FRANCE:  HAVRE.

29

accordance  with  the  law  of  August  10,  1888.  Besides  these  certain
private  warehouses  are  occasionally  allowed  to  receive  goods  in  bond,
for  this  they  must  have  openings  with  wire  works  and  lie  managed  as
directed  by  the  custom-house  authorities.
The  service  is  exclusively  attended  to  by  the  administration  of  the
warehouses,  who  receive  and  deliver  the  goods  at  the  store’s  gates.
The  charge  for  storage  varies  considerably,  but  in  general  it  may  be
f-’iiid  that  for  ordinary  goods  the  rate  runs  about  1  franc  ($0,193)  per
1,000  kilos  (2,204.6  pounds)  per  month.  For  handling  cargoes  on
entry  or  removal  charges  are  based  on  the  size  and  weight  of  packages,
hor  large  packages  the  rate  is  about  1  franc  per  metric  ton;  smaller
packages  pay  a  higher  rate.
The  classes  of  goods  chiefly  stored  in  the  Entrepôt  Réel  are  heavy
mineral  oil;  coffee,  imported  sugar,  ship’s  stores  and  provisions,  prohibited ­
  goods  (tobacco,  etc.),  and  agricultural  machinery.  Mineral  oil,
oranges,  and  figs  are  often  placed  in  private  warehouses  (entrepôts
fictifs).  Americans  make  use  of  these  warehouses  principally  for
agricultural  machinery  and  grease.  All  nationalities  are  treated
exactly  alike  by  the  administrators  of  the  warehouses.  The  maximum ­
  time  during  which  the  goods  can  remain  in  storage  without  payln
 g  duty  is  two  years;  commonly  they  do  not  remain  more  than  six
months.
Goods  are  taken  from  the  import  vessel  and  carted  direct  to  the
Warehouses  and  stores  under  the  escort  of  a  customs  officer.  The  cost
yf  cartage  is  75  centimes  (14.5  cents)  per  ton.  The  cost  of  discharging ­
  varies  according  to  the  nature  of  the  cargo.
Continual  supervision  is  exercised  by  customs  officials  over  the
Entrepôt  Réel,  in  which  are  lodged  a  contrôleur  des  douanes  and  a
stores  guard.  As  stated,  the  "  entrepôt  fictif  ”  must  be  specially  mana
 gcd,  and  the  customs  officers  have  keys  of  these  stores.
Benj.  Morel,
United  States  Consular  Agent.
Dunkirk,  France r July  JO,  lOOJf.

HAVRE.
(From  United  States  Consul  Thackara,  Havre,  Frunce.)
BUILDING  AND  MANAGEMENT.
Bonded  warehouses  in  the  principal  ports  of  France  were  created
•Y  law,  but  the  privilege  of  establishing  warehouses  for  the  storage  of
merchandise  in  transit  or  in  bond  may  be  conceded  to  any  city  in  the
interior  or  on  the  frontier  by  ministerial  decree  upon  the  request  of
;  le  municipal  authorities,  who  must  obligate  themselves  to  furnish
‘he  capital  for  the  construction  of  the  necessary  buildings  and  for  the
Payment  of  salaries  of  employees  and  other  expenses.  A  city  to
"hicli  a  concession  for  establishing  a  bonded  warehouse  has  been
granted  may  either  use  the  concession  itself  or  if  may  in  turn  cede  the
privilege  to  a  company  formed  for  the  purpose.  The  latter  is  the  case
111  Havre.  The  concession  was  granted  to  the  city  of  Havre  on  June