270 PAPER IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



linen waste, and pulp imported from Germany. Paper-making ma- 

 chinery is made by Escher, Wyss & Co., of Zurich. There are at 

 present 15 paper mills in Switzerland, employing 3, 5, and 7 ma- 

 chines, run partly by water power and partly by steam, with fairly 

 up-to-date methods. Handmade paper is used very little. 



IMPORTS. 



The import comprises mainly fine tissue paper, fine glazed paper 

 for printing books, fine English letter paper, and paper for litho- 

 graphs and chromo printing. The market price per quintal (220.46 

 pounds) for tissue is at present from $19.30 to $24.13, and for book 

 and chromo paper from $25.09 to $28.95, or more, according to qual- 

 ity. Austria and Germany furnish these fine papers. 



The banking facilities of Switzerland are perfect, and the average 

 rate charged borrowers in 1898 was 3^ per cent. The duty on all 

 classes of paper is 8 francs ($1.544) per quintal. Mail and telegraph 

 facilities are excellent. 



OUTLOOK FOR AMERICAN TRADE. 



The opening for American paper and pulp and articles manu- 

 factured therefrom is, I think, most promising, especially for our 

 poplar pulp, which would have the advantage over pine pulp of 

 requiring no bleaching. Indurated fiber ware is another article un- 

 known in this country. In the whole of Switzerland there is not a 

 fiber or paper pail; nor, in fact, a wooden one. Common pine 

 washtubs are used, which have a tendency to fall to pieces when 

 wanted. The habit of using old newspapers for wrapping could be 

 done away with if our machine-made bags were introduced here. A 

 few come from Germany, but they are heavy and clumsy. Old news- 

 papers sell for \Y^ cents per pound. Packing paper on rolls has 

 not been used as yet to any extent. 



In answer to the question as to what course the United States 

 should pursue in order to build up an export trade in this country, 

 I respectfully refer to my report on "Commercial travelers in Swit- 

 zerland," printed in Advance Sheets of Consular Reports No. 199 

 (August 22, 1898).* 



EXPORTS. 



Common paper is made here for the English market. Switzer- 

 land has no export duty. There is no special organ in this country 

 for the paper trade. The Deutsche Papier Zeitung, issued in Berlin, 

 is considered the standard periodical for this branch of trade. 



*Also in Consular Reports No. 217 (October, 1898). 



