Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-20
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT is DOING

Il
| lean public when. seven years ago. II
enacted a law per-
Uenatured Alcohol hitting the manu-
NJ n facture, sale and
o' A0PuAoA' use of taX-free de-
| natured alcohol? This product. which
1t was then expected the farmers
would be able to make from potatoes.
| waste grains. fruits or the refuse from
various crops, would change the char
| acter of country life completely. it was
| claimed. Glowing accounts were sent
out over the country telling how de-
, natured alcohol would be used to light
and heat the farmers home, cook the
| meals. furnish power to churn the butter.
run the farm machinery. pump the water
and even take the place of gasoline as
| fuel for the motor car. AS one man eX
pressed 1t, several days ago, the. country
for a while went denatured alcohol
crazy" at the time the law was passed.
Congress put the taX-free denatured
alcohol law on the statute books, but
Americans are doing practically nothing
to develop the industrial alcohol industry.
why have farmers not taken to the de-
natured alcohol idea? number of peo-
pie have been asking themselves this
question for some time but 1t has re-
mained for Senator Harry Lane of Ore
|
ask the question out loud, having put his
inquiries to administration officials within
the last few days. Secretary McAdoo,
whose department administers the law, Is
much interested In Senator Lanes plans
TO uncover the reason or reasons for the
law not working out satisfactorily, and
ne mas requested the Oregonian to fur
nlsh him with a brief on the subject.
senator Lane believes that the law and
regulations which now govern the making
or denatured alcohol are drawn SO that
II IS practically impossible to make the
product at price to compete with gaso-
line. lie wants changes made to bene-
| mt the farming interests. The regulation
which restricts the daily Output of an in
dustrial alcohol distillery to 100 gallons
Is the principal trouble maker in the
starring OF the industry in this country.
because 1t has been demonstrated that
no factory can operate economically on
sucn small output Experts in both
the Agricultural and Treasury depart
menus agree that the 100 gallons daily
production restriction makes the law as
1t now stands somewhat of a farce. A
system OF inspection by government rev.
ehue omcers is prescribed, which Is so
costly to the distiller that it becomes
Impossible to manufacture Industrial al
conoi at cost even to approach the
price OF petroleum products
Farmers cannot distill their own de-
hatured alcohol now. because the prod
NC uct must have strength of not less than
cohol OF such strength still costing
Inany thousands of dollars is required
ana department officials have yet to find
Single farmer who has been able to go
~ such large expense. Alcohol of 80
10 " per cent strength can be made with
sun costing only few dollars such as
almost any farmer can make
n encouraging the building up of an
Industrial alcohol industry in this coun-
try Senator Lane and administration Of
ia hac IL
orally that the government must guard
against the making of "moonshine'
WHISKY py INSCRIPTIONS distillers who
lnisnt De pretending to make denatured
a.conoi. Inc Oregonian thinks that it
should be as easy to regulate this matter
IN the United States as it is in Germany.
Mhere large amounts of potatoes and
other agricultural products are turned
INTO denatured alcohol
Agricultural Department officials arc
mucn interested in the establishment of
an industrial alcohol industry in this
country, and it is probable that Senator
hane VIII meet a number of them in
conference within the next few days tn
discuss the subject According to AS
sistant Secretary 3. r. Galloway. one of
the greatest needs of agriculture today
Is saving for the farmer the money
wnlch Is lost each year in the waste of
surplus or spoiled crops. which would
make Industrial alcohol During the mast
year the price OF potatoes was so low in
some parts of the country that il was
not worth while to dig the crops and the
ground. Besides potatoes, the waste
from corn and other grain crops sugar
cane all kinds of fruits and many other.
1arm products can be used together in
the manufacture of industrial alcohol,
me denaturing process is simply the adj
dluon or I'D per cent OF wood alcohol,
which is poison, and one-half of l per
cent OF benZine.
Approximately one and a half bill
lion gallons Of gasoline are used in the
country each year, and Senator Lane and
administration officials do not expect the
petroleum products interests to lend
much encouragement to the manufacture
ers of competing fuel which is pro-
duced from annual crops Of the land A
largo American company is known to be
working on an alcohol engine for auto
mobiles at the present time and it is
thought that the invention will be far in
advance of any of the foreign alcohol
engines, and will perhaps revolutionize
the motor industry. Alcohol now costs
three or four times as much as gasoline
and 1t Is generally realized that the price
must be brought down to compete with
the petroleum product. This has been
accomplished in Germany, where every
thing possible has been done by the gov
eminent to encourage the Industrial alco-
hol industry The German emperor is
an Industrial alcohol enthusiast and q
few years before the death of King ed
ward made a personal demonstration for
the English monarch of alcohol lights
stoves and engines OF the latest German
models.
Miss Julia Q. Lathrop, chief of the
United States children's bureau, believes
that this country Is ready
Baby Show for revolution in the
n.;.., m h Cd S of awarding
AAiNeS' prizes for baby shows
The usual baby show which is held at
agricultural fairs, at various expositions
and at municipal exhibits, with cash
prizes for the best looking and healthest
child, are based on the wrong idea ac-
cording to the head of the federal chill
dren's bureau.
1.-THE old-fashioned baby show. with
It's crowded publicity, its prizes, its ma
ternal heartburnings, may be considered
a thing of the past" said Miss Lathrop
yesterday In expressing her disapproval
OF cash prize baby shows. IF the now
popular baby health contests are to have
permanent value they must get rid of
crowds and prizes and consequent ma
| ternal jealousies, and the emphasis must
be placed on the skiIlful testing Of each
child individually and upon furnishing
| to parents record of these tests. with
ADVICE as to special care needed.
AS matter of cold fact, babies are