THE MANY INDUSTRIAL OSES OF ALCOHOL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9092, 23 November 1907, Page 2

THE MANY INDUSTRIAL OSES OF ALCOHOL.

08y NORMAN NOTWOOD in "Leslie's ..,■ , Weekly.") Very important industrial and com-gufga-oial results are expected from the ope.r.a,ti<>H of the law passed by Congress providing for the " withdrawal lro,ai bond, tax free, of domestic alcotfatr when rendered unfit for beverage ©r.'liquid medicinal uses by mixture w^th suitable de naturising materials." It.ibeoame effective on January 1, 1907, and, in order to prevent any abuses from arising under it, violations of the statute, including attempts to manufkcfeSge for beVerage or medicinal pur»o#es_.any liquid from denatured alcoIjoi^or: to re-distill the denatured product, are. punishable by fine or impßSonment. -_>___> public is accustomed to think of gSco_ol and alcoholic compounds chiefly i!_-**_e relation to their use as bevexages and for medicinal purposes; for tuany the very word alcohol is __so-> C__ted; with little that is not reprehen-pib__-in a moral sense. With all these t_& bare proposition to free alcohol iii ii__¥ "form from the revenue tax and to--__gely increase its manufacture and Use was regarded as a measure to be sternly and even bitterly opposed in the interests of temperance and publio morality. But if such a proposition i_jua4 been /clearly understoodr' few, if i_t^,, would have found occasion to oppoee It for these reasons. -Tor, as a matter of fact, the amount of alcohol oonsiimed as a beverage comprises .only * small part of the total product. In many of its uses it Is not only productive ©f no evil, but on the contrary *»:' -■».'. I Jt -o__C_ Of. ______r__-_B__l BE_<___xo __-_m_ft>. I Moreover, the alcohol used in indus- ' t_la! operations is usually "denatured" Is, rendered unfit for consumption" as a beverage —so that its use in this form is attended with little or no temptation or danger to the operator. __n important derivative of alcohol, feulphriric ether, is largely used as an , &na-3thet-0, one hospital in New York consuming as much as 2,900 pounds in &* -ingle year. As every one knows, afeohoi enters into the manufacture or many tinctures, essences, dyes, perfumes and other articles of trade, and j immense quantities are consumed for ; iu_-fle purposes. But it is in the industrial world that alcohol cuts by far tho largest figure and is likely to as-, pinrie^-riuoh greater importance in years td'oome. For heating, lighting, and for ■motive power it possesses certain qualities which reader it superior to gas and oil and a close rival of electricity. It is practically odorless, makes tv more agreeable light than, gas or kerosene, and is much safer to handle and use than most other illuminants and, heating agencies. For use in inlbtor-oars and small-power engines, altohol is regarded as ,OnB4.TLT SUPERIOR TO GABOJJNS. ,;sChe chief reason why denatured alcohol has not heretofore been triore extensively used in this country for the tourpcses thus named has been the highrevenue tax levied on its production, making it too costly for industrial operations. Alcohol was largely used for 1 lighting, cooking, fuel and indu_i_i__ purposes in the United States pr&vious to tho imposition of the prohiBitive revenue tax. In 1864 Cincinnati alone utilised 12,000 bushels of cOrn per day for distillation. The production was-eenormous. With less than half the 'present population the fl-inual production was 90,000,000 gallons, incucating that with the increased. ftej&f* to which it will be put when untaxed, the agricultural interests will jirofit'v^stly from the greatly increased J&#rk_t for cereals. 'ijJEn. Germany, where alcohol prepared f& :iii4us-rial purposes is not' taxed, _S__d can be sold for about eighteen cents ja gallon, its use as an illuminant and for nwt-ve power has increased enorpmmly. in recent years. It is estimated jK^dyer 60,000,000 gallons annually ]j_pe riow' consumed in Germany, chiefly fog. motive power. Traction engines for,; _#y cfdrayage, farm cultivation, and threshing, as well as sniall locomotives uejing alcohol as '.vJ^jMO^-VB POWER IN MINES AND FOU ;.\fc' ~"&*r:- MILITARY PTO-POS-S, ' iare quite extensively used. For automobiles the Alcohol motor is very largely employed, and in this field rt has $^gved to be very advantageous in its clean, odorless workings, especially in crowded cities. Most of the alcohol thus used in Germany is derived from petatoes, adding largely' to the market yulue of this vegetable. The total value of,-, the products derived from potato distilleries in Germany amounts to pbout^s,ooo,ooo per,annum. Alcohol j^-also, used extensively for illuminating purpos^ in streets, public buildings, arid . residences in Germany, France, .Belgium, and other European countries. The imperial palace at Berlin is lighted by alcohol lamps, and they are found also in, most railway stations in the empire. Alcohol heating stoves are also common throughout Europe, and are'favoured above oil stoves because they can be carried about and utilised J.^thout odor or danger of explosion. ■.t^ne.of the convenient novelties used .'largely- abroad is an^ alcohol flatiron with a small reservoir, which, being filled with alcohol and" lighted, heats the iron for an hour's work at a cost of lees than a penny. It is believed that when alcohol is produced arid sold here for industrial "purposes under the new liberal system, A /total of 300,000,000 gallons will be consumed yearly, enabling the farmer to utilise much of his. product that is _ow almost valueless, thus : AXtDBTO ____G_X.T TO THB AG__.G_y_-_._J-WEALTH. / Alcohol can be produced .from almost anything that, has sugar or starch in it/ouch as corn, potatoes, sugar beets, sxtA sorghum. It is estimated that a little more than two and a half gallons of ninety per cent alcohol, the strength t which has been found most suitable lighting and riiotor-fuel purposes, can. b©-produced from each bushel or corn-. This estimate is confirmed by •the report of the _op____i__ioner oi intornal revenue, showing the quality of spirits distilled from, corn, barley, rye and other grains. With corn costing the distiUer Is 3d a bushel, the cost of alcohol would be about 6d. At a price of Is 6d per bushel for corn, the cost of-alcohol would be 7d per gallon, and «&.,Is. 8d per bushel, the alcohol would cost about Bd. It is estimated that the VH_lue".of the by-products of the corn "tie alcohol is extracted is about sufficient to pay the cost of distillation- / With the cheapened product, alcohol willjargely displace gasoline for heating and for . MO-TVS POWKR IN PAR-UNO DISTBICTS. Jfloohol stoves and heaters cost much fess^-han coal stoves, there is no dust, iKF-tenes, the heat'can be easily regulated as d_s_r_d, and untaxed alcohol -wjai ooen up to the farmers an unfail_dg source of fuel supply. Alcohol vaporizes so much more than gasoline 4hat it does not form a dangerous explosive mixture in the open air, and it is r.cognised as being much safer for general purposes. Another point in favour of alcohol is that if it catches 'tire ft can readily be extinguished by <*rater, while wj#h gasoline water only jßpreads the fire. These are not the only ways in which the farmers will be _©nefi-e_,. Many new indnstries which Opuld not before be profitably carried on because of the high price of alcohol vol! be established in this country.