Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-22
MILLION A DAY FOR SUGAR
Each American Consumes Amount
Equal to Half His Weight Yearly.
OVER SIXTY PER CENT IMPORTED
Less Than One-Fifth Is Produced at
Home and over n Fifth Comes
from ~InsulRr Pos
sessions.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.-Figures gath
cred by the bureau of statistics show that
the average American citizen consumes half
his own weight in sugar every year, and
Uncle Sans sugar bill averages N,oOO,VW
a day. The total consumption Of sugar In
the United States in 1907. as shown by a
report issued by the bureau, which Is the
latest year for which statistics are avail
able, reached 1859, 667, $40 pounds.
Calculating this enormous total at the
average retail price of 5a cents per pound
the report states, I'VE get a total of $S72,O0O,-
600 as it's cost to the consumer. or more
than $1,000 900 for each of the 1855 days Of
the year"
The statement shows that 21.S per cent, or
/ 800, 5000 BOO pounds of sugar consumption OF
the country, was of home production; III
per cent, or 81, 254.OOO. 600 pounds was brought
from our insular possessions. and the re-
naming 81 per cent, or 4,S67.OO 900 pounds,
came from foreign countries.
Forty-three million pounds was the aggre-
gate Of expectation Of sugar from this
country.
The United States sugar record for 1901
was unique, in that the quantity of that
product imported from foreign countries
was larger than ever before, the quantity
brought from our island possessions was
larger than in any previous year, the guam
tity produced at home exceeded that of
any other year. the quantity exported was
larger than IN any year of the past decade
and the per capita consumption was the
largest ever recorded, an average of S2.e
pounds for each man. woman aud child Of
continental United States.
The production Of beet sugar for the first
time exceeded the production Of can sugar,
the product of the year being. cane sugar,
544. O00.O0o pounds. while the production Of
beet sugar amounted to 967, 900, 600 pounds.
The worlds production has practically
doubled in the last twenty years. having
grown from 17,oOO,O 100000 pounds in 1887 to
81 1000, 10000 pounds in 1907, and while the
United States consumed about IS per cent
OF the total worlds production in 1887, 1t
consumed % per cent of the greatly in
creased production of 1877. Beets now sup
ply one-half of the grand total produced.
while twenty years ago they supplied but
about one-th'rd of the total product.
Panama Property Uninsured.
On the many million dollars worth of
buildings owred by the United States gov
eminent in the Panama canal zone not one
cent of insurance is carried.
The government has spent $40, 250,00 in
buildings in the zone, which amount TAX -
no account of the value of the buildings
purchased from the French. both in the
canal zone and the Republic of Panama.
nor values property In all the buildings,
including the large amount of stores. The
] only protection against fire the govern
ment has for these buildings scattered
along a line fifty miles in length, is in pre-
c~autionary measures, and In the fire de-
partment which has been developed to a
| yxIe, Ala gta4a of affioiannv Tn xyii-
lage companies for safeguarding the gov
ernment's property against fire have been
organized.
In all there are 1888 buildings owned by
the Isthmian Canal commission. and with
but few exceptions these are of very light
construction.
Frequent inspection is made by firemen
in all buildings and in public service
buildings, such as hotels and clubhouses
the inspection is made at least three times
a week. Regulations forbldding the collec-
ton of inflammable material in or near
buildings are strictly enforced. Heavy
showers which fall almost daily from May
to January are favorable to fire protection.
but during the remaining four months there
is little rain and the frame buildings be-
come very dry. Fires are. however, no
more frequent in the dry than the rainy
season.
Consular Service Examination.
The Board of Examiners has certified to
the secretary of state a list of successful
candidates which was made public today.
eligible to appointment in the consular
service, having passed the examination.
OF the seventy-one candidates designated
for the examination last July forty-five
presented themselves and only nineteen
passed. In the November examination out
of thirty-seven candidates only twenty
three were successful.
Commenting upon the November examin-
alton, the board reports:
This has again shown a discouraging
lack of suitable material for appointment
to the student interpreter corps, and, in a
less degree, the lack of good candidates
for the consular assistant corps.
1T is much to be hoped hereafter there
will be a greater number of qualified APP
plicants to enter the very important corps
of student interpreters and consular as
s~istants, from which promotion to the
higher grades of the service logically fol-
lows"
Among those successful for the post of
consul were: Charles L.. Hoover of the
Philippine islands; John A. Ray, Texas;
Alex ". Dye, Missouri Fredk Simpish,
washington; p. L. Taylor, Nebraska; Jo-
sephJ. Sleeta, South Dakota; Edward C.
Baker, California; Carl r. Loop. Indiana;
Charles E. Perry, Nebraska; William w.
Brunswick, Kansas; Edward d. Winslow,
Illinois.
For student interpreterships and con-
sular assistants among those successful
were: M. II. Perkins, California;; Ripley
Wilson, Illinois; Roger c. Treadwell. In
diana