The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-08-18
WOULD SAVE WASTE PRODUCTS OF FARM.
Senator Lane EmbOdies In His Bill Provision For Denatured
 Alcohol

CBy Congressman Clyde H. Tayenner.)
 Washington, Aug. 18.-When pr. liar ry Lane, of Portland, Oregon who is now a Senator from Oregon, was mak- ing his campaign through the orchard and farming districts of that state last fall he kept his eyes opan As re- suit of his observations he has intro duced in the Senate a, bill which ought to win the instant support of every farmer and every consumer in the United States. The bill repeals that hollow mockery on the statute books known as the denatured alcohol law and substitutes a, simple, unhampered procedure by which every farmer will be able to turn his waste farm prod ucts into denatured alcohol, and thus show a. profit for what Is now a. total loss.
 In one part of Oregon Dr. Lane saw an overproduction of potatoes. Thou sands of bushels of them were left un- dug in the ground In another part Of the state there was an overa bundance of apples. Not only the culls were go- ing to waste, but great quantities of perfect apples were rotting. Some time later Dr. Lane was in California, and there he saw the ground yellow with waste orangee which had been touched by the frost.
 Dr. Lane remembered that some years ago there were great predictions of the prosperity that was to follow the law which removed the internal rev enue tax from denatured alcohol This exemption was to give every farmer the opportunity to turn waste products into that valuable commodity It was
 to make cheap fuel, light and power, and thus rebound to the benefit of ev- cry consumer in the country.
 pr. Lane remembered that some years ago there were great prdictions of tn prosperity that was to follow Io Tor -J,i i,34o ,r,1 revenue tax from denatured alcohol. This exemption was to give every far mer the opportunity to turn waste products into that valuable commodi- ty- It was to make cheap fuel, light
 and power, and thus rebound to tho benefit of every consumer in the coun- try
 The doctor-statesnan naturally won
 dered why, when this beneficent law
 had been enacted for the farmers, the benef1ciarieS are making no use of 1t.
 When he got into Washington he be- gan to investigate and he soon learned the reason why.
 He learned that two great interests
 are opposed to sthe cheap and wide spread manufacture of commercial al-
 coholt-he Standard Oil Co, which maintains the price. of gasolene and
 the great disti1ling interests, which manufacture all the alcohol He also learned that the A1drich-dominated
 Senate had filled the law so full of jokers that the whole Act is a joker, a gigantic hoax.
 Theoretically, Senator Lane learned it costs farmer not less than $30, 900 for a denatured alcohol plant which | will comply with the law and regu1a- tions-theoreticalIy, that is. Practi- ca1ly, a farmer cannot buy a plant at any price, for the very good reason that the manufacturers of distilling l o917i sell f0 hi fo1. fo2 of offending the great distilIing inter ests.
 Not only is the price prohibitive, but the lawmakers saw to it that the far
 ner must put up a bond of $5, 900 be- fore starting a plant, a provision which makes the general manufacture of this product impossible. Other pro visions require the use of expensive | denaturing materials; and otherwise the manufacture is hedged about by
 restrictions impossible for the farmer l to comply with.
 Senator Lanes bill wipes out all these restrictions with a sentence and 1 substitutes a law which permits far- mer without bond to operate any sort l of a distilling apparatus, providing only that the distaIlant must go | through a meter into a sealed tank in
 which the denaturing liquid has first 1 been placed. Such an outfit can be made by any tinsrnith for a few .fo1- lars. Denaturing simply means the ad- dition of any substance which makes the alcohol unfit to drink. For de- l maturing agent Dr. Lanes bill pre-
 scrfbes tobacco leaves, which can be l grown on almost any farm in the 1 United States.
 This bill ought to be incorporated as part of the ending tariff bill. Presi- dent Wilson has become greatly inter l ested in it. Senator Lane estimates 1 that farm products to the value Jf
 $1Oe, 900, GOO go to waste annually. Most 1 of this could be saved by distillation. ! If you are interested in this conserva- l tion, affecting the pocketbook of all of
 us you will lose no time letting your
 senators and representa- tives know of ! your wishes.