POWER ALCOHOL

Waikato Independent, Volume XLI, Issue 3890, 11 August 1941, Page 7

POWER ALCOHOL

PRODUCTION IN AUSTRALIA OBJECTIVE 22,000,000 GALLONS Implementation of the Commonwealth Government's plan to produce 22,000,000 gallons of power alcohol a year were discussed recently at a conference convened in Melbourne by the Minister for Supply (Senator McLeay) and attended by representatives of all State Governments. The following recommendations were approved: That capital required to establish distilleries be provided by the Federal Government, which should own them. Final details of conducting the distilleries be left to the Federal Government. The distilleries be established as far as possible in country districts where there are supplies of water and means of effluent disposal. Adoption of these recommendations is subject to the approval of various State Governments but no difficulty is anticipated. i Government Decisions Senator McLeay said the Government had decided to step up production of three existing distilleries from 2,000,000 gallons to 7,000,000 gallons a year, using 44,000 tons of raw sugar to supplement supplies of molasses. The Government decision to produce 10,000,000 gallons of.power alcohol from wheat was approved unanimously. Senator McLeay said inquiries were being made about using 5.000,000 gallons of spirit .which could be produced from existing rectified spirit distilleries located mainly along the Murray Valley. Excluding possible production by rectified spirit distilleries, the spread of production of power alcohol between States, using Iboth wheat and sugar products, would be: West Australia, 2,000,000 gallons; South Australia, 3,000,000; Victoria, 4,000,000; New South Wales, 4,000,000; Queensland, 4,000,000. Senator McLeay said National Security legislation, under which these matters could be dealt with, could be effective only for the duration of the war and six months after. The question of absorption of the output after that would become entirely a matter for the States. It was important to deal with this now.