ASIA.

BRITISH  INDIA.
CALCUTTA.
(From  United  States  Consul-General  Patterson,  Calcutta,  British  India.)
Under  the  sea-customs  law  there  are  two  classes  of  warehouses
for  bonded  goods—public  warehouses  appointed  by  the  government
and  licensed  warehouses  in  which  goods  belonging  to  the  lincensee
are  ordinarily  stored.  There  are  also  the  warehouses  of  the  Bengal
Bonded  Warehouse  Association,  in  which  goods  belonging  to  the
public  may  be  stored,  and  warehouses  at  Budge  Budge,  20  miles
down  the  river,  for  the  storage  of  petroleum.  In  Calcutta  there
are  public  warehouses  only  for  salt,  at  Sulkea,  on  the  Howrah
side  of  the  river,  owned  by  the  government,  and  at  the  Kidderpore
docks,  leased  on  behalf  of  the  government.  The  rest  of  the  warehouses, ­
  including  those  owned  by  the  Bengal  Bonded  Warehouse
Association,  are  licensed.  I  inclose  lists  *  of  the  public  and  licensed
warehouses,  kindly  furnished  me  bv  the  collector  of  customs,  but
regret  that  I  am  unable  to  give  the  original  cost  of  these  warehouses.
There  are  no  accounts  of  receipts  and  expenditures  available.
The  government  charges  connected  with  bonding  operations  in  Bengal ­
  bonded  warehouses  are  1  rupee  (32.44  cents)  for  each  entry  into
and  the  same  for  each  clearance  out  of  bond.  With  petroleum
there  is  an  additional  fee  of  2.4  rupees  (64.06  cents)  for  supervision, ­
  and  alffo  the  charges  for  measuring  the  oil  cases.  None  of
these  fees  are  paid  in  other  licensed  warehouses,  but  the  licensees
pay  for  the  services  of  bond  officers  and  bonded  peons  (or  guards).
Bond  officers  are  paid  at  the  rate  of  4  rupees  ($1.29)  a  day  when
employed  to  supervise  bonding  operations,  and  the  peons  are  paid
12  annas  (24  cents)  a  day  to  accompany  goods  in  transit  from  warehouse ­
  to  warehouse.  I  inclose  the  scale  of  charges,  or  table  of  rents,
last  issued  by  the  Bengal  Bonded  Warehouse  Association.  There
are  no  charges  of  a  similar  nature  in  the  other  licensed  warehouses.
All  classes  of  goods  may  be  stored  in  licensed  warehouses,  but  the
petroleum  and  salt  warehouses  are  used  exclusively  for  storing
petroleum  and  salt,  respectively.  American  firms  use  only  the  petroleum ­
  warehouses.  All  nationalities  are  treated  alike.  Goods
may  remain  in  bond  for  three  years,  or  longer  if  the  time  is  extended.
There  are  quays  or  jetties  for  landing  and  shipment  of  goods.  If
goods  are  to  be  warehoused  in  bond,  the  transfer  from  ship  to  warehouse ­
  is  made  at  the  owner’s  expense  under  the  supervision  of  customs ­
  officers.
Licensed  warehouses  are  supervised  by  an  officer  of  customs.
Goods  in  a  licensed  warehouse  are  in  the  custody  of  the  bonder.  No

“On  file  in  the  Bureau  of  Statistics,  Department  of  Commerce  ami  Labor.
,  169