100
• would effect by lessening "the quantity of fibre." These reasons appear to us to be conclusive against the supposed practice and, after closely examining the book papers which have been sent to Hong Kong for some years, we cannot detect the difference in thickness, which is the only complaint made of this class of paper. The
quality has, we believe, been fully maintained.
5. The complaint as to the envelopes is that the gum sticks, although this may be due to some extent to insufficient precautions in keeping a stock which requires special care in a damp climate, we have reason to think that it is mainly caused by the great increase which has recently taken place in the price