26 



be more readily estimated in a single one of the tables of weights 

 and measures. The tables from which the per capita consumption 

 of suerar, tea. coffee and dried fruit has been calculated, were 



O ' 



compiled from the Annual Sessional Papers on Trade and Com- 

 merce ; the per capita consumption of beer, spirits, etc., is the 

 calculation of the inland revenue officials, and may be found in 

 Statistical Year Book for the current year.* 



The consumption of these articles is recognized as one of the 

 best tests of the prosperity of a country. The middle classes 

 everywhere are well provided with the comforts and decencies of 

 life, in which class these articles are placed, although sugar is 

 rapidly becoming a necessary of life ; and an extension of the 

 consumption of these goods means that the working classes are 

 consuming more, the middle class, it being presumed already, 

 using as much as they desire. In a country like Canada, where as 

 we have seen there are few extremes of wealth, an increased 

 consumption means that the whole body of the people are con- 

 suming more. 



An increased consumption of any article may mean one of 

 three things, (1) it may result from a fall in price, which enables 

 the people to consume more without spending more ; (2) it may 

 mean a rise in the average income, which enables the people to 

 spend more on one article than they have been doing, without 

 curtailing their consumption of other articles; (3) it may mean 

 simply that the form of consumption has changed and that the 

 well-being of society is the same, or but slightly increased. In 

 all probability, the increased use of cccoa, from the value 

 of $44,249 in ISSOf to $158,849 in 1896 has been due to a 

 mere change in the form of consumption ; and the addition of 

 this amount to the consumption of the community probably does 

 not indicate a corresponding increase of spending power. Tha 

 increase in the use of sugar and tea is due, not to increased 



*I take this opportunity of acknowledging my indebtedness to the Dominion 

 Statistician, Mr. George Johnson, whose work I have freely used in the preparation of 

 this paper. 



tAverage of three years. 



