Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-14
WHEW! ISN'T IT TERRIBLE ?
FOLKS DRANK AND SMOKED
MORE THAN EVER LAST YEAR.

Prohibition laws, reform waves, temper
ance crusades and anti-smoking and chew
Ing clubs did not make the people of this
country any more abstemious in the fiscal
year closed June. 80 than in other years.
On the contrary there were millions Of gal
Ions more whisky and beer consumed, a
billion or more cigars used million more
cigarettes smoked and thousands Of pounds
more of snuff consumed than in the pre-
vious fiscal year. Worse than all else,
there were used many millions of pounds
more oleomargarine, filled cheese, adulter-
ated butter, and such.
All this is shown by the statement of the
internal revenue bureau as to the receipts
Of that bureau for the fiscal year that
closed June 30. The total receipts from all
sources for that year were $269. 664 O22. So,
as compared with $249, 102, 1888 for the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1905.
From the different sources the receipts
were as follows: Spirits, $166. 1886. Sol SO,
compared with $143, 1894 ,O65. IL for the pre-
vious year; tobacco. $51 81 .O6969, against
$4S' 422,s973s: fermented liquors. S59, $751;
margarine, 1887, 641.31 compared with $780,
O37.93; adulterated butter, $12,7436O; last
year, S., 25S.43; renovated butter $161 1885,
70; last year. $13SO7SO9; miscellaneous,
$Ss8.O5239: last year. 1929 452.49.
Just Harken to This.
But in dollars and cents the failure of the
people to be impressed by sumptuary laws
and moral agitations is not shown half as
we'll as in gallons, pounds numbers, etc
Take cigars and tobacco, for example. In
the last fiscal year there were withdrawn
for consumption Of cigars weighing over
three pounds to the LOCO. a total of 81, 49,
S62. 100, as against 3,7S3, 266213, an increase
in that one class Of cigar alone of 1855, 595-
fIn, l>;lI
Of this weight smoked than in the previous
year.
In cigars weighing under three pounds to
the LOCO the increase was nearly as great.
The refinement Of city life, the lectures as
to the indecency Of chewing and pipe smok-
ing have all been lost on an independent
citizenship. In the last fiscal year the people
Of this country chewed and smoked 3t9-
1S6,303 pounds Of tobacco, as against 1854,
9l5, 400 In the previous year, an increase Of
14.27OSO4 pounds.
Cigarette smoking did not show q ten
dency to stop, the increase for the year
In the number Of cigarettes used was $685.
537, the total number smoked being Is. l59-
227, against 8. 49, 500.
In the snuff line 693, 65S pounds more than
In the last fiscal year were used, the figures
being 3.4O1. 1876 pounds in the year tust
| closed and %. 7O7, 53S for the previous fiscal
year.
Oleomargarine, despite all the oppressive
laws passed against it in recent years
showed an increased consumption of 49,
49, 91 pounds, the total consumption being
6s,9sSS5O pounds, against 53.146, $50. Reno
waited butter, process butter, adulterated
butter, all had increased market over
other years.
AS to alcoholic drinks. the prohibtionists
will be shocked. In corn, rye and similar
whiskies the consumption was IL 400, 252
gallons above the previous fiscal year. The
consumption in the fiscal year 1907 was
1874, 1904 gallons, against 122, 1872 500 gal
Ions in the year before. In spirits made
from apples. peaches, grapes, pears etc,
there was a similar increase. as shown by
the fact that the consumption was 1893,
6SS gallons, against 1,7S1,643 gallons last
year.
In the consumption of beer which has
gradually become the national drink, the
increase was 3,S94474 barrels over the
former fiscal year. Each barrel repre-
sents 81 gallons. which makes the total
increase Jig. 900 gaalons of this bev-
erage The figures fer the respective years
1907 and 1906 were 5s548,111 barrels and
Oh ,6o1 ,631 barrels. Internal revenue Off
cials say the increase would have been
much greater but for an exceedingly cool
and wet spring, which reduced the con-
sumption during that period.