GEKMANY. 



285 



GERA. 



REPORT BY CONSULAR AGENT NEUER. 



I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Department's 

 circular letter of June 10, ultimo, requesting consular officers in the in- 

 terest of the carpet manufacturers of our country, to secure statistics 

 concerning that industry in the leading countries of Europe. In com- 

 pliance with this request I have done my best in order to obtain the 

 desired information, but I am compelled to state that my endeavors 

 in gathering reliable data on the subject in question were attended 

 with great difficulties, the manufacturers refusing to divulge what they 

 call their business secrets. In view of these obstacles many details 

 were obtained from outside parties, and by circuitous routes, and in 

 presenting the following accurate facts, I hope that they may prove of 

 interest to the carpet manufacturers of the United States. 



LIST OF FACTORIES. 



In conformity with the interrogatories contained in the Department' s 

 circular, I begin in giving a list of the factories employed in the pro- 

 duction of carpets, together with the proper business address of each, 

 as well as the number of operatives and hand and power looms in each 

 establishment. 



Carpet factories in the district of the consular agency at Gera. 



As will be seen from the foregoing table, carpet factories of the pro- 

 portions of those existing in the United States are unknown in this 

 district. Moreover it will be noted that in Germany it takes compara- 

 tively the largest number of operatives to run looms, while in the 

 United States the greatest possible result is derived from the most lim- 

 ited number of operatives. 



CONDITION OF THE INDUSTRY. 



The condition of the industry under review is according toarecently 

 published report of this city's chamber of commerce considered a satis- 



