Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-10-05

1T Is understood. of course, that the per
capita figures arg of value only for COM
parative purposes, in case the per head
consumption of one country Is put
aga inst the per head consumption OF
another. or in case the per head con-
sumption in the same country Is traced
for period of time in order to discover
the growth or decrease of the tobacco
consumption. Neither do these figures
throw any light upon the average con-
Stunning capacity of the actual smoking
population. The adult male pOpula ton.
including persons over IL years of age.
which furnishes the great majority Of
the users of tobacco, constitutes nor
mally less than onc-thrd of the entire
population. so that the pcr capita con-
sumption figures of the table above should
be multiplied by three and more in order
to obtain averages coming near the fig
ures of actual consumption. In those
countries whore women are also given
to the use Of tobacco the average con-
sumption per smoker comes nearer tho
average per head of population. Where.
as in the case of new countries. the num-
Der Of men is proportionately larger. this
preponderance of males is most likely to
affect the figures Of tobacco consumption.
In comparing countries with high and low
birth rates, such as Germany and France.
the relatively larger number of adults in
tho latter country should be taken into
consideration in discussing average con-
sumption figures.
on tho whole. however, the relation
which the cost of the article bears to
the purchasing power Of the consumer
may be regarded the chief factor in af.
fecting the tobacco consumption OF a
country.
In the case of a few European countries
the tobacco trade of which has been
monopoized by the government. figures
of the gross receipts. which roughly cor
respond to the consumers total outlay.
are given below.
The total gross revenue from the to-
bacco monopoly in France is shown to
have been over $sl 600 600 in 1902, which
is tantamount to a head tax of Sos BY
dividing the quantity of tobacco officially
consumed into the gross revenue the aver
age cost to the consumer can be deter
mircd. The figures of gross receipts are
also given for Austria. Hungary and Italy
while in the case OF the other countries
only the excise revenue can be stated
For comparative purposes the net rev.
cnuc. i. g. gross receipts minus the cost
of material and other current expense of
the State industry. is given. If the gross
and net revenues from the tobacco mon
opolics are compared. II is found that of
the total gross revenue els per cent in
Austria, 63.4 per cent IN Hungary, 80
per cent. in Italy and about the same
per cent. in France constitute the net rev.
enuc of the government from the sale of
tobacco. What per cent. of the total out
lay for tobacco goes to the government
in the shape of excise in such countries
where the manufacture and sale of to-
bacco is left to private enterprise can not
In this country the total value of to-
bacco manufactures. according to the
twelfth census, was in excess OF 1868, OO0.-
000 exclusive of the value of imported
manufactures of tobacco and profits Of
all kinds, which are comparatively high
in the tobacco trade. The total govern
ment revenue of G5s million dollars con-
stitutes thus n much smaller percentage
OF the total consumers cost than in the
European countries. with the possible ex-
ccpton Of Germany and Belgium, where
the tax on tobacco is comparatively
small.
The following table shows the public
revenue derived by the governments of
the principal countries from the taxa
ton of tobacco during the most available