FRANCE!  PARTS.

25

both  The  warrant  and  the  receipt  to  the  buyer,  who  ran  then  himself
arrange  as  to  leaving  the  goods  or  taking  them  from  the  warehouse.
The  holder  of  a  warrant  who  has  lent  money  on  deposited  goods
can  sell  the  goods  after  eight  days’  protest—i.  e.,  if  the  loan  is  not
repaid  at  the  time  stipulated,  the  goods  can  be  disposed  of  by  the
lender  as  if  they  were  his  own.  The  company  is  responsible  for  all
irregularities,  and  therefore  assures  itself  that  goods  deposited  are  in
the  condition  stated  in  the  documents.  Any  merchant  holding  a  bill
properly  made  out  can  call  at  the  offices  of  the  company  and  give
instructions  for  the  delivery  or  acceptance  of  goods.  He  may  discount ­
  the  value  up  to  70  or  80  per  cent,  or  he  may  have  them  delivered ­
  to  a  third  party  and  discount  his  invoice.
STORAGE  OF  GOODS.
Americans  do  not  make  much  use  of  these  warehouses,  and  the  little
use  they  do  make  of  them  is  principally  for  agricultural  machinery.
No  distinctions  are  made  as  to  nationality;  indeed,  one  of  the  provisions ­
  of  the  concession  to  the  company  is  that  no  exception  or  favor  is
to  be  shown  to  anyone.
Goods  remain  in  the  warehouses  for  any  period  from  ten  days  to
two  years,  but  the  company  calculates  that  on  an  average  the  warehouses ­
  are  full  for  six  months  in  the  year.  Sugar  is  often  deposited
for  ten  days  because  of  the  special  facilities  accorded,  thus  enabling
a  merchant  to  realize  immediately  on  his  stock.
The  goods  generally  stored  in  the  warehouses  in  Paris  are  sugar,
coffee,  grain,  coal,  wood,  stone,  wine  and  spirits,  chemicals,  hardware,
dry  goods,  oils,  raw  goods.  In  1908  as  many  as  4,500,000  sacks  (of
100  kilograms  [220.40  pounds  |  each)  of  sugar  were  stored  with  the
company  in  Paris  at  one  time,  and  over  1,000,000  sacks  in  the  warehouses ­
  of  the  same  company  in  the  provinces.  About  9,000,000  sacks
°f  sugar  alone  passed  through  the  company’s  hands  in  the  course  of
the  year.
CHARGES.

The  tariff  varies  according  to  the  kind  of  goods.  Thus  sugar  (raw)
pays  hut  1  franc  ($0,193)  per  month  per  1,000  kilograms  (2,204.0
pounds),  with  1.50  francs  (29  cents)  per  1,000  kilograms  for  cost  of
handling  when  goods  are  received  and  sent  out.  Tobacco  pays  2  francs
per  1,000  kilograms  per  month,  with  3  francs  (57.9  cents)  per  1,000
kilograms  for  handling.  Machines,  packed,  pay  2  francs  per  1.000  kilograms ­
  per  month,  with  75  centimes  (  14.5  cents)  per  hour  for  the  time
occupied  in  handling.  Coffee  pays  1  franc  only,  with  2  francs  for
handling.  Crain  pays  10  centimes  (2  cents)  per  sack  of  100  kilograms
(220.40  pounds)  per  month  ;  handling,  weighing,  etc.,  according  to
special  tariff  supplied  by  the  company.  Vanilla,  being  a  valuable
commodity,  pays  10  francs  ($1.93)  per  1,000  kilograms  per  month,
with  4  francs  (0.772)  for  handling.
HANDLING  OF  GOODS.
I  he  cost  of  removal  of  goods  is  fixed  in  the  tariff  of  the  company.
1  lie  work  is  undertaken  by  the  company  itself  wiJi  its  own  wagons,
barges,  and  locomotives.