The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-24 00:00:00

THE FRENCH PAPER TRADE.

A PROPOSAL to raise a new tax on paper in France,
which was abandoned after causing much alarm and
excitement among the classes interested in the manu-
facture, has elicited some valuable information
regarding the extent and condition of the various
branches of industry concerned in the fabric of "pa
peterie " in its different shapes. The Dibat publishes
the following article on the subject:—

In 1852 the paper manufacturers declared, in a memoir
addressed to the legislative body, that the quantity made
in France was forty-five millions of kilogrammes, of which
thirty millions were white, and fifteen of other kinds. M.
Didot thinks that the production has since increased fifteen
or sixteen per cent., and that the quantity may now be cal-
culated at fifty-two millions of kilogrammes. We may re-
mark, en passant, that in 1854 the quantity of paper which
came under the inspection of the Englii-h excise was
80,587,(X)0 kilos., out of which quantity 7,299,000 kilos. were
exported, and 73;488,000 kilos. consumed in the country.
Taking into account the difference of the population, Eng-
land, therefore, manufactures twice as much paper as
France. It is well known that the daily press consumes
an enormous quantity in that classic land of political and
industrial liberty. Out of the above fifty-two millions,
Paris, the national centre of literary works, absorbs, or
rather employs, for its own consumption and for exporta-
tion, about twenty-five millions of kilogrammes—namely,
writing-paper five and a half millions, printing-paper nine
and one-sixth, packing-paper three, card-paper and other
sorts four and five-sixths, and paper-hangings two and a
half millions. It is impossible to state precisely the value
of the production, but it certainly is very considerable. The
official statistics of M. Moreau de Jonnes (1850) only es-
timate it at 38,841,000 f., and the number of workmen at
16,620. This calculation, however, only relates to those
employed directly on the raw material. In order to judge
of the importance of the paper manufactory, it is necessary
to look at the numerous other branches of business con-
nected with and dependent on it., such as typography, en-
graving, lithography, bookselling, bookbinding, and more
particularly that of paper-hangings, which is a branch of
business that, thanks to our national taste, has obtained
for us unrivalled success abroad. M. Jean Zuber, one of
our most important producers, estimated in 1847 the value
given by all these branches at nearly one hundred millions
of francs, and giving rise to an export trade of twenty-five
millions; and we consider this calculation to be rather
under than over the truth. The export of paper alone in
1853 was 12,313,317 f., one-third of which was in paper-
hangings. At Paris the only branch of the paper trade of
any importance is fancy papers, and those of the supe-
rior kind. According to a statement made to the Cham-
ber of Commerce, there are in the capital 105 establish-
ments, occupying 849 workmen, and producing a value of
8,060,006 fr. Paris, as we have above stated, absorbs, or
rather receives, 25 millions of kilogrammes. This is a large
quantity, but out of this the Parisian consumption takes
scarcely one-third, and even in that third must be com-
prised what is used at the Imperial Printing-office, 1,780,000
kilos., and at the Ministries and the Stamp-office 750,000
kilos. Paris re-exports 17,700,000 kilos., namely,
15,592,000 kilos. to the departments, and 2,108,000 kilos.
abroad, so that if the paper thus sent away again, either
before or after it has been worked on in Paris, were ad-
mitted to the benefit of the drawback, the duty would
scarcely be applied to more than 4.800,000 kilos. This
would afford but a very small revenue ; and if, on the other
hand, the duty affected paper under all forms and destina-
tions, it would meet with serious difficulties in its applica-
tion, in addition to being in contradiction with the principles
which have traditionally regulated the manufacture of
paper in this country.

Letters from Erzetuum, of the 20th of February,
mention the state of the roads as very bad, from
heavy snow and subsequent thaws.