WINDOW-GLASS MANUFACTURE IN GERMANY. The Chamber of Commerce at Saarbrücken has just published a report on the business done by the Verein Rheinischer Tafelglashütten (Union of Rheinisch Window-Glass Manufacturers) in 1902, some data of which will be interesting to our manufacturers of window glass, as it shows the present situation of the German market in this class of goods. The production of the six factories which form the union amounted in 1900, 1901, and 1902 to 28,333,598, 27, 189,702, and 26,488,026 square feet, respectively. Thus the production shows a steady decrease, and the decrease in the quantities sold is larger still. Of the total sales in 1902 only 1,262,696 square feet went abroad, against 4,448,528 square feet in 1901. During the latter part of 1902 the decreased demand was more pronounced and the prices, owing to a strong competition on the part of the Saxon, Bavarian, and Silesian works, had to be reduced from month to month. The result was that the inland prices which had already been reduced considerably in 1901 underwent in 1902 a further reduction of nearly 30 per cent. The export trade in 1902 yielded unsatisfactory results; there was a limited demand at prices which were barely sufficient to pay the costs of manufacture, which were kept up by the abnormally high prices of fuel. The prospects for 1903 are by no means favorable; the demand during the first months remained very small, and as there is nothing in view which would justify the hope of an improvement in the near future, it is not unlikely that further reductions in the production. will become necessary. Manufacturers are still in hopes that the reduction of freight rates to Switzerland and to Antwerp, which has been petitioned for during the last few years, may be finally granted. This would help them to compete on about even terms with the Belgian manufacturers of window glass. COBURG, GERMANY, August 8, 1903. OLIVER J. D. HUGHES, Consul-General. BOHEMIAN LACE INDUSTRY. The making of lace in Bohemia has increased to such an extent that it may now be considered one of the industries of the country. It is principally made by hand by the peasants during the winter time, when they have nothing else to do, in the neighborhood of Erzgebirge, Sumawa (Böhmerwald), Strazow, and Weissensulz, near Bischofsteinitz and near Vamberk, and Kostelec (Orlici). As soon as the peasants can return to work in the fields this work stops, as they are paid but the trifling sum of 40 to 50 kreutzers (18 to 20 cents) per day for lace making, whereas they realize double this amount for work in the fields. This lace is cheap and very beautiful, and I am informed it is taking the place in the English market, whither most of it is exported, of the more expensive lace now in vogue there. Lace is also made by machinery at Barringen, Neudek, and Teplitz. The various kinds of this lace are known as Idrian Duchesse, Point a la Aiguille, Point de Venise, etc. Believing there might be a demand for these goods in the United States, I have secured a large and valuable collection of samples of the different varieties, which, with prices attached, I forward to the Department. The following is a full list of makers and manufacturers of this lace in Bohemia: Krajkarska skola, N. J. P., Strazov. Jindr. Fr. Melnicky, Vamberg. W. Schmidl & Söhne, Weipert, Erzge- Carl Günther, Gottesgab, Erzgebirge. Eduard Schönfelder, Gottesgab, Erzgebirge. Johann Wähner, Gottesgab, Erzgebirge. Kurz & Zeidler, Graslitz, Erzgebirge. J. A. Baumann, Neudek, bei Carlsbad. PRAGUE, AUSTRIA, July 22, 1903. M. Faber & Co., Neudek, bei Carlsbad. Maschinen Spitzenfabrik bad. Gebrüder Löw, Langgrün, bei Schlack enwert. Deutsche Spitzenfabrik Aktiengesell- Josef Heinrich Bürger, Warnsdorf. ETHELBERT WATTS, Consul. LACE TRADE OF NOTTINGHAM. Much complaint is heard, on the lace market, of the summer trade. Manufacturers say that the orders placed are not sufficient to keep their machines going steadily, and they are not disposed to make goods simply to increase possibly unsalable stocks. Many calls for new patterns are reported, but the willingness to speculate on novelties is not so pronounced. The exports to the United States have fallen off greatly since April, in comparison with the same period of 1902, though at the present moment there are signs of a revival. As to different varieties of laces, valenciennes and torchons are doing well, and insertions and galloons sell steadily; cottonembroidery trimmings are languid; cheap edgings and crochet laces are in average request; the silk branches are, as usual, seriously depressed and offer no encouragement to the production of novelties; caps, aprons, collars, ruffles, and