Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-08
LIQUOR STATISTICS.
An Increase of Both supply and Demand In
Recent Years = The Ratio of Con-
sumption In Countries Other
tho nnffad Sfafes-


WASHINGTON, July 6. = Colonel
Switzler, Chief of the Bureau Of Sta.
tistics, for the purpose OF answering great
demand for information on the subject, has
just issued, in advance Of his next quarterly
report, a special statement in pamphlet
form showing the production and consump-
tion OF spirituous and malt liquors and
wines in the United States, United King.
dom, France. Germany, Denmark. Sweden
and the Dominion OF Canada for series oi
years so far as data in regard thereto could
be secured from the official publications Of
those countries. The information is en-
diagrams. and is very valuable document,
which will be much sought for.
Statement No. / shows that the produc-
tion in the United States of distilled spirits
increased from Il, ,000, 900 gallons in 1865 to
1000, 900 gallons in 1888, and that the pro-
duction of fermented liquors rose from 8,
600, 900 barrels in 1865 to "a, zoo, 900 barrels
in 1888.
From statement No. 2 it appears that the
consumption of distilled spirits decreased
from SO, ,000, 900 gallons in 1870 to &C. 000, 600
In 1883, while the consumption of wine in
creased from II, ,0O0, 900 gallons in 1870 to
IN 1000, anu Oh LDalt liquors from
205, ,000, 900 in 1870 to 767, 900, 600 in 1885,
OF the liquors consumed in 1888, 81 per
per cent of the wines and 80 per cent of the
malt liquors were of domestic production.
Statement No. 4 shows that in 1883 II, ,000,-
900 bushels of grain and $500, 900 gallons
of molasses were used in the manufacture of
distilled spirits.
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue
furnishes no information in regard to the
quantity of material consumed in the manu-
iacture of malt liquors in the United States.
The total international and customs reve-
nue. derived from malt liquors, distilled
spirits and wines increased from S44, 231 .240
in 1886 to S100, ,293, ,628 in 1888 The con-
sumption per capita of malt liquors in
creased from 1.36 gallons in 1S40 to 12.48
gallons in 1858. The consumption of wine
per capita increased from .29 of a gallon in
1840 to 20 ofa gallon in 1888. The con-
sumption per capita of distilled spirits fell
from 2. 2.52igallons in 1910 to 1.3 gallon in
1888. There has been little change in the
consumption of spirituous liquors since
1876, and the greater consumption in 1840
1850 and 1860, as shown by these tables,
was probably occasioned in great part by
the extensive use of spirits in the manu-
facture of burning fluids for illuminating
purposes prior to the discovery of petroleum
rather than to their consumption as bever-
ages
The following are some of the leading
characteristics exhibited:
First-The rapid increase of the consumption
of malt liquors in the United States.
Second-In the consumption of beer per
capita Great Britain stands first Germany
second, the United States third and Canada
fourth.
Third-France is the largest consumer of
wine per capita
Fourth-Denmark appears to be the largest
consumer of spirituous liquor per capita.
Owing to the absence of precise data in the
official publications of this and foreign
countries showing the relative amounts of
spirituous liquors consumed as beverage
and in the arts of manufactures, Colonel
Switzler is unable to afford the exact inior-
nation upon this subject so often sought for
by Legislators and others, and so important
to full understanding OF the question in its
social bearings; but from the best lights be-
fore him the consumption of alcoholic
liquors in the arts and manufactures in the
United States would appear to be between
and 10 per cent ofthe entire consumption.