The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-06-12
BEER SALES AND POPULATION.

Either the American people are growing
in their love for beer, or the population is
increasing more rapidly than most persons
imagine Perhaps there is something in
both these suggestions to explain the re-
markable increase in the consumption OF
the malt beverage. The Brc,ocrs' Handbook
publishes table, said to be absolutely cor
rect, showing the sales Of beer in the
several states and territories for the two
years, the first ending April 30, 1889, and
the second April 20, 1890. For the first
year there were sold 25,09S, 765 barrels, a
gross increase of ,S31, $50 barrels; but as
there was d decrease in some Of the states,
aggregating 1865 barrels, the net in
crease for the ear was 1,722, lis barrels,
or over Z per cent. Eleven states and
territories show a decrease of sales, il
not of consumption, as follows: Arizona,
California, the Dakotas. Delaware, Iowa,
Kansas, Massachusetts,, Nebraska, Ne
Vada and South Carolina. An explanation
may be readily found for the decrease in
most of these states, as the adoption of
high license or the more strict enforcement
OF the law. AS to California, where there
81 barrels sold in 1889, the explanation
would probably be found if the wine con-
sumption were known. AS the California
wines become better aud cheaper more Of
them will DE drank at home, and less beer
per capita will be taken. The falling off in
Nevada, we take it, represents the decrease
of population and Of wealth, If the uneX-
pected does not happen in very few years
the population of the sagebrush state will
be confined to the railway stations and the
few stock ranches.
If one will study the figures closely he
will conclude that the beer consumption
fairly represents the increase of popula-
ton. and does not indicate that the people
are drinking more per head. For instance,
the sales in Utah went from 81, AL barrels
in 1859 to 81, 7S2 in 1899, an incrs Sc of ,341
barrels, or little more than 4 per cent,
which is about the increase of population
during the year. Wyoming sold 2,517 bar
rels in 1889 and 1858 barrels in 1890, an in
crease of per cent, which is her popula-
ton increase for the year. Montana s
sales increased ,053 barrels, or from 81 $50
barrels to 81, 233, the percentage being
something above 3, which equals her popu
lation increase. In Idaho the sales were
5, $50 in 1889 AID GLIB in 1890, an increase
of 345, an increase of nearly 6 per cent, and
il will be found that her population in
creased in about the same ratio within the
year.
We are somewhat familiar with the
political divisions here named, and are con.
fident that the beer sales are merely keep
ing pace with the increased population, the
people drinking neither more nor less than
formerly. In those states where the con-
sumption has increased much faster than
the growth of population, the explanation
is found in the fact that they are the
centres to which the foreign immigrants
drift Thus in Illinois the increase was
179, $50 barrels; in Missouri it was 152, ISL
barrels; in New, orlz, 295, S29 barrels; in
Pennsylvania, 293, 211 barrels, and in Wis
consin, 19l, 6SS barrels. These states take
the bulk of the immigration from the beer
drinking countries of the old world.