332 PAPER IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



Wood could be supplied almost at the cost of cutting it. There 

 is the Douglas fir, which is claimed to be excellently adapted to pulp 

 making, and at points up the coast and in the interior are found 

 spruce, the aspen poplar, and other trees suitable for that purpose. 

 I do not know of any other vegetable fiber or grass adapted to paper 

 making. 



There are no facilities for manufacturing paper machinery here, 

 anql none is made. There is a company known as the British Co- 

 lumbia Iron Works, which manufactures some machinery ; possibly, 

 it might make paper machinery should there be a sufficient demand 

 for it. 



BANKS, POSTAL FACILITIES, ETC. 



The banking facilities are excellent. There are nine chartered 

 banks in this city, and another will shortly be established. These 

 banks have correspondents in all the principal cities of the United 

 States. 



There is a daily mail from the east, and also from the south. The 

 telegraphic facilities are excellent. The Western Union Telegraph 

 Company has an office here, and also the Canadian Pacific Tele- 

 graph Company. 



I understand that a small quantity of fine quality of paper is 

 imported from Japan. Aside from this, I think there are no impor- 

 tations except from the United States and eastern Canada. 



I think there is an opening fora United States concern to establish 

 a pulp and paper mill, and also a wholesale paper house, if the op- 

 portunity is seized before the ground is occupied by some Canadian 

 concern. Our dealers, if they desire to build up their export trade 

 to this Province, should canvass the district more thoroughly than 



they have done heretofore. 



L. EDWIN DUDLEY, 



VANCOUVER, January, 1899. Consul. 



Extracts from letter from Mr. J. C. Me Lagan. 



The population of British Columbia in 1891, according to the census of that 

 year, was 140,000. The proportion of illiterates would number about 30,000 to 

 40,000, these being composed of Indians, Siwashes (half-breeds), Chinese, and Japa- 

 nese. On Alberni Sound, a small paper mill was in operation for some time, turning 

 out straw and coarse wrapping paper for butchers, fishmongers, and grocers; but 

 no manila paper was manufactured there. There is a large consumption of paper 

 in this Province. The fisheries and fruit-packing establishments, as well as gen- 

 eral merchandise stores, require wrapping paper. The consumption for news 

 paper, I should judge, would run about 250 tons. The weights vary according to 

 the quality used. The prices range from 3^ cents f. o. b. here up to 5 and 7 cents. 



