Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-23
REGARDS ALCOHOL
ASFUE[ OF FUTURE
Representative Frank 0. Smith
So Informs the Farmers
of Maryland.
THEME OF HIS ADDRESS
AT WILDWOOD PARK FAIR

sIi@U6 VI tuO H00ut6SS
AT WILDWOOD PARK FAIR
Discusses Bill He introduced in Con-
gress Appropriating $4,000 for
Government Experiments.
MOUNT AIRY. Md, August o3-
Threatening weather in the morning and
frequent showers, ending in steady
rain early in the afternoon, made 1t
impossible for many people to attend the
farmers fair at Wildwood Park yester-
day. Although the exercises of the day
were to have been held under the aus
pices of the Maryland Agricultural Col
lege. and addresses were to have been
made by several representatives of that
institution, none of the gentlemen put in
an appearance. Representative Talbot
and former State Senator Blair Lee, who
were also expected to be present and
make addresses, did not attend. OF those
scheduled to speak. Representative Frank
was the only one to deliver an address.
He and a party OF friends arrived from
Washington in his touring car in the aft
ernoon.
Robert L. Ruckles of Mount Airy pre-
sided over the meeting and introduced
MIR. Smith, who disclosed the purposes
which actuated the introduction by him
in Congress this week of his bill asking
for an appropriation of $4,000 to en-
able the federal government to conduct
experiments in the making of denatured
alcohol at its experimental farm at Ar
lington, Va. The farmers seemed much
interested in the plan which Mr.. Smith
outlined.
Purpose of the Bill.
Il introduced this BILL said Mr.. Smith,
because 1 believe alcohol is the fuel of
the future, to run our automobiles, motor
cars and farm machinery.
'One of the most important commercial
problems the world will soon have to
face is the supply of fuel oils. The auto
mobile, motor boat and immense number
of stationary engines using gasoline have
made the demands for that fuel four
times greater than it was few years
ago. What is the result? The cost of
gasoline is steadily increasing. Increase
in production has not kept pace with the
demands
Scientists of the government and
scientists everywhere say the stores OF
petroleum, coal and shale in the world
are rapidly becoming exhausted, and it
will not be long before we will be COM
PEELED to turn to alcohol. 1t is claimed
by them that alcohol, denatured with
benZOl and little aniline dye, will give
a motor fuel far safer and pleasanter to
use than gasoline. They claim the heat
Of the alcohol renders water acketing
less necessary, saves expense in running
and lessons the weight of the engine
Mr.. Smith said that Germany offered
an ideal example Of what could be done
along these lines.
I'm certain parts of Germany are large
areas of sandy soils particularly suitable
for the growing of potatoes. Potatoes
important crops, along with the produc-
ton of forage and grain required for
the dairy industry.
Alcohol From Potatoes.
"The best portion of the potato crop
is sold for food at good prices. The
lower grade potatoes are distilled and
made into denatured alcohol; the residue
resulting from that dstillation-the pulp
and fbrous matters utilized as a stock
feed. So the profits from the farm are
derived as much from the sale of milk
and dairy products as from the sale of
alcohol
Il am not saying the figures from Ger
many show profit on denatured alcohol
alone. But growing of potatoes and using
of the low grade potatoes for making
alcohol carried on III conjunction with
the dairying business. the sale of milk
and butter, is big paying industry.
In this system of agriculture, with
crops planted to provide a utilizable sur
plus each year, the investment in the de-
natured alcohol plant of sufficient size
to operate effectively and economically
is justified. In Germany it requires an
investment of from $4,000 to $4,000 for
the plant and $4,000 in Germany means
so, 600 in this country. The tWenty-four-
hour product of such plant is about
100 gallons of proof spirits in a twenty
four-hour run. Now, there is no question
that such plant would be a success
here II number of people got together
and formed an association, this associa-
ton in turn subscribing to a $4,000 fund
with which to start a denatured distilling
plant. That is the way they secured
such good results in Germany. They
organized the farmers in a community
where there was a large area Of land
purposes. And the same thing could
be done in this country in any COM
munity' where enough people could be
interested in live stock and dairying as
well as in potato growing"
Could Be Distilled on Farms.
Mr.. Smith suggested that the govern
ment might permit small stills to be
operated on the farms.
These small stills" he said could
produce alcohol-low grade alcohol-with
permission to concentrate that product
by rehabilitation in a larger plant. This
product, which would not be more than
80 per cent alcohol, about the strength
of ordinary whisky, could be sold by
the original producer at a fixed rate to
the larger distillery. The large distillery
could bring it to 80 per cent alcohol and
make it fit for Industrial purposes.
Industrial alcohol. or denatured alco-
hol, can be made from any one of 100
things: Sugar. beets, cactus. sorghum,
stalks Of sugar corn, sugar cane, apple,
banana, grape, melon, orange, peach
pear. pineapple, tomato. watermelon, beet
molasses, cane molasses, corn cannery
refuse, potato. sweet potato, barley,
maize, oats and rye
FARMERS ARE INSTRUCTED.