3IO PAPER IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



but a very large proportion is writing and printing of from me- 

 dium quality to superfine. London is the great market, although 

 the Lothian paper makers sell their product all over England and to 

 some extent on the Continent. The paper for several London mag- 

 azines and for some of the London book-printing and publishing 

 houses comes from Edinburgh mills. Many London wholesale sta- 

 tioners and paper brokers or commission merchants handle exten- 

 sively the writing and other kinds of paper produced here. A good 

 deal of the so-called "Irish linen" put on the world's market from 

 London is made in Scotland. 



FREIGHT RATES. 



The market prices I have given are also the prices free on board 

 at Leith. The steamship rate to London on the better classes of 

 paper in packages is $4. 60 per ton, exclusive of cartage. The rate 

 on coarser grades averages about $3.40. To Hamburg, the freight 

 tariff on writings and the better grade printings is $4.20; coarser 

 qualities of paper, $3. These are about the average rates also to 

 Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Ghent, Calais, Bremen, and Copen- 

 hagen. The railroad rates from the mills to London on high-class 

 papers are from $7.95 to $8.45 per ton. Only when quick deliv- 

 ery is necessary does any paper go by rail. It may be interest- 

 ing and useful to note the cost to the mills of delivering paper in 

 Edinburgh and on the docks at Leith. The schedule rate on paper 

 in packages from Linlithgow to Edinburgh is $2.15 per ton, cart- 

 age at both ends included ; and the charge is the same from Penicuik. 

 But the large mills are granted a special rate of $1.60 per ton from 

 Linlithgow to Edinburgh, including cartage at one end, and $1.45 

 per ton from Penicuik to Edinburgh, cartage at one end. From 

 Penicuik to Leith docks the special rate (for ton lots, not'less) is 

 $1.08 per ton, exclusive of cartage; from Linlithgow, $1.24. 



The dock rates at Leith on paper and materials are as follows: 

 Paper, 16 cents per ton; esparto, 12 cents; leather boards, 36 cents; 

 maps and charts, 30 cents; wood pulp, 16 cents; rags, 16 cents. 

 These rates are per ton and are the same inward and outward. 



It seems almost needless to refer to the telegraphic and postal 

 facilities in the British islands and between the British islands and 

 other parts of the world. They are known to be remarkably com- 

 plete. As a matter of some interest, I append to this report a table 

 showing the average number of days in transit of letters from Edin- 

 burgh, via the various ports of the United Kingdom, to all the 

 countries in the world; also, a schedule of the regular sailings of 

 steamships, for passengers and goods, from Leith to London and to 

 the near-by continental ports. 



