The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-04
Gasoline to Reach 40 to so
Cents Per Gallon.
Survey of Production Made by
Harrison E. Howe.
ALCOHOL As SUBSTITUTE
Prohibition Has Greatly Re-
duced Alcohol Making.
Corn Is One OF Best Materials
Now in Use.

4 SURVEY OF the use and production
( of gasoline recently made indicates
I that by 1925 gasoline will be selling
+ at from 40 to so cents per gallon, ac-
cording to Harrison E Howe, editor Of
the Journal of Industrial and En-
f cheering Chemistry, published by The
American Chemical society The hesZ
means. apparently. OF boIstering up
( the diminishing gasoline supply is by
use of alcohol And vet the United
/ the capacity for producing alcohol
that it had in 1918. due TO the enforce
meuts Of the prohibition laws
Moreover, further curtanment Of al
cohof production seems imminent be-
! cause Of the prohibition restrictions.
Howe. in a brief survey of the pos
sibIIries of producing alcohol COM
rnerciaIly. for use as a motor fuel.
saws that corn is one Of the most salts
factory materials for making alcohol
The Real Problem.
The real problem Of the alcohol
industry which involves corn IS that
of a fuel outlet to care for a very
large production and stabilize the de-
nand." said Howe. He quotes from
/ d recognized authority on motor fuels
the conclusion that the blending OF
alcohol wi h such Hydrocarbons IS
7 beuzol. gasoline or Kerosene 50 as to
enable IT'S .-pplicaGou direct to exist
ing motors without material changes
either in carburetor or engine design
offers the most practical solution Of
the problem.
The blending Of fuels in suitable
form has been accomplished and has
been used with success for three years
III airpIanes, automobiles. motor boats
and tractors The navy and pOstOffice
departments and the bureau of stand
ards have made tests which have not
been made public but in a number Of
FIJI
have been recorded
A large plant has been constructed
in Baltimore by the United States In
dustrlaI Alcohol company, which viii
soon put on the market i blend fGel.
The plant IS calculated 10 make use Of
the surplus production of alcohol not
required in legitimate chemical in
dustries-
Experiments Made in France.
Howe SAYS that in France the de-
veIopnent of straight alcohol fuel has
been undertaken and with fair sue
cess. Engines and carburetOrs have
been designed for the particular use
Of this fuel
However. less than per cent rs
much alcohol was produced in 1919
as gasoline was produced and con-
sumed- Consequently the attention JE
scientists is becoming concentrated on
the problem Of raw material rather
ton as d motor fuel That problem
seems to be solved
while there is a constant Increase
in the benzoI production of the United
States. il should be noted that the pro-
ductive capacity for alcohol is rapidly
decreasing says an authority on the
subject. The establishment OF pro-
hibition led to the conversion of
large@ number of whisky plants to
other uses [ have recently taken the
survey Of the productive capacity of
the alcohol plants for war purposes
made by the war Industries board in
1913 and compared it with the present
productive capacity of existing alcohol
plants and find that over so per cent
OF this capacity has been converted to
other purposes since the armistfce.
This not only means a present
shortage of alcohol but it also points
clearly to the fact that in case~ot an
other var there would be an actual
shortage OF that product for war pur
poses"
Howe also said that alcohol is used
With great success IN Brazil on the
sugar plantations. The alcohol Is made
from waste from the sugar mills and
is used in the small locomotives which
haul supplies TO and from the mills
and cana fields.