CONSUMED IN SMOKE.

Auckland Star, Issue 153, 1 July 1887, Page 7

CONSUMED IN SMOKE.

What the American Public Pays f Annually for Tobacco. tesr year the, losses by reported fires in the United States reaches a total of l.Hg 000,000d01., or an average monthly loss of 10,0-O.OOOdoL This is regarded as anenormous waste and carelessness. How to reduce the amount so lost is a mattei of constant study. Legislatures, local govern- . meats and insurance companies make regulations and exercise the greatest care to prevent fires. And yet the loss they occasion is 60.000,00()dol. per annum less than the amount paid by consumers for cigars, and 86,500,-OOdol. less than tho total cost of tobacco consumed in smoke ' Last year tax was paid upon ~,510,-98,483 cigars. The average smoker is content with acfear worth 30doL per 1000, or one that retails at 5 cents. On that basis there annually goes up in smoke 150.000.000d01, or 15,000,000d0i. every month, or 000.000 dol every day. In addition, boys waste on cigarettes 6,509,00-dol. and those who • prefer a pipe a further sum of 20,000,000d01. Hoivmany smoke? If we deduct from "the total population as nonsmokers all children under tiftecn'years, constituting 40 percent, bf'thetotal population of 90,000,000 ,it leaves 36,000,000, of wlmm one-half are females; deducting these gives a male population, above the ago of 15 years, of ■ 18,(100,000. If six out of every ten males above the age of 15 years smoke,, it means that 10,800,000 persons consume 3,510,898----'4BB cigars, or an average per smoker of 325 cigars per annum. This is loss than one cigar per day; The average smoker, howeilr, is not apt to be contented with a daily ■■■ allowance of one cigar, demanding at least two. If the latter basis is the nearer correct, the army of cigar-smokers would bo 4,809,449, being 8 per cent of the total .population above the age of 15 years. ' Whatever the number of smokers, it is a • moderate estimate to pl°ce the cost of 6moking to the people of the United States at 206,500,000d01. If the cost of chewing tobacco is added the totol expenditure for tobacco reaches 256,500,000d01. ; that is a sum that represents a p»T capita tax of 3dol. -44cents. per annum. If the number of smokers is 4,809,449, the -average expense :of"3moking. is 42d01. S9cents. each per annum; if the number is 7,000,000, the cost is 28d61. 64eents per individual; if 10,800,----"000, it.falls to 19d01.12cen.5.,- a surii sulli- ' cient to afford one 5-cent cigar daily, and leave a balance of. S7 cents for extras.