The evening times., 1900-10-20

exception of Denmark. Denmark is not so
mucn of a beer-drinking country, though
its twenty gallons a head annually is a
pretty large average; but il has the pre-
eTnineuee-affix to 1t what adjective you
iike-of drinking more spirits than any
other nation-Ro less than three gallons
head. No other nation consumes more
than two gallons head. The countries
which take even so much are France, Ger
many. Austria, Holland Belgium and
Sweden. In the United Kingdom, the Rus
sian Empire. the United States, and Switz--
erland the average consumption is about a
gallon per inha bitant. OF course the
spirit thus consumed is fer the most part
manufactured in the country where it is
drunk. How little liquor is imported may
be understood from the fact that only
little more than i per cent of the sum
which the national revenue of Great Brit
ain derives from the taxation of alcoholic
beverages comes from imported spirits
very interesting part CT Mr.. Bruce
Jones paper deals with the consumption
OF fntoxicants in our colonies II may
be said in general terms that our children
among the nations are much more tenn
perate than We are ourselves. Australia
is the most sef-indulgent and there the
people drink approximately one gallon of
wine ten gallonsAof beer, and three-quar-
ters Of a gallon of spirits head annual
1y. The wine is home grown which may
account for the consumption of Ii being
twice great that of Britain for ev-
erywhere imported articles are the Iuxu-
ries of richer classes. Australia is unique
among the nations, however, for the large
proportion of spirits which she imports,
no less than so per cent of her consump-
tion of this form of alcohol coming from
abroad, chiefly from cur own country.
There is indeed, very little manufacture
Of H.
to be Increasing. It is very difficult to
get reliable statistics OF the consumption
of the various intoxicants at Cape Colony,
the official information obtainable being
seanty From four to SIX gallons of wine
is produced annually, but as great Fart
OF this lit is believed about two-fifths) is
made into brandy, it is impossible to es-
innate with any exactness the amount
that is drunk. There used to be a con-
siderable export of Cape wine to Europe,
and about seventy thousand gallons are
still sent abroad, but the greater part OF
the wine made in the colony is now sent
up to the Transvaal and other inland
parts. The consumption OF beer is very
small something under two gallons a
year a head; nor is it increasing. Spirits
are consumed at the rate of about one
gallon a head, but it is not known how
much of this is genuine brandy, and how
much is the mysterious and unwholesome
/ compound called Cape smoke
Of all our colonies Canada has the pre-
eminenee of being the most sober: in
deed. it may be doubted if a more abste-
mious nation exists than the Canadian.
Moreover the consumption of alcohol is
steadily decreasing. Spirits especially
are falling into disfavor. In 1890 the Ca
nadians consumed spirits at the rate OF
nearly gallon a head; in 1898 the con-
sumption per capita had fallen to little
over half gallon. OF wine, not more
than a tenth of gallon a head. is drunk
OF beer the consumption is only three
and a half gallons head annually The
satisfaction with which temperance en-
tflusiasts viii regard this state of affairs
may be tempered by the way in which
they regard the increasing consumption
of coffee both in Canada and in the Unit
ed States. where also the consumption O
! spirits has fallen by nearly one-hal
/ since 16e0. the consumption Of coffee ha:
in the same period nearly doubled, though