346 TAPER IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



cities of Central and South America, where purchasers could see what 

 we make, and where the details of the business could be explained. 

 If such a warehouse were located in this capital and well stocked 

 w r ith paper by firms who could afford to sacrifice some time and 

 money in establishing their goods in this country, there certainly 

 would be at least fair results after a year o*- two. 



BANKING AND COMMUNICATIONS. 



Banking facilities are inadequate, and particularly to the disad- 

 vantage of the United States. Exchange on London or Hamburg is 

 always from ten to fifteen points lower than on New York or San 

 Francisco, and it has frequently happened that merchants could not 

 buy American exchange at any price. This is probably due to the 

 fact that coffee, the one article of considerable export from Guate- 

 mala, is mainly sent to London and Hamburg. 



T.his city is connected with the United States by cable, and the 

 mail arrives once a week via New Orleans and Puerto Barrios. 



Transportation is an important and expensive item to be con- 

 sidered. This capital is connected with the seaboard by but one 

 railroad the Central, running to San Jose de Guatemala on the 

 Pacific so that all shipments must be made to that port. The Pa- 

 cific Mail steamers leave San Francisco on the 8th, i8th, and 28th 

 of each month and reach San Jose from twelve to fifteen days later. 

 The rate for all kinds of paper by this route is $10 gold per ton of 

 2,000 pounds of 40 cubic feet. 



The Panama Railroad steamers leave New York three times a 

 month for Colon. The goods are transshipped over the Isthmus 

 Railroad, connecting at Panama with the Pacific Mail steamers for 

 San Jose. This trip consumes about five weeks. The rate by this 

 route is i^ cents per pound gross weight. At San Jose, the Agen- 

 da Maritima Nacional (lighterage company) charges 50 cents sil- 

 ver (21 cents) with exchange fluctuating from 180 to 225 per cent 

 premium for gold per 100 pounds. The Compania del Muelle 

 (wharf company) charges 50 cents silver (21 cents) per 100 pounds. 

 The freight on the Central Railroad from San Jose to this city, a 

 distance of 75 miles, is $1.25 silver (52^ cents) per 100 pounds. 



A. M. BEAUPRE, 



GUATEMALA, January 23, 1899. Consul-General . 



SUPPLEMENTARY. 



In my report of January 23, 1899, I stated that the Government 

 printing office consumed a large quantity of paper, which was fur- 

 nished by merchants of this city under contract. The bulk of the 

 paper used is machine-finished white book, 28 by 42 inches, 50 



