The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-02-06
STATISTICS SHOW DECREASE FOR
UNITED STATES.
We Now Stand Fourth Among Ma
lions in the Per Capita Consump.
tiOn.-Canada Is the Nearest of
All Nations to the Prohibition
Goal.

tnat THIS country now stand fourth
from the top of the list of countries
consuming the least amount of intoxi-
cants per capita per year. Canada con-
sumes leas4, 81 Of a galloon per year;
Finland is second, with SO of gal
lon; and Norway and Sweden are third
with 80 of gallon. Then comes the
United States, whose inhabitants are
now consuming 1877 gallons per year
per capita. This is the lowest rate of
any of the great powers of the world,
and it shows radical reduction as
compared with the rate ten years ago.
Holland comes after the United States,
consuming LA gallons per capita per
year; then comes Austria with 1925
gallons; and after Austria, England,
with 2.85 galloons; Germany, with
2.44; Denmark, with 2.69; Italy, with
~; Belgium, with 2.75; Scotland,
with 3.3, and France, who consumes
more liquor than any other nation in
the world, With 4.81.
England has been following the
United States, and intemperance there
has also undergone marked reduction
during the past ten years. In other
countries which consume more than
the United States and England the
tendency is towards an increase of the
figures just quoted. In other words,
the United States and England are be-
coming more temperate year after year,
while the other countries of Europe,
except Scandinavia and Finland, are
becoming more bibulous.
In France particularly the increase
in the consumption of intoxicants is
noticeable. A. P Atwell, American
consul at Roubaix, France, calls at
tention, in a recent communication to
the department of commerce and labor,
to the congress which was held in Par
is late last fall to deliberate upon
means of Graduating the liquor evil
France has AGA, sos saloons to supply
the wants of 38, 1865, 366 inhabitants,
or one saloon to eighty-three inhabi-
tants, and the number of saloons is
constantly increasing. While the con-
sumption of liquor has shown a mark
ed decrease during the past ten years
in the United States and England, it
has shown corresponding increase in
France, until the question of Suppress
ing, or better regulating, the saloon
there has become subject of widest
interest among thinking men in all
political parties and in all walks of
life.
Decreases Police Force.
1t is pointed out in Consul Atwell' s
report that since 1898 Liverpool has
closed one third of its saloons, so de-
creasing the police force in consequence
as to save $40, 900 per year to the tax
payers, the remaining two-thirds of
the saloons paying an increased reve-
nue. sufficient to Offset the decrease.
Sweden, Norway and Finland have
also made remarkable progress in tenn
perance. In 1929 Sweden had one sa-
loon to every 100 inhabitants, and the
consumption of spirits was 6.17 gallons
per capita. In 1900 that country had
one saloon to every 5000 inhabitants,
and the per capita annual consumption
had dropped to 1.31 gallons.
LII lOOO l. lhldlu lluu OhC coAOOh w
every 100 inhabitants, consuming 5.26
gallons per capita per annum; but in
1900 it had one saloon to every 5000
inhabitants, and was consuming half
a gallon per capita.
If she were to compete with Sweden
and Finland, France would be COM
PEELED to close nine-tenths of her sa-
looms, and this is what the congress
held in Paris last fall wants to accom-
plish.
1t is only occasionally that these
comparative figures as to liquor con-
sumption are available and they will
be welcome to many Americans, who
for many years have been trying to
make Roadway against the liquor evil.
These figures show that the work done
for temperance in the United States is
counting for great deal, and that our
position as fourth from the top Of the
list of countries consuming the least
amount of liquor, while comparatively
recently obtained, is likely to be per-
manent. We probably cannot pass
Canada, Scandinavia and Finland for
years to come, but we can probably do
better than 1877 gallons per capita per
year, and thus widen the gap between
us and the other great countries OF the
old world.
There is occasion for much congratu-
lation upon the statistics presented In
Counsl Atwell's report to Secretary
Cortelyou.
Rifles for the Army.
Washington, Feb. 1.-The war de-
partment has announced that by the
latter part of the summer or early fall
thara xuiIl ba anonnh new SnrinQfield