EUROPE: GERMANY. 



129 



There are 57 paper factories in this consular district. The follow- 

 ing statistics for the whole of Germany are taken from the Adress- 

 buch der Papier und Papierstoff Fabriken von Giintter-Steib. 

 Paper industry in Germany. 



These statistics are complete as far as the establishments in op- 

 eration are concerned, but, as some of the factories refused to give 

 information about the number of machines in operation, the figures 

 given here are too small. The author estimates the machines as 

 follows: Table machines (Langsiebmaschinen), 925; cylinder ma- 

 chines (Rundsiebmaschinen), 600; and 125 vats. Estimating the 

 yearly production of the first at 900 tons, of the second at 300 tons, 

 of the third at 15 tons, the total German production of paper and 

 pasteboard was at least 1,000,000 tons during the year 1898. 



Steam power is generally used, only some of the finer kinds of 

 paper being made by hand. 



The processes and methods of manufacture are thoroughly mod- 

 ern and are being constantly improved. The general tendency of 

 production seems to be to increase the size of the plants so as to 

 meet the sinking tendency of prices which has continued for some 

 years by small profits on large sales. 



According to the Frankfurter Zeitung, a paper which is generally 

 well informed in matters of business, there exists a serious danger 

 of overproduction when the large number of industrial works at 

 present projected shall have been completed. It expresses the wish 

 that financial circles which are less confident will exert a restraining 

 influence on the general industrial expansion which, encouraged by 

 increased consumption and good times, threatens to glut the markets 

 in the near future, and it also calls attention to the fact that, in spite 

 of protective tariffs, American manufactured goods are forcing their 

 way more and more into the European markets. It is probable that 

 the risk of overproduction is fully as great in the paper industry as 

 in any other branch of manufacture in this country, as all attempts 

 to regulate production or maintain prices have proved abortive, in 

 s c R P & P 9. 



