13 STATISTICS OF EXPENDITURE AND 
Whether, under the head of fuel, lighting is also included, as 
it usually is in the statisties of other countries, is not stated ; but 
the omission is not of serious importance, because we are unable 
to discover how much the individual spends and what value he 
receives for his expenditure. The three chief illuminants, gas, 
electricity. and oil, are being used in increasing quantities. The 
Census Reports of 1891 give figures for the production of gas 
and electric lighting works; but there has been a very great 
extension in the use of electric lighting since 1891, and possibly 
some increase in the use of gas also; and figures taken from the 
Census Reports would give a wrong impression. It is interesting 
to note that in spite of the increase in the use of these methods 
of lighting, the consumption of petroleum is increasing steadily 
year by year. The urban population of Canada (those residing 
in towns and villages of more than 1,500 inhabitants) has 
increased from 912 934in 1881 to 1,390,910 in 1891; or from 21.1 
per cent. to 28.77 per cent. of the population of the Dominion; 
and the number of towns of more than 3,000 inhabitants which 
may be taken as the minimuin for which gas or electric lighting 
is provided, has increased from 68 to 94. Gas lighting held its 
own during the decade 1881-1891, and electric lighting was prac- 
tically introduced in the decade (in 1881 there were two men 
employed in electric lighting works ; in 1891 there were 1,190:) 
yet the consumption of petroleum increased per capita more than 
fifty per cent., although there was no corresponding decrease in 
the retail price. In 1882 the consumption was 2.0 galls. per 
head, in 1891 it was 3.2 galls., and in 1896 3.1 galls. (a decrease 
from 3.5 galls. in 1894 and 1895). The increased use of the more 
primitive illuminant, alongside of the development of the more 
modern methods, shews a real increase in well-being in the 
community. 
The expenditure on clothing must remain in the obscurity of 
percentages. It might be possible, by help of the Census 
Reports and the trade tables, to determine how much cloth and 
clothing was manufactured or imported in the year 1891; but it 
is not possible to shew how much was consumed. ‘Trade tables 
