New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-04
LIQUOR hyr rosAcco CONSUMPTION

LIQUOR ANE TOBACCO CONSUMPTION.
Some of the advocates of temperance hail the
latest report of the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue as evidence that reform in the habits
Of the people is making progress 1t appears
from the report that the Government received
$9,512545 less from the tax on spirits dis
titled during the last fiscal year. than during
the previous year. and this decrease implies
reduction of 10,S00,000 gallons, or about Ia
per cent, in the quantity taken from Govern
ment warehouses for consumption. Ii 1t were
right to infer that the quantity consumed had
been in the same measure diminished, the IN
dication would be rather more hopeful than 1t
now is. For it is probable that large part OF
the decrease in withdrawal for consumption
during the past year has been due to tho fact
that the market had previously been much
oversupplied with tax-paid whiskey, and that
more than twice as much whiskcy was sent
abroad as in the previous year, either to evade
duties OF with honest expectations of finding
customers abroad.
Nevertheless, the decrease in consumption is
important to be noticed in connection with the
fact that the consumption of fermented liquor
has at the same time increased. The Govern
ment receipts from the tax on fermented liquors
were about per cent more than in the previous
year, which indicates consumption exceeding
19,17O,O00 barrels. Reckoning the population
according to the latest methods for January l.
about the middle of each of the two fiscal years,
it appears that the consumption OF whiskey in
the fiscal year 1884 was about 1.39 gallons for
every inhabitant, while the quantity taken from
warehouse for consumption in 1885 was only
liz gallons for each inhabitant. This indi-
Gates a decrease of nearly quarter of a gallon
yearly in the quantity of whiskoy taken for
consumption. But the quantity of beer con-
sumcd during the fiscal year 1854 was 9.Sl
gallons for every inhabtant, and in the fiscal
wear which has Just closed ii was 1913 gallons
for every inhabitant, which shows an increase
of half gallon of beer, by way of partly CON-
pensating for decrease of less than quarter
of gallon of whiskey.
Other curious evidence of the influence OF
commercial and indust'a al depresT IN upon the
habits of the people appears iY'revenue from
taxes on tobacco. The revenue from cigars de-
creased about . per cent. That is TO say, in
stead of smoking about 1856, 610, 900 cigars in
year the people appear to have smoked about
1888, Az, 900 during the last year. In 1884
the consumption was about 81 cigars for each
person, and in 1885 abont IS cigars But
cigarettes being cheaper, the consumption of
these Increased about II per cent. or
$50. 600, 900 in number, 80 that instead of
smoking about l6 cigarettes in 1884 for every
inhabitant, it appears that the people smoked
about ~ for every person in 1885. There was
also an increase OF about 5,00O,00 pounds IN
the quantity of chewing and smoking tobacco
consumed. Thus it appears that the people who
snokcd Tower cigars. on account of the hard
times, satisfied themselves TO considerable
extent at least with the unwhoesomc cigarette
or with the democratic pipe.