New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-31
COFFEE REPLACING TEA.
WHAT TREASURY STATISTICS OF IN
FORMATIONS SHOW.
COFFEE sUcc EssFrLLY GROWN ~ ALI. OF THIS
Cor-NrRYs NEW POSSESSIONS.


COFFEE SUCCESSFULLY GROWN IN ALL OF THIS
coy-NrRY's NEW POSSESSIONS.
lRY TELEGRAPH 10 rae TRIBrNE.l
Washington Dec. 20-More coffee and less tea,
or substitution OF coffee for seems 10 be the
rule with the American people just now. The fig
ures OF the Treasury Bureau OF Statistics show
that the coffee Importation OF the last year has
been tho heaviest in the history OF the country and
the tea importation the ghtest In many years
The importation Of coffee in the calendar year 1897
over S0.oco0oo pounds, and the figures for 1898
will be about the same as those OF 1897. In no
earlier year the importations ever as high as
100000 pounds This IL larger amount OF coffee
for each individual than was ever before consumed
in the country the per capita consumption being
about eleven pounds annually while no earlier year
showed per capita consumption Of as much as
ten pounds. Reduced TO tons the total for the year
1885 would be 10000 requiring for its transpor
ta,ion 270no cars which If grouped in single
train. would reach nearly from Newyork 10 Balt-
more. The United States Is by far the largest cot
fee-consumng country in the world. consumption
here being nearly double that If Europe the United
States taking practically half OF the coffee pro-
duced in the world. In only two countries-Ho-
land and Denrar the per capita consumption
larger than In the United States. that OF Holland
being twenty-three pounds per capita. and OF Den
mark fifteen pounds, against eleven pounds per
capita in the United States, five and quarter
pounds IN Germany. three and quarter In France
and less than one pound per capita in Great Brit
ain.
These figures especially interesting in view Of
the fact that coffee be successfully grown In all
Of the Islands which just coming into closer re-
lations with the United States n Is now the
largest article export Porto Rico and
the production there can be greatly increa sed
since large proportion OF the island Is capable OF
producing coffee, which grows most successfully
,ha h4,1,1a dc ain Old In of
CUBA conditions similar. and at one time the
coffee production OF that island amounted 70 nearly
one hundred million pounds annually. though after
the Introduction % the sugar industry r. practical
II disappeared. sugar-growing being more profta-
BILE In Hawaii coffee is being successfully grown.
and the there be teriay ncrea sed,
and the same Is true OF the Philippines
AS the principal coffee-producing countries Of the
world place export tax Of l2i7 per cent on cot
fee leaving their ports. decided advantags Is
no export tax Is imposed
An average Of over. 100000 year has been
s out nS Sf e nd wife fT 5nf he 81
year is less than this average, because Of the ex-
Ga 4s ss sum et TO s for g
fee could be paid to its own citizens either in per
son or as represented by capital invested in this
Tes aqI 'T as aiready dicaed will be
unusually neh, during the year just ending and
consumption will be very much less than the actual
importatons The total importations OF tea for the
calendar will be about 6s 100000 pounds While
in past years they have ranged upward Of 90 1000
600, those OF the fiscal year 1897 being 100000
pounds. The reduction in the consumption Of
Tea BY reason Of substitution OF coffee is apparent
In marked degree In the receipts from the Gus
toms duty tea imposed by the recent war reve
nue. act. Estimating the inporta lions OF recent
years II was reasonable TO presume that the uni
form tax of ~ cents pound would result in
revenue Of nearly $1,000 600 This expectation. how
ever has not been realized. The tea Withdrawn
from warehouse for consumption in the full FIVE
months Of July. August. September October and
November. in which the act has been in operation.
amounted to only 1880 O0 pounds. and the
from IN that time consequently only A
little over 81. $50 go.
One curious fact which develops in conjunction
with the imposition of duty OF 10 cents pound
on tea Is the reduction in import prices which has
Immediately followed. 4 recent letter from a lead
ing tea dealer in New-York discussing this sub
tect. states that import prices from % 70
30 per cent less than last season. while another
equally prominent dealer ~ that city states that
the average price In China has declined s cents a
pound from last