The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-27
SOME OLD STATISTICS.
Taken From a Big Book of Nothing
But Figures.
GREAT WATER AREA OF FLORIDA.
Illinois Leads i'm whisky, New York
in Beer-SOmethinS About Our Elk
ports and ImpOrts-COst of Pensions
and Indians other Interesting
Faeta.


and Indians other Interesting
Facts.
WASHINGTON, March %. Especial. +
Uncle Sam is a great publisher. He turns
out many books every day. But no more
interesting volume comes from his prolific
presses than the Statistical Abstract of
the United States, - which has just been
issued At first glance this book looks
dull and forbidding. 1t Is composed en-
tirely of figures-page after page of statis-
tics But look underneath tho surface OF
these tables of figures and you will find an
epitome of the financial and Industrial his
tory of the times. You will learn world
of things which you never knew before.
And you will have the satisfaction of
knowing that whatever is set down here is
official and accurate. Considered in this
way, there is not dull page in the book,
as the following extracts from the COM
pilstion, made here and there at random,
will testify:
Florida has larger water area within
as borders than any other state or terri
tory in tho United States. 4, 440 square
miles. Minnesota is next with 4, 100 and
North Carolina third with 8, $40.
The United States governments interest
charge on public debt has fallen from $3.08
per capita in 1870 to AZ cents in 1896.
Income From Sugar.
The government gets a larger income
from sugar than from any other article of
Importation, SIS, $50, 900 in 1895. The
next largest item of customs receipts was
tobacco, which yielded $14, $4,000, and
the third cotton manufactures, SO, 4S6, 600.
Wooden dress goods yielded So, 767, 900 and
wooden clothes So, 719, 600.
The largest source of government re-
ceipts from internal revenue taxation is,
Of course, from spirits, which yielded last
year S74, 600, 600, beer $31, 900, 600 and to-
bacco $50, 600, 900.
The governments pension payments
reached high water mark in 1898, when
they amounted to 1859, 357, 600 against
only SS7, 600, 600 in 1889. The amount
fell to S141, 900, 900 in 1895 and will be
still less in 1896.
Every man, woman and child In the
United States is taxed IA cents a year to
pay the expenses of congress and the sal
aries of senators and representatives.
Our individual contributions to the ex
pense of maintaining the president and
tho White House is not very great. 1t
amounts to only mills year for each
inhabitant of the United States.
The biggest item of government ex-
pense, figured per capita, is the interior de-
Indians. 1t costs 50. 80 per year for each
inhabitant of the country, the treasury de-
partment S1.O9, the war department n
cents, the navy department AZ cents and
the postoffice department S1.29.
The total cost of the government per
capita is 1921 year.
Contrary to the general impression, it
costs the government more to collect its
customs than its internal revenue. The
Fer cent of cost for the former was, in
1896, 4. 4S, and of the latter only 2.62.
The Great States.
Illinois pays more money into the fed
eral treasury through internal revenue
taxes than any other state. The figures
for 1895 are: Illinois, $50, 604, OOO Ken
lucky, SIG, 947, 600; New York, $19, $780,,
600; Ohio, S12, AT 900; Pennsylvania,
SO, 991, 900. These five states contribute
nearly two-thirds of all the revenue from
this source.
Kentucky is not the greatest whisky
state. In the last six years Illinois has
produced 1856 600, 900 gallons of whisky
and kentucky 1872, 900, 900.
New York is the greatest beer state,
with 9,75S, 600 barrels in 1895, Pennsyl-
vania being second with 3, 591, 900 bar
rels, and Illinois third with 3,292, 900
barrels. Wisconsin beats Missouri in beer
q, 807, 600 barrels against 2.139, 900.
The population of the United States
June last is officially estimated at &c.,
753, 600. The population is increasing at
the rate of about 1900, 600 yearly and is
now, therefore, about II, OQ0, 600.
The national banks of % leading cities
of the United States have loaned out to
their customers more than a thousand mil
lion dollars. The amounts for the cities,
in millions, are as follows: New York,
1854; Boston, 1877; Philadelphia 81; Chi
cago 80; Pittsburg, As; Baltimore, SO; St.
Louis, 80; Cleveland, 81; Cincinnati, 90;
Detroit, IS; Milwaukee, Is; Kansas City,
IA; St. Paul, II; New Orleans, 10; Min
neapolis, IL; Brooklyn, IL; Omaha, g;
Louisville, 9; San Francisco, z; Washing
ton, z; Albany, z; st. Joseph, 4; Lincoln,
2; Des Moines, 2; Savannah, 1.
Our total expectation of wheat last year
amounted to rs, 900, 900 bushels and 49,
600, 600 barrels of -four. More than two
thirds of the wheat and more than half the
-four went to England. All but 1000, 900
bushels of the wheat and 1000, 900 barrels
of flour was sold in Europe.
Only 21s per cent of our corn crop of
1895 was exported while 81 n per cent of
the wheat crop went abroad.
What We Eat and Drink,
The people of the United States are the
greatest sugar eaters in the world. We
used last year nearly 2, 900, 900 tons of sug-
ar, or more than 90 pounds per inhabit-
ant Of the 2, 200, 600 tons consumed
l, 572, 900 was imported.
The people of the United States con-
sumed last year an average of 1 2-5 pounds
of tea each, at an average import price of
1874 cents.
This is nothing compared to the coffee
consumed, which amounted to more than
9 pounds per capita and at an average i'm
port price of 14.7 cents. In other words,
our tea bill (import value) was $13, 900, 600
and our coffee bill sos, 900, 900.
The mine value of the coal produced in
the United States in 1894 was SI66, OOO,-
600. Bituminous coal leads anthracite in
quantity and value, as follows: Anthra-
cite, 40, 900, 600 tons, valued at $7S, OOO.-
600; bituminous, &c. 900, 900, valued at