Arizona republican., 1920-08-22
Gasoline Shortaqe
Will Try the Scotch System


 Strenuous attempts are being made to adopt the Scotch system and inn prove upon it for use in this country. One of the interesting problems inci- dent to the operation of this process on large scale is the disposal of the ash which is secured when a ton of shale is retorted. There would be about 1700 pounds of this ash for every barrel of oil which Is secured. In the procurement of enough oil to last our automobiles one day there would result q mountain of ashes to be disposed of.
 In Germany during the war the chief fuel used in driving motor cars and air planes was benzol. Benzol is a by product of the coke oven. and is a powerful propellant. Last year the benzol produced in the United States was about per cent as great as the gasoline. If all the benzol from all our coke ovens were recovered it could not possibly be hoped that this fuel would go further than supplying 10 per cent of the demand for fuel for motor driven vehicles.
 In it's recent session congress gave evidence of being very much exercised over the possibilities of developing al- cohol as a substitute for gasoline. This posSlblty has been a favorite theory for decades and much has been made of it from time to time. Ample proof has been given that alcohol can be economically made from waste pota- toes, apples and such materials that are thrown away about canneries and sugar factories When the possibilities of this sort of utilization of waste are measured against the great increase in motor fuel demand it becomes apparent that little impression would be made were all such waste utilized
 Making Fuel of Waste
 It is true, however, that alcohol can be made from almost any sort of veg etahle matter. Sawdust and other wood waste from sawmills would pro- duce much alcohol. It is believed that it would be economically profitable to establish an alcohol factory as an ad junct to every sawmill. It might be a better proposition to establish an al- cohol factory in every sawmill com munity and to discharge the sawdust ] from each mill into cars that would convey it to the factory.
 Another possibility of alcohol manu facture that is being given prominence a present is that of establishing fac tories in the tropics where jungle growth is very luxuriant and where huge quantities of waste material might be economically harvested and sent through the alcohol mill
 The correct theory has long been ad : vanced that alcohol may be made from the leaves of the autumn woods, but l here again the problem resolves itself 1 into one of economy. Can the leaves be gathered, be brought to the mill and converted into alcohol at a cost that will make it possible to put that all cohol on the market at a figure that will compete successfully with gasoline produced in the present way?
 The bureau of mines is inclined to discount the possibilities of alcohol. It believes that in the oil resting beneath the surface of the earth lies the motor ! fuel of the future. The bureau of mines specializes in delving into the earth and bringing forth it's treasure for mans utilization. Possibly it does not credit alcohol with it's full possi- bilities.
 At any rate. Americans should be encouraged to fare afield all over the world to develop oil Mexico. largely lunder American influence, has proven