BELGIUM AND FRANCE. 275 



hand was a special feature of the Tournai factory, which produces an 

 article justly renowned for its durability, beauty, and fine workman- 

 ship. At present this factory employs machinery, and manufactures 

 only such carpets as are specially ordered. 



Owing to the above-mentioned causes and low rate of duty, 10 per 

 cent, ad valorem, on carpets coming into Belgium, this last existing 

 factory is about to suspend operations. 



I may add that carpets were never manufactured at Brussels, but in 

 former years beautiful tapestry used for wall decoration was made here. 

 This industry, however, no longer exists, the disappearance of which is 

 also attributed to the English, who adopted the designs and imitated 

 them in carpets which they introduced to the trade as " Brussels tapes- 

 try carpets;" hence the origin of the name, Brussels carpets. 



The so-called Brussels carpets, manufactured in England, are placed 

 upon this market at a much lower rate than the same article can be 

 produced in Belgium; consequently England supplies this market, and 

 Belgium dealers exporting carpets furnish foreign markets with En 

 glish goods. 



GEORGE W. KOOSEVELT, 



Consul. 



UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



Brussels, October 31, 1889. 



FRANCE. 



REPORT BY CONSUL-GENERAL RATHBONE, OF PARIS. 

 EXPLANATORY. 



I have the honor to transmit herewith a report on " French carpets, 77 

 as per instructions received from you. 



I regret to state that it is not better provided with figures and tables 

 and statistics generally, but I have been utterly unable to obtain same. 

 Manufacturers seem to be suspicious, and will not give the figures or 

 particulars. My predecessor, Consul-General Walker, in 1882 sent out 

 forty letters requesting information and got no replies, and I have sent 

 twelve and received two. I also directed a letter to the ministry of 

 commerce, the answer to which I inclose, which states that no statis- 

 tics have been made on the subject. 



The number of establishments devoted exclusively to the manufacture 

 of carpets in France is not so large as the flourishing state of the car- 

 pet trade would lead one to suppose. The Government establishments 

 of Les Gobelins and at Beauvais, by producing a quantity of carpets 

 of the very best quality in their own peculiar style, hamper private 

 enterprise. Moreover, in a country like France, where the manufacture 



