to the
present law and regulations costs the
farmer anywhere from $4,000 TO
100000, provided he can buy his
plant from the manufacturers of dis
tilling apparatus, which he can't.
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Osborne has just submitted to Sena-
tor Simmons a draft of new model
denatured alcohol law, and the sena-
tor will probably present it to the
Democratic caucus for adoption. This
bill will enable farmers to set up on
their farms inexpensive little distill-
ing plants provided with sealed tanks
and meters for the distillate. When
ever the farmers have crops going to
waste they can operate these little
stills. The tanks into which the dis
tillate exhausts will be sealed by the
local revenue officer in such q way
to prevent tampering. Central de-
maturing plants can be located in
every farm community much r.
creameries and cheese factories are
now located. The denaturing plants
can have bonded tank wagons which
will visit the farms to gather up the
low-proof alcohol. The revenue Of
ficers will travel with these wagons.
In his presence the tanks can be open
ed, their alcohol content noted, and
the farmer given a receipt which he
can present at the central plant eth
er for it's equivalent in high-proof al
cohol for use in farm engines or In
money. It is all simple, inexpensive
and allows adequate protection Of the
government revenues. Under the new
provisions, farmers will not be requir-
ed to put up bonds.
The farmers organizations, who
had been planning campaign for re-
vision of the denatured alcohol law
next winter, are now sending their of
f1cers to Washington to urge the adop-
ton of the revision in the pending
tariff bill. The farmers have two adj
ditional propositions which they hope
to see Incorporated in the bill before
final adoption. One is provision to
reimburse farmers for their purchases
of denaturing agents (Which az pres
ent prescribed cost about seven cents
to each gallon of alcohoD or else re-
ceiye denaturants from the govern
ment free. This is urged on the aruE-
|ment that the denaturant is for the
protection of the federal revenues and
is legitimate government expense.
The other provision is that central de-
maturing plants shall not be permit
ted to ship out Of their districts the
residue left after distillation. This
residue is a valuable fertilizer, highly
esteemed by European agriculture.
The whisky distillers Of this country
export much Of this residue to Europe
for fertilizer. .
Taylor Transferred to N. D. City