280 



PAPER IN 'FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



There is a very good opening throughout England generally for 

 United States paper products. This opening has been seen and 

 energetically developed by our exporters, and the business is stead- 

 ily growing. The best success has been found with cheap news and 

 printing papers, with box boards for box makers, with manila car- 

 tridge and coated manila papers. I hardly think it probable that 

 direct business between our manufacturers and consumers in this 

 district can be satisfactorily or profitably inaugurated. It was at- 

 tempted in one case within my knowledge in connection with print- 

 ing papers; and the consumer here, owing to longdistance, difficulty 

 of communication, amount of explanation necessary to secure dam- 

 age, allowance, etc., gave up the use of the American paper, though 

 it reached him at an eighth of a cent under English prices. Subse- 

 quently, this same paper was offered to him through a London 

 wholesale firm who had taken up the agency, and he resumed the 

 use of it. Through the Bristol representative of the London firm 

 the business is now conducted with a minimum of trouble and cor- 

 respondence. It maybe learned from this that our exporters should 

 either establish branches and depots in London or should cultivate 

 the great wholesale houses there. These houses are so firmly estab- 

 lished, have so many branch houses, and employ such a large number 

 of travelers that it would be cheaper to deal with them until busi- 

 ness attains such magnitude as would justify an expensive and highly 

 organized independent distributing organization. 



EXPORTS. 



There are no exports of paper from Bristol or the district. 



LORIN A. LATHROP, 

 BRISTOL, March ij, 1899. Consul. 



APPENDIX A. 



[From the London Directory of Paper Makers.] 

 Sizes of papers (these vary with some makers to the extent of even half an inch). 



