CONSUMPTION IN CANADA—DAVIDSON. 27 
spending power, but almost entirely to a fall in price. The per 
capita cousumption of 1896, 47 lbs, of sugar and 4.4 Ibs. of tea 
cost no more than the 26 lbs. of sugar and the 2.7 lbs. of tea in 
the year 1880. The increased use of tobacco, of coffee, and the 
but slightly decreased consumption of spirits, in spite of a large 
rise in price, indicate a larger spending power. An attempt has 
been made in the third of the following tables to indicate how 
far the increased consumption is due to a fall in prices, the prices 
being taken from a table of Montreal prices given in the Statisti- 
cal Year Book of 1896. 
ConsumPTION PER Capita OF CERTAIN ARTICLES IN CANADA. 
Tea Coffee | Sugar Dried Wises Spirits} Wine 
Tobac-| Cigars 
(lbs.) (1bs.) (lbs,) | Fruits(lbs).| (gals.) | (gals ) | (gals.) |co(Ibs)-| (No ) 
1880 oF 0.40 26 1.9 9.25 | 0711 0.08 | 1.94 
1881 3.8 0.47 31 3.0 PAO) Ml OP | COLO) I] P2085 Nacoes- 
1882 4.3 0.71 30 3.4 PA) |) ae) GATS lag aan 
1883 | 4.0 | 0.60 | 34 5.0 | 2881 1.09 | 0.13] 228 |... 
1884 38 0.53 38 5.2 22927 100) OZ 248 19 
1885 4.0 | 094 | 43 4,1 D645 else Osten 2262 7 
1886 4.9 0.85 38 3.6 2.84 O71 011 2 05 20 
1887 38 0.41 43 4.2 a 08h) ON) | OF09) | 2306 18 
1888 3) 4 0.60 43 4.5 3.25 | 0.64 | 0.09 | 2.09 19 
1889 3.6 0.66 47 4.6 SEO OMS Ost Om mealies 19 
1890 3.8 0.66 35 4.7 3.36 | 0.88 | 0.10 | 214 20 
1891 370) 10169 40 | 4.8 SU79 0874s 021 2 29 l 20 
| 1892 4.4 | 0.73 | 68 4.7 Ships 9 WO AO) | ORTOM E2229 Al 
1893 3D | OCT 51 4.4 3:48 | 074 | 0.09 | 2.31 93 
1894 AAT 10570 61 5.3 SH On| OL09N || 12226 3) 
1895 4.0 0.72 70 4 3 47 O67 02095 2. 16 21 
1896; 4.4 0.70 47 5.6 3) O83 |) (GRA |) COMO || Ge Ie) | 21 
| 
These tables are sufficiently clear to explain theinselves ; but 
it should be observed that for some reason the year 1880, which 
has been chosen as starting point, is an exceptional year of low 
consumption, as we shall see more clearly when we come to 
present an Index No. of consumption ; and it has the additional 
disadvantage of being the year of high prices in sugar, which 
was then 20 per cent. higher than in 1875, and higher than it has 
been since. 
