CONSUMPTION IN BRITISH EMPIRE 301 



The per capita consumption of animal foodstuffs in the temperate 

 regions of the British Empire has been relatively high. That of 

 meat is shown in the table above, giving the estimated meat con- 

 sumption per capita, the population, and the estimated total of 

 meat consumed in each of the leading parts of the Empire, 1 together 

 with the Empire's average per capita consumption, in the year 1911 



A comparison with other areas 2 shows that the per capita meat 

 consumption is higher, according to the estimates made, only in 

 the United States and Argentina, in both of which, however, it 

 shows a tendency to fall. 



In other animal foodstuffs also the per capita consumption of 

 the white population of the Empire has been high as compared 

 with other countries. Thus the milk equivalent of the per capita 

 consumption of butter and cheese in the four divisions of the 

 Empire, taken above, averaged about 53 gallons in 1911 as com- 

 pared with a similar milk equivalent of about 49 gallons in the 

 United States. The per capita consumption of whole milk in the 

 United Kingdom is lower than that of some other countries, but it 

 is apparently high in the Dominions, and the consumption of mar- 

 garine in the United Kingdom has not been allowed for above. 

 These facts would indicate that the Empire's consumption of 

 animal foodstuffs has been a comparatively liberal one, and it is 

 possible perhaps for some reduction to take place in the average 

 rate without loss of efficiency or the infliction of any great hard- 

 ship. The statistics available show that the estimated per capita 

 rate of meat consumption declined somewhat in the United King- 

 dom in the period 1901-13, and it probably remained more or less 

 stationary during the same time in the other parts of the Empire. 

 On the other hand, the per capita consumption of dairy products * 

 and of eggs 4 apparently increased throughout the Empire in the 

 above-mentioned period. These complementary movements may 

 continue in the Empire's consumption of animal foodstuffs in the 

 future, in keeping with the economies of production. 6 



We have seen above that the future rate of consumption of 

 animal foodstuffs among the white people of the British Empire 



1 Only those parts that are inhabited by white population are included. 

 South Africa has been omitted because of the large native population. 



2 See above, Part II., Chap, ii., p. 205. 



3 The net imports per head into the United Kingdom of butter, of condensed 

 milk, and of margarine increased appreciably, while those of cheese declined 

 somewhat, in the period 1900-13, but the milk equivalent of the increase in 

 the three former is much greater than that of the decline in the latter. During 

 the same period the per capita production of milk in the United Kingdom 

 appears to have remained about stationary. The per capita consumption of 

 dairy products in both Canada and Australia is known to have increased since 

 the year 1900. 



4 The imports of eggs per head into the United Kingdom increased from 

 an annual average of 46-4 eggs in the years 1898-1900 to that of 52 eggs in 

 the years 1911-13, while the home production apparently also increased. 

 (See [Cd. 6277], p. 16.) 



5 See Part II., Chap, v., above, pp. 265-271. 