streamers move in good quantities, but not sufficiently to keep all the workers busy; in lace curtains, the strong competition affects trade and is a matter of serious concern for the future, particularly in the direction of the United States, whither the exports of curtain machinery from this district are steadily increasing; mosquito netting and similar articles continue in good request; while in furniture laces the competition is so strong that orders are sometimes taken without profit in order to keep machines employed. FRANK W. MAHIN, NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND, July 13, 1903. Consul. FRENCH AND BELGIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY. French industrial papers are discussing the Belgian automobile trade as shown by recent statistics, and the Auto accords that little country the second place in that great new industry, which it says Belgium has wrested from Germany by a very close margin. In making a comparison of Belgium's exports and imports during the years 1901 and 1902, the Auto says that in 1901 out of a total of 85 complete automobiles imported into Belgium 65 were from France; in 1902 out of a total of 125, 104 were French. complete figures are as follows: Automobiles imported into Belgium. The It will be seen from the above that England is Belgium's best foreign market for automobiles, just as she is for France. NANTES, FRANCE, August 6, 1903. BENJ. H. RIDGELY, Consul. FAILURE OF THE COCOON CROP OF PIEDMONT. The Province of Piedmont in northwestern Italy is noted as the most productive cocoon section of the Kingdom. Last year my attention was attracted by the enormous quantities of cocoons that were brought to this market, the peasants, with their huge, overflowing baskets and sacks, occupying several squares of the magnificent Victor Emmanuel avenue. This year, to my surprise, the assemblage of peasants, their cocoon crops, and purchasing merchants present a sorry gathering. I have visited the market several times, mingled with and conversed with producers and buyers, and learned these facts: Late frosts and prolonged cold weather kept the mulberry trees almost leafless, thus leaving the peasants without sufficient food for the growing worms. The mulberry leaves are the natural food of the silkworm, and the crop of foliage being so notably a failure at a critical time, other means to keep the worms alive had to be resorted to, but with disastrous results. The consequence is that the cocoon crop for the year is about 4,500,000 pounds, or one-third the amount of last year's crop. This is the estimate given me by several leading cocoon purchasers of Turin. As is always the case, when an important article of consumption is scarce, the price goes up; hence the price of cocoons is about one-fourth more than it was at this time last year-two points of importance for Americans interested in the silk industry. TURIN, ITALY, July 10, 1903. PIETRO CUNEO, Consul. SILK CULTURE IN MANCHURIA. There is exported from this port and from the Yalu River and other ports in Manchuria considerable quantities of raw white, yellow, and wild silk and some silk cloth, pongees, and cocoons. It is not possible to give even an approximate estimate of the amount, because that from all the ports excepting Niuchwang is carried by the native junks and through the native customs, of which we have no records. Exports, however, amount to millions of taels per annum. Large quantities of cocoons go to Chefoo and Shanghai and are there made into yarns and cloth. Some of these cocoons and skin silk are sent from Shanghai to France and are made into a special ribbon embroidery for the Chinese trade and returned to China. The silk district extends from Kyao-chau on the coast over the mountains into the interior at the headwaters of the Yalu River. The autumn cocoons are carefully kept by the natives over winter and the silkworm is hatched in April. These are taken into the hills where a scrubby white oak is grown and are put upon these trees to feed. About July another cocoon is formed and the worm from this finds an abundance of food in the full foliage. The last cocoons are therefore the most valuable. The process is much more crude than that used in the finer kinds of silk production, and the oak shrub does not produce as tender a food as the carefully trained and cultivated mulberry. At 3 The oak is planted upon the hillsides and mountains, where the ground is too rough and steep and poor for food cultivation. years old the tree furnishes food for the worms. The process of removing the silk from the cocoon, as well as that of making the cloth, is all by hand and the labor involved is enormous. |