Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-20
The Nations Cheer.

columns gave some interesting statis-
tics on the production and consump-
ton of tea. The American Grocer mas
lust made a collection of facts and hg-
ures on alcoholic and other stimulating
beverages which show that the sum o1
s1,451, 633.379 was spent in the year
ending last June.
Coffee leads the list of beverages con
sumed, the amount drunk by the PEG
pie of this country in 1903 being 1,566,-
9O2614 gallons. Beer comes next with
IL consumption of 1,449.S19,952 gallons;
tea next with $50. 900 gallons and
spirits and wines last. with 57,130,62S
gallons. But in the retail cost
of all alcoholic beverages. beer
takes it's place at the top, with
a bill of s727.O42,245. Whiskey,
exclusive of the quantity used in
the arts, cost s417.915,513, and wines
s97,9S5,3GO. The total of this cost is
s1,a429i3,1lS. The revenue of the
Government in 1903 from spirituOus and
malt liquors licenses, etc, was $119,-
01,32S-a per capita tax of S2.24, or
$11.20 for every family.
THE consumption of spirits for tn"
year Is pointed out as remarkable from
the fact that here was an increase of
one-tenth of one gallon per capita il
the use of spirits, the largest increase
from one year to another since 1900.
The total production of distilled spirits
reached 14S,2O6,S75 gallons; the con-
sumption, 117,25214S gallons including
fruit and imported spirits. In 1903 the
total quantity of imported and domes-
tic spirits consumed was 117,252, AS
gallons. an increase over 1902 of 9,799,
991 gallons. The revenue ($1.10 per gal
lon) derived from spirits during the
last fiscal year was $125.S62.17S.
THE consumption of beer in 1908 was
the highest on record, the per capita
amount being 1904 gallons, gain of
O.55 gallons over the figures for 1907.
The tax on beer returned the Govern
ment in 1903 a revenue of $fI.547, 500.
The relative average cost of beer per
gallon, retail, is estimated at so cents.
that of tea and coffee at 10 cents each.
Last year there was an increase in
the use of imported wines and a de-
crease in the production of domestic
wines. The imports amounted to g.
OSS, POI gallons: the domestic produce
ton, less export. 32,631.154 gallons. The
cost of import, with duty added. was
SIS. 2O2,40 Distributors generally re-
ceived Il profit of 100 per cent. in con-
veyinE the wine to consumers, so the
cost of foreign wines for the year was
brought up to $50, 404,S02. To this is
added the average annual cost of do
nestle wines, S67.5S0.55S and the wine
bill of the country rises to the sum of
S97, 1885, 800.
AS consumer of coffee the United
States leads the world. the quantity
used in 1903 being 67,3S5,O63 pounds
In 1902 the amount was 1,O56,541,
pounds. AS one pound of coffee makes
two gallons of infusion the quantity
drunk was 1.566,9O2614 gallons.
With the exception of the year 1879:
the net imports of tea in 1903 were the
largest on record. reaching 104632 26O
pounds, which. at an average import
cost of 14.5 cents per pound, made the
tea bill S15.19G.675
The net imports of cocoa and choco-
late, both prepared and crude in 1908
were 49,113,115 pounds. large proper
ton of which was used for other pur-
poses than that of making beverages
so the total cost $7.736.609, is reduced
by it's last six figures to give 81 ,OOO, OOC
as fair estimate of the value of that
used for drinking purposes"