The Osceola times., 1886-09-18
STARTLING FIGURES.
Facts Cleaned From the Recently Issued
Internal-ReYenuo Report.

Facts Cleaned FROM the recently Issued
Internal-ReYenuo Report.
The dry figures of the internal rev.
niue report, when examined, yield
much information. 1t appears that the
consumption of beer increased t,52l,-
$50 barrels. The consumption in 1885
was greater than ever before, and, add.
NO the officially reported increase, it
appears that no less than Gi2, ,000, 600
yallons Of beer were consumed last
GEAR. The population is over 100000
,ut the consumption for the year end
mo- limo 80 must be reckoned upon the
mean population for that year which
ya. about 50, POI, 900. On That basis
the consumption OF beer appears to
nave been 1888 gallons for every in
habitant, babies included. Consider
nc that large part of the population
ions consume beer at all, this seems to
imply an enormous consumption to those
who do. and vet, since those who uso
bepr al all certainly consume rs much
as half PINT daily, they would at thar
rate get rid of twenty-three gallons
each. Apparently the consumpt on
IS about equivalent to a pint q day for
half the adult population.
The increase in the consumption Of
whisky was .6O6, l05 gallons, which
makes the consumption for the year TO-
763, ,OlO gallons, or Ll9 gallons per
capita. That is much more than was
consumed in the years of depression
the fiscal years of 1873 and 1879. when
the tax was the same as il is now, but
it Is much below the consumption of
1888 and 1884, when the quantity waS
la and l.42 gallons per capita. Tho
increase in the consumption of beer.
. which has risen from seven gallons to
nearly eleven gallons since 1889 ac-
counts for some diminution in the use
of spirits. and probably the rapid spread
of prohibition at the South has affected
the consumption still more. Fifteen
wears ago, when the tax was only 30
cents per gallon, the consumption
ranged between l-2 and . gallo9s per
/ capita.
The increase in consumption of to-
bacco i'm various forms has been remark
able. Snun-u7ing, it may be remarked.
is on the decline 1871 pounds ess
were used last year than the year be-
tore. But the consumption of manu-
factured tobacco, for smoking and chew
inc, increased II ,Ol0, ,574 pounds, reach
ing l9l OPS, 663 pounds or g. ~ pounds
per capita, which is considerably in eX-
cess OF the consumption in any previous
ycSr. Prior TO 1870 the quantity con-
| sumed was from to pounds; in 1870
it rose TO 2.SS. and untd 1879 averaged
| about 2.5O; then IL rose in 1850 10 2. 40,
n 1892 TO 3.O6. and has been above
pounds ever since. But the increase IN
this form Of tobacco would have been
| greater but for the increase in the con-
sumption of cigar- and cigarettes.
The number Of cigars consumed IN
creased la,tyear over lJl, ,92j, SO, max
ing total consumption Of 3,5lQ,312,-
$50, or j9.2 per capita. Just twenty
years ago the consumption was lO.2
yearly; in 1870 it rose TO 80; in 1879 TO
439. and then declined little with the
hard times to 100 in 1878, but in 1881
it rose TO J2G. reaching Gl.5 in 1881,
and declined 10 5S2 in 1880. but has
now risen again to50.2. Thus the COM
| sumption is a shade lower than The
greatest yctrccorIad, and there is some
reason to doubt whether this small de-
crease botokon, the pressure of hard
times, because the consumption of
cigarettes has greatly increased. Last
year alone the increase was psi, PIP, ll2,
or about % per cent, making l,3l0,-
jj6.5l iu al, or 22.1 per capita. In
1860 there was small consumption. but
practically none officially recorded in
the years lsG5-lsj9. In 1870 it
rose 10 / per capita, in 1870 TO
9 per capita, and IN 1876, just ten years
ago, rose to IL per capita. Bat that
was only the beginning; In 1880 it had
risen 10 So per capita. in 1884 to lG.l.
IN lSS5 TO 2S.3, and now averages 22.1
per capita. OF the influence OF this
change upon health doubtless rhysi-
elan, may have something 20 say, but
considerable increase in the use Of To-
bacco in other forms is evidently pre-
vented by the Manufacture and use Of
cigarettes, whether that change bo
beneficial to health or not.
II remains TO add that, supposing ci-
gars 10 average only live cents each,
and cigarettes twenty cents n package,
tobacco a dollar per pound in retail
! forms, beer five cents a glass, and
spirit, five cents for half n gill, prices
which are certainly not as high as those
paid by most consumers, the cost of
these articles TO the people of this coun-
try Is over 81, ,ls9. 100000, or SlgS2 for
every inhabitanL- - Washington Cor. NJ
| y Tribune