Evening star., 1898-08-18
--.-.- z d
We Drink Over Half the Worlds
Product.
AVERAGE ELEVEN AMI HALF POUNDS
Spend Eight Times as Much as
We Did Fifty Years Ago.
IN OUR NEW POSSESSIONS

The fact that coffee IS readily grown in
all the islands now coming under control
of the United States lends interest to some
figures of the treasury bureau of statis-
tics, which show that coffee last year was
the greatest item In our imports, and that
the years importations of that article were
the greatest in our history Puerto Rico
and Hawaii have for years grown a fine
grade of coffee, Cuba formerly produced
1t In large quantities end the Philippine
Islands have for years had a reputation
OF producing grade of coffee equaling
that of Java and even comparing favor
ably with Arabias world-famed Mocha
The United States has been for years the
largest coffee using country in the world,
our purchases since 1890 having averaged
s9o,OooOOO per annum in value, but it was
reserved for the fiscal year 1898 to show
the largest imports of coffee in our history,
bringing the average per capita consump
ton among our population up to the high
est point ever known. The coffee i'm
portations for the fiscal year 1898, just
ended, We're S1O,514215 pounds which is
nearly % per cent greater than in 1897,
% per cent greater than in 1893, practically
double that of 1880 and more than three
times that of 1874 Deducting the expor
tauons, Which amounted to 1S,S22,SG9
pounds. the consumption of the fiscal year
1898 would stand at eleven and five-tenths
pounds per capita against nine ard nine
tenths in 1897 eight and two-tenths in
1S93, seven and eight-tenths in 1890, six
and nine-tenths in 1871 five and one one
hundreth in 1867, four and nne-tenths in
1866. three and seven-tenths in 1864 and
two and two-tenths in 1863.
The war period of 1876 showed the low
est per capita consumption of coffee in our
history, despite the large use of this art
Gle in the army, while the brief war period
of 1898 caused no diminution in the i'm
ports, the total for April. May and June
being A5,ooo,0o0 pounds against 1Bo00,o09
in the corresponding months of the pre-
ceding year.
Unusually Low Price.
The large Importation of coffee during
the year just ended was probably due in
some degree to its phenomenally low price.
the average value of the years imports be-
ing seven and four-tenths cents per pound,
against an average Of eleven cents last
year, fourteen and six-tenths in 1895 and
sixteen and four-tentfs in 1895. The quo
tations to the bureau of statistics report
the wholesale price of RIO No. I, a stand
ard grade for quotations, from five and
one-half to seven and one-half cents in the
New York markets in the fiscal year 1898,
against nire and one-half cents per pound
in 1897, eleven and ope-half in 1896. fifteen
and one-half In 1895, seventeen and one
half in 1894 and eighteen and one-half in
1913. 1t may be added, however, that while
prices have greatly fallen In recent years,
the Introduction of machinery, the cheap
ening of freight rates and the general i'm
proved facilities for production and trans
portation still leave to producers, it is said,
comfortable margin of profit, especially
in better grades of coffee.
The total value of the coffee imported
into the United States IN the fiscal year
1898 was, despite the low prices of the year.
$50, ,051, ,561. against $50, $50 In 1SSS; SOL
914 COS in 1873; s2,2sS 451 in 1861 SIS, 1863, $40
NJ @ ;,,l1
money sent abroad for coffee in the year
just ended is eight times that of a half
century ago, and nearly three times that
of 1858. The cost Of the coffee imported
years has been $s75, 49,, ,241. these figures
being the prices paid in the foreign markets
at the port Of expectation. Thus, it ap
pears in the decade just ended there has
gone out of the country an average of sS1,-
100000 per annum for an article which may
be successfully grown in all the islands
now coming under the jurisdiction of the
United States.
DRINK Half the Worlds Production.
Practically one-half of the coffee grown
in the world now comes to the United
States The latest estimates Put the cof-
fee production of the world at 500, ,000, 600
pounds per annum, while, shown above
the imports into the United States last
year were more than half that amount.
OF the total coffee production of the
world bout two-thirds is grown in Brazil,
where export duty of IL per cent is
placed on every pound of coffee exported.
The other third of the worlds production,
which is grown outside of Brazil, is scat
tered around the world in the belt extend
ing to the Both degree on eacn side of the
equator, the most successful locations
being wei! wateIed mountain slopes from
,UC0 to 1900 feet above the sea level. The
requisites for coffee production are found
in all of the islands now likely 10 come
urder control of the United States. while
the fact that Brazil, the great coffee pro-
duce: of the world, places an expor. duty
on all coffee exported, operates to the ad-
vantage of those desiring to Cnter upon
the production of this article, either for
home consumption or for competition in
markets of the world.
Coffee Importation.
The following table shows the quantity
and value of coffee imported into the Unit