EUROPE: BELGIUM. 



75 



mile), 56 centimes (n.i cents); 6 centimes (i.i cents) for each kilo- 

 meter after the first kilometer. 



Ocean freight. The rates for freight charges between Antwerp 

 and the United States vary with different articles and with the fluc- 

 tuations in the freight market. They depend largely upon com- 

 petition, the size of the cargo, and rate of the ship. The average 

 charges from Antwerp to New York, Boston, and Philadelphia for 

 heavy goods, rate determined by weight, are $1.50 per ton; for light 

 articles, rate determined by space occupied, $5 per ton and 10 per 

 cent additional per 40 cubic feet; from Antwerp fo New Orleans, 

 $1.82 per ton, which is not considered excessive here. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



La Revue Graphique Beige, Xavier Haverman, proprietor and 

 editor, No. 40 Galerie du Commerce, is the only publication in 

 Brussels containing articles on paper making. 



I may state that the foregoing data were obtained from the latest 

 Government statistics, the commercial museum, a manufacturer, and 

 paper dealers at Brussels. 



GEO. W. ROOSEVELT, 



BRUSSELS, February 27, 1899. Consul. 



LIEGE. 



POPULATION. 



The population of this consular district, according to the census 

 of 1893, was 1,275,461, and the present estimated population is 

 1,380,109. The percentage of illiterates above 8 years is 16. The 

 Belgian is very ingenious and is the producer of very good grades 

 of paper, as well as superior articles in nearly every line. 



CONSUMPTION. 



All kinds of paper are in general use in this district. There are 

 no industries consuming paper in particular. Printers employ vari- 

 ous grades of paper, and the publishers of newspapers and peri- 

 odicals use, principally, ordinary white wood-pulp print of medium 

 weight. 



There is consumed in this district each year about 2,750,000 

 pounds of print paper, which costs from 2^ to 3^ cents per pound; 

 300,000 pounds of poster paper, at from 4^ to 5^ cents per pound; 

 4,000,000 pounds of writing and flat paper, at from 6 to 14 cents 



