284 PAPER IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



This last mill is not yet working, but is finished and expected to 

 start in a month or two. It is fitted with the newest American ma- 

 chinery, and is said to be capable of turning out the best paper. 



CONSUMPTION. 



Paper is used in Ireland generally, as in other civilized countries, 

 for writing, printing, and wrapping, wall paper, and, on a small 

 scale, for roofing. There are no uses for paper peculiar to Ireland. 



All kinds and qualities of paper are used. Generally, the banks 

 and better class of business houses use the best handmade paper for 

 their account books, but the larger proportion of paper is machine 

 made. The sizes used, are the same as in the United Kingdom gen- 

 erally. I can not give figures as to the quantity of paper used in 

 Ireland, as most of it comes from England and Scotland, and no 

 statistics of this trade are available. The direct imports of paper, 

 including strawboard, amounted in 1897 to 108,697 cwts., valued 

 at $453,183, and 200,420 cwts. of paper-making materials, valued at 



$231,431- 



There are about 225 periodicals published in Ireland, of which 18 

 are daily papers and the rest weeklies, biweeklies, and monthlies. 

 There are also a few books published. 



I am unable to get recent statistics of the total number of print- 

 ers and publishers, or of the users of paper. According to census 

 of 1891, there were 4,241 printers and 1,852 bookbinders. Generally 

 speaking, paper is used by almost every one in the country. 



There are no manufactures of paper or pulp other than paper 

 bags, account books, blank books, and a little roofing paper. 



Most of the paper used in Ireland comes from England and Scot- 

 land, which practically control the market. Some is imported from 

 Germany, Belgium, and the United States. 



WATER POWER. 



The water power of Ireland is well distributed and abundant. 

 There are innumerable small streams with a fairly constant flow of 

 water, many of them crossed and recrossed by the railways and 

 canals. I have not seen any estimate of the water power, either de- 

 veloped or undeveloped. It is, however, quite sufficient for any 

 needs of the country. 



FUEL AND MATERIAL. 



The only native fuels are coal and peat. Although the carbon- 

 iferous area occupies a large part of the area of Ireland, the coal 

 measures have been washed away, except in a few places. The coal 

 fields which have escaped denudation may be placed in five groups. 

 In two the coal is anthracite, and in three it is bituminous. The 



