Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-08
Consular Reports Show the Per
Capita Consumption Of
Liquor Is Enormous
REPORTS
SOME
Enormous Importation of Precious
Stones Into the United States a
Never Failing Sign of Our Prosper
ity-oId World and New World Cit
les Compared.

Washington, Nov. S.--Temperance
workers in the United States, where
is quite modest, altho slowly increas-
ing, will no doubt be glad that in work
ing for prohibition they do not carry
the handicap which Is carried by their
fellow laborers in Germany. Recon.
statistical reports show that the an
nual per capita consumption of liquors
in Germany is 61a quarts OF wine. 1924
quarts of beer and 9 quarts Of brandy.
or a total average of 1856 quarts. The
p%ercapita cost is $11.20, including won-
en- and children. For male citizens ov-
err 15 years of age the average cost per
year is $37.36.
Custom house officials are explain
ing that the enormous impor.atioJs oil
precious stones into the Unite1 States
IS one of the n~ever-failing signs OF
prosperity. During q single month this
year the total importations of this
class of goods was $3,7S9,S25, the high
est month in the history of the coun-
try, and 100000 ahead Of the cores
ponding month a year ago. When
times are bad, the custom house people
declare, importations of this character
drop off to almost nothing. Automo-
bile importations are said to be another
sure proof that the country is prosper
ot1S ~ TN,,Viyo~ a GIN o1o month this vo0r
the importations of automobiles aggre-
gated $4,000, and in three months
they aggregated $1,000, 900. During the
corresponding period of 1905 this class
of importations amounted to only halt
a million.
1t will be a long time before either
New York or Chicago will be able to
boast itself as the rival Of such cites
as London, either in wealth or in pop
ulation. 1t is difficult for the human
mind to grasp the splendid proportion
of some of these old world cities, and
it is only when concrete statements
are made that this grasp becomes in
any degree intelligent. London has
$4,000 600 peop.e, and some of the facts
l4SoS pSOplC oSSAi SSiAA-
piled by Robe.t j. Wynne, consul gen
eral of the United States in thai city.
It is a mistake to suppose that Lon
don is not growing rapidly. One hun
bred years ago its population was just
one-fifth of what it is today, and the
present rate of increase is SO great that
n of the most vexing problems in
London is the housing problem. 1t is
also a mistake to suppose that race sui
eide has as yet taken any strong hold
on London. The number OF births con
tinues to be twice the number Of the
deaths, altho the birth rate, as Is true
all over the United Kingdom, is slight
ly declining. There are 1,02S postof-
fees in London, and the total imports
of the city for a single year are $780,
600, 900, in round numbers. Some idea
may be had of the ctty's wealth when
it is said that the assessed income tax
value Of property shows houses worth
$219,250,0 600, trades and professions
taxed at 1854, O00, 900, profits Of COM
panies and other interests taxed at
$500, 600, 900, and salaries taxed at
$220,000,0 00.
The department Of commerce and
labor notes that the aluminium short
age continues to be a source of an
noyance all over the world. The price
has gone up to 5000 a ton or $3.50 over
the price a year ago., but without af-
fecting the supply. There is no alum
mum to be had, for love or money, and
there will not be for a number OF
months, perhaps a year or more. The
chief sources Of supply for this article
are the United States, Great Britain,
Switzerland and Germany.
what has occasioned the shortage?'
was the question asked of a depart
ment official.
''There are two reasons: One that the
producers grossly underestimated the
demand, and the other the fact that
the metal supply cannot be increased
at will. The demand, both here and
abroad, has been wonderfully increased
by the larger use of aluminium fol
castings for electrical work, and fol-
crank cases and ear boxes for aut.
omobiles. The producers had figured
only on the natural increase caused by
the widening use for domestic purpos~
es, and the phenomenal commercial
demand came as a great surprise. In
this country aluminium is also being
used for electric wires. 1t is not gen
orally known, but the electric current
from Niagara Falls is carried to New
York City over aluminium cables. The
British production Of aluminium last
year was $3.50 tons, which was scarce
ly one-quarter enough. In this coun
try the production was about 5000
tons, and only about one-quartel
enough. The producers are %extendini!
their plants this a and by 1907 OF
1908, the supply ought to be large
enough to reduce the price materially
and bring this metal forward as
general substitute for brass, iron ant
steel. The automobile manufacturers
have taken to aluminium because they
get the same strength and genera
utility that they formerly got fro1r
brass and other heavy metals, witt
only one-third the weight"
The population of Germany, taken
this year, shows that the kaiser rules
over 6O,605,1S3 people. There has been
a gain of 1852 per cent in ten years
The density of population is very great
considering the fact that there are
states in the American union which
are as large as the whole of Germany,
1t is this population problem that has