2 STATISTICS OF EXPENDITURE AND 
affairs. Thev collect figures of exports and imports because of 
the obvious bearing of such figures upon the collection of a 
revenue; and in some cases provide us with information regard- 
ing the industry carried on within the country because certain 
articles of manufacture are subject to internal revenne duties. 
Where there is no question of collecting revenue, the information 
afforded us is not usually carefully collected. We know more 
accurately what is imported than what is exported; we know 
better how much beer is consumed than we do how much meat 
or grain is consumed; how much tobacco better than how 
much clothing. The interest of the government is mainly 
in the collection of revenue. An enlightened government may 
make provision for the collection of other statistics; 1t may 
establish labor bureaus and agricultural departments; it may 
publish banking returns and railroad earnings ; but since the 
interest of these things is not so immediately practical, the infor- 
mation afforded is apt to be meagre and to cease, short of the 
point of completeness. For instance, the main industry in 
Canada is agriculture ; but we know less of the output of our 
farms than we do of the output of our breweries. Ontario and 
Manitoba collect elaborate agricultural statistics ; but in the other 
provinces the gathering of information is perfunctorily performed 
or not performed at all; and, consequently, we cannot even use 
what information we have, because statistics of interprovincial 
trade are lacking. In the census years, elaborate returns are 
made; but even here there are gaps in our information, and too 
much of what is set down depends on the memory of the private 
citizen, which is not a scientific instrument. In Canada there is 
an additional difficulty in the way of obtaining adequate con- 
sumption statisties. Nearly half of our population is dependent 
on agriculture. In time, and with organization, we may learn 
the amount of eggs and potatoes, milk and meat and vegetables, 
maple sugar-and cordwood marketed ; but it will always be next 
to impossible to ascertain how much of these commodities the 
autonomous producer uses in his own consumption. Private 
investigation may step in to make up for the deficiencies of 
