The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-02

Il We published Saturday. showing
why we need tropical colonies, a
contribution by o. p. Austin in the
June Forum viewing the same sub
iect from Il somewhat different stand
point is-of educational value. We quote
its essence:
"The iR1Isasing contributions of the
tropics teSclYta Comforts and require
lnents of daily life among the people
of the United States must have been
observed by every thoughtful individual
who compares the well-supplied table
of today with that of a quarter of
century ago, or contrasts the surround
ings OF his home or the convenences of
daily life with those OF earlier years
Tropical and subtropical fruits are now
the ordinary accompaniments of the
the very urchins upon the streets.
Sugar and coffee and tea and cacao,
which by earlier generations We're con-
sidered luXures are now necessaries of
daily life everywhere. The average con-
sumption OF sugar, which in the year
1870 was thirty-three pounds per capita
was in 1901 siXty-eight pounds per
capita; and the quantity of coffee con-
suned has increased from six pounds
per capita per annum in 1870 to nearly
twelve pounds per capita in 1901; that
of cacaQ is six times as great per capita
as in 1870, while that of tea is still as
great per capita as in 1870, despite the
tn,
cacao. Silks and satins, which We're
luXuries only Il generation or two ago
are now considered II necessary part of
the wardrobe of Il large share of the
population. India-rubber which Il gen.
GRAFTON ago was almost unknown. is
now utilized everywhere. for clothing,
for household requirements, for ma
chinery, and even for the tires of our
carriages.
'"rhe great railway lines, having made
their way westward across the conti-
rcnts and connected city with city and
the interior with the sea coast, have
turned at right angles and are now
forcing their way toward the equator
from both the north and the south tenn
perntc zones bringing from those sec
tions Wheiie i.hature produces with such
lavish hand the sugar, the coffee and
cacuo the fruits and nuts, the spices
and gums and Gyewoods, the silks, the
tibres, ana the rubber or transferring
them TO the rapidly multiplying steam
ships .ioG transportation TO- our doors
and dis dhltt ion among our whole peo-
pie, Phe.. effcets of this upon our daily
life ana upon the habits and health of
our people is readily observed. Not
only is there greater comfort among
all the people in the matter of clothing
and personal and household convent
ences, but the variety of food supply
has greatly Increased, and with these
changes have come improved health
and II lengthening. of the span of life.
Students of'Nital statistics assure us
sthat. the aysase life of, man has per-
Meptiply ,lengthened in the past half
century, espetlhlly in the countries that
Shave made much advancement in ma
sserial conditions; and there can be no
IklouHC than tlIe increase In the variety
sind gutn tAty of LON, Iondy supply, in
:ssbettepsp plothiIg, and in other comforts
alfd c6hvenieiices of life has contributed
sio, u not actually produced, this length
sening of the span Of life,
\ "rhis increase In the tontributions of
sth4 atspits ta'the daily life of man has
sbeen general throughout the countries
gwhere prosperity or ain activity in
Ena aufadt,uhs ,and commerce is the
srule; but 1t seems to be especially
Imarked in the United States, which
now imports more than million dol
lars wotth OF tropical and subtropical
|foodst,iHs ANA raw materials every day
J lin , the year. The increased reliance
\ upon the tropics is probably greater,
s'anso110ssi ssienaxelyy IN the United States
Athaps-in.. most other. countries, since a
much larger share of our sugar Is
drawn from the tropics than is the case
with other and especially the Euro
pean, countries, which in most cases
now produce their own sugar from
recent years consumed nearly one half
OF theseane sugareof the world which
entersinto International commerce, and
more than 'one-half of the coffee OF the
world. In the year just ended the Inn
portanop, Of goods usually considered
as OF tropical or spblropical production
amounted to 400 million dollars. or con-
siderably more than $l,0O0,000 for every
dav In the vear includinr Sundavs and