Evening star., 1933-03-10
Government Considers Move
to Force Its Mixture
With Gasoline.
TAX POWER WOULD BE
USED TO HELP DEMAND
Doran Studies Proposal and Con.
siders Nation Wide Policy to
Assure Uniformity.

| l'A'AAe VoA 10 ucdIlS Ol ldIm IeueI
and industrial adjustment.
While practical experiments have
proven that gasoline can be mixed with
q small percentage of alcohol to ad-
vantage. without change of present
automobile motors or even serious ad-
Justment OF carburetors, the possibilities
OF Nationwide adoption Of q policy tc
mix alcohol with gasoline are being
given most serious study not only by
oncials Of the executive branch of the
Government, but also by legislators on
Capitol Hill.
Success Of alcohol In gasoline tn some
foreign countries, notably Germany
and IN some experiments conducted
here has led to high hopes on the part
OF some that substantial help can be
given to the whole farming industry
by providing this huge new demand
for alcohol. to be made from farm
/ products, notably grain and fruits.
! Studied by Doran.
While no decision has been reached
as to how the Federal Government
could make uniform the use Of alcohol
In gasoline, 1t has been suggested that
the Federal Government maintain the
present normal tax on gasoline as 1t is
today, without the alcohol, but fix a
much lower tax on gasoline treated with
alcohol. This, 1t is believed, would in
crease demand for alcohol and bring
up the price Of farm products to in
crease the purchasing power Of the
farmer, and thus directly give a tre-
menoous economic boost to the whole
country.
Comprehensive studies Of the whole
I'D
been made by DR.. James NJ Doran
commissioner Of industrial alcohol
While some progress already has been
made In various communities through
out the country towards local use of
gasoline blended with alcohol, the pro-
poSal Is also being considered by several
| States. 1t was learned today. DR.. Doran
believes the proposal holds such bright
prospects that it should be adopted as
a national policy to make practice uni
form throughout the country.
| The program would provide means
OF utilizing crop surpluses.
Would Boost IncomeA
pointed out, runs between II and Is
billion gallons each year, throughout
the United States. He figured that II
J alcohol were added to the extent OF
only per cent, 1t would require about
100, ,000, 900 bushels of corn or wheat or
other grain to make the amount OF
alcohol needed.
The corn crop here averages about
2.800, 900 900 bushels, of which only
about II per cent = marketed accord
ing to studies Of the situation, the bal
ance Of the crop being fed ON the farms
Of the country. Thus 1t would seem
that II the new program were to take
only $4,000 900 bushels Of corn of the
farmers hands for the making Of alco-
hol, there would be provided a new and
larger income for the farmer II the
program should succeed on Nation
wide scale, it has been figured by econ
omists that corn, which Is now selling
at 10 to ~ cents q bushel in the Middle
West might increase In price to As to
SO cents 9 bushel.
| With gasoline at the refinery selling
| now around 8 cents gallon. 1t Is
pointed out that the mixing Of alcohol
In q 2 per cent quantity would add q
cost to the consumer of less than
cent q gallon, an increase which would
be readily absorbed in view Of the well
known and frequent changes In the
price Of gasoline at filling stations.
Considered Many Years.
Alcohol is a fuel for automobiles and
motors has been considered for many
years, according to DR.. Doran, and
much experimental data already is
available. Experience, especially In
| Germany, gives valuable material upon
which the scientific phases Of the pro-
gram can be based.
Small scale alcohol plants, DR.. Doran
explained, to use the farm surplus and
use alcohol itself as fuel ON the
farm have been found to be both i'm
practicable and uneconomical. com
pared to other cheaper and more avail
able forms Of energy and power. The
blending Of too much alcohol with the
gasoline also has been found to require
certain changes In motor operation ano
construction, calling for expensive
! changes in design and construction.
The use Of alcohol In quantities OF
over S per cent cannot be adopted. ac-
cording to scientific research without
motor and carburetor changes, and
| without increasing materially the cost
| Of fuel to consumers.
The alcohol to be used In blending
| with gasoline, DR.. Doran explained
would be "dehydrated" or absolute"
alcohol. Processes for making this
! kind Of alcohol, he said, have been de-
veloped to the point that they add only
one or two cents a gallon cost above
| the cost Of ordinary well known 95
per cent industrial alcohol.
Would Mean More Plants.
Another advantage Of adding alcohol,
DR.. Doran points out Is that it gives
new anti-knock qualities to the fuel,
requires no change in carburetors, and
does not lessen power In fairly high
compression motors.
As more alcohol would be needed for
this program, it Is explained that It
could be produced in large, efficiently
operated and scientifically controlled
plants. The alcohol could be transfer4
red after 1t had been denatured under
the tax-free denatured alcohol act, in
tank cars, barges or steamers, to gaso-
line refinertes or central distributing
points for blending and distribution Of
the final product.
The petroleum industry itself, whose
prosperity and success depend on the
purchasing power Of the people, in city
and country alike, it IS believed by those
behind the new program, could afford
to cooperate In the blending program,
to increase the peoples buying power
and consequent larger market for their
Even a per Cent alcohol blending
program, 1t Is estimated. would bring
construction of at least four times the
available alcohol production capacity of
| the Middle West and Pacific Coast. If
the program should succeed, more
| alcohol plants would have to be built
to be ready for operation to take Oh
the substantial surplus grain and fruit
] crops next Fall.