The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-15
The Nations Drink Bill.

q
fiscal year was something enormous, and
q statement recently sent out by the
American Grocer will doubtless be ex-
plotted by the friends or temperance.
According to this statement, during the
wear ending June 80, 1903, the total retail
cost Of alcoholic and other stimulating
beverages amounted to something like
81, 45i 6S3, 701, which Is n considerable nd-
vance over tho average annual cost for
five years before, 1929. 900, 1858. This
would indicate an average expenditure
for sti,nulants Of s1S15 for each person
In the United States. But the whole bill
is by no means to be charged UP to the
account Of alcohol. There was some in.
crease in thu amount Of alcohol con-
sumed. but there was a larger increase
in the milder stimulnnts, such as cof-
fee, beer, tea and other such drinks
Coffee is in the lead $156. 900. o61 being
the amount spent for IT, says the Grocer.
For .tca s45ooo,oo0 was spent, and for
cocoa 100000. In gallons, coffee out
stripped all the others, according to the
following table:
Gallons.
Coffee .566 902 ,614
Reer 1859 So
Spirit and wines. ................ 151,l5O,62S
Onc-tenth of a gallon per capita in
crease In the use of spirits is the largest
recorded from one year to another since
1906; LIS, $40 gallons were distilled, and
the consumption, including fruit and i'm
ported spirits, was n7.252.14S gallons OF
this the gwhiskey bill is the greatest.
Beer, the popular beverage next to cof-
fee, had In 1903 the highest consumption
on record: 1904 gallons are put down TO
each person, a gain over 1902 OF OBS gal-
Ions Eliminating those who do not drink
beer, it is estimated that the average
rerson who fingers over the stein con-
sumes from 80 to 100 gallons in twelve
month.
Prosperity may he the cause for the
opening of more bottles OF imported
vines than ever and a serious falling off
| in the consumption from the home vine
Yards. The table for the two years past
| is interesting BY comparison and Is as
! follows:
Domestic. Imported.
Gallons. Gallons.
| 1909 .................... A,737.A4 Dol. lag
| 1908 ......,............. 81, 63l,lo4 o,Vee,oH
| Leading all other nations of the world,
tic United States consumes nearly one
million pounds of raw coffee every year.
The average for the last three years has
been $40 os7.57e pounds.
With the exception OF 1897 the imports
| OF tea were last year the largest on
record. Conservative estimates on the
brewing Of the 1o4,s32, oG0 pounds imported
place the decoction as 45o,ooo.ntO gallons.
worth st5, 10000.
1t is well enough to remember, how
ever that while the consumption OF slim
ulants, alcoholic and otherwise, grows
! there Is undoubtedly steady decrease
in drunkenness. The people are drink
ing moro liquor. but they are learning
better and better how to control their
appetite. Nor is this decrease In drunk
eness to be credited to any great extent
| to restrictive legislation. The rules OF So
ciety and, the rules OF business are do
! Ing more than legislation Is doing or
| can possibly do, to prevent drunken
ness. The man who drinks whiskey to
excess In this day OF activity has no
| profitable place In the business world,
either as employer or employe. The man
who is In business for himself must keep
his wits about him In order to meet
sharp competition, and he cannot meet
it successfully If his brain is always
becloudad with alcohol. Nor are employ
crs willing to give responsible positions
to men who drink to excess. The man
who expects to get good position and
keep it must avoid drunkenness as he
avoids disease.
Society Is also frowning upon drunken
ness. 1t is liberal enough to al
low mon to drink within modera-
ton, but it will not tolerate men who
drink to intoxcation and mako beasts of
themselves.
=--==---==:----=----==
In the discussion Of the value of the
real estate owned by the negroes Of the
| South. it would be interesting to know
| TO what extent their property Is mort
gagged.
In many cases, we suspect, their eQul-
ties are but little more than nominal.
TO DO sure, many whites are laboring
under similar Indebtedness, but there is
this difference that the debts of the
negroes are chiefly due to tho whites.
The debts of tho whites, also, are chiefly
duo TO the whites.
II this be true. the actual, bona flde
holdings of the negroes are much smaller
than would appear at first sight. How
| ever, We do not wish to discourage our