HOLLAND. 



ROTTERDAM. 



REPORT BY CONSUL ELLIS. 



I can not give the Department any information of valne from tins 

 district, there being only one carpet work here, that of W. Stevens, at 

 Kralingen, a town adjoining the city of Rotterdam, where Persian car- 

 pets are made rugs and whole carpets by hand looms, at a high 

 price about $5.50 a square meter. This work is done by women and 

 girls. 



Cocoa matting (rugs and carpets), by power looms, is also manufact- 

 ured by men and boys. 



This information was acquired by me, personally, upon a casual visit 

 to these works. Beyond what I have stated I can give the Department 

 no further information. I had hoped to learn all about these works upon 

 the occasion of the visit of the American Workingmen's Expedition, 

 but all access to the works were denied to them upon my application, 

 and in a very curt way. the proprietor stating that he did not want to 

 have anything to do with our people ; that he had learned sometime 

 since of some transactions of a carpet works at Delft, now closed, 

 whose workmen are now employed by him, which influenced him to 

 wish not to deal with us ; and he added that he could not see why he 

 should give any information to our workingmen, since the duty on car- 

 pets was so high in the United States that he could not send his pro- 

 ductions there for sale. 



I can leain nothing more, there being no official or trade publication 

 to help me. However, there is nothing of real value to the carpet man- 

 ufacturers of the United States to be stated about these works. The 

 product is small, and for local sale only, the Fags and carpets being 

 made to order for wealthy people, and cocoa matting to supply the re- 

 tailers in the ordinary stores of Holland. The general carpets in use 

 and sold here are brought here from England, trance, and Belgium, 

 the duty being 5 per cent. I have found the prices charged for these 

 carpets much higher in Rotterdam than in London. 



i do not see any reason why good carpets of American manufacture 

 should not be sold here. Indeed, there is a good market in Holland 

 for American goods, generally, and a very friendly feeling here towards 

 our people. 



HOWARD ELLIS, 



Consul. 



UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



Rotterdam, October 14, 1889. 



