12 STATISTICS OF EXPENDITURE AND 



Whether, under the head of fuel, lighting is also included, as 

 it usually is in the statistics 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 9.1 2 934- in 1881 to 1,390,910 in 1891 ; or from 21.1 

 per cent, to 23.77 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 minimum for which gas or electric lighting 

 is provided, has increased from G8 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 decrea=e 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 



