FRANCE  :  MARSEILLE.

37

state  the  length  of  time  goods  remain  in  bond  as  a  rule,  but  it  may
be  said  approximately  that  goods  remain  in  the  store  one  or  two
months,  and  in  some  instances  longer.
The  warehouse  is  built  very  close  to  the  quay,  and  the  delivery  of
merchandise  to  the  storekeeper  or  its  removal  for  reshipment  can  be
effected  rapidly  and  at  a  small  expense.  The  stores  are  furnished
with  railway  tracks,  which  facilitate  the  loading  of  the  merchandise,
thus  guaranteeing  the  best  possible  conditions  for  handling.  The
handling  of  merchandise  in  cases  or  sacks  costs  from  12  to  14  cents  a
ton—12  cents  a  ton  when  the  merchandise  is  removed  from  the  warehouse ­
  on  railway  trucks.
The  workmen  employed  in  warehouses  are  previously  accepted  bv
the  customs  service.  Merchandise  destined  for  storage  is  received
at  the  door  of  the  warehouse.  It  is  then  weighed,  marked,  and  stowed
under  the  control  and  direction  of  the  administration.  The  administration ­
  is  not  responsible  for  risk  by  fire.  Every  owner  of  merchandise ­
  should  have  it  insured  at  his  expense,  and  furnish  proof  of  the
insurance  within  twenty-four  hours  of  the  deposit.  The  owners  alone,
or  their  legal  representatives,  have  the  right  to  examine,  inspect,  or
take  samples  of  goods.  When  the  preservation  of  the  merchandise  demands ­
  immediate  and  unexpected  attention,  the  administration  may
do  what  is  necessary,  notifying  the  owner.  The  administration  also
has  the  right  to  oblige  the  removal  of  merchandise  partly  or  totally
spoiled.  It  is  responsible  for  the  safety  of  the  merchandise  except
from  such  decay  or  changes  in  the  material  itself  as  would  naturally
occur.  Goods  in  had  condition  are  not  received  except  on  a  written
recognition  of  their  state  given  by  the  proprietor.  Nothing  can  be
admitted  and  remain  in  the  warehouse  without  a  written  authorization. ­
  Within  the  warehouse  it  is  forbidden  to  smoke  or  expose  combustible ­
  or  inflammable  materials,  or  even  to  enter  with  a  fire  or  a
light.  The  workmen  on  leaving  the  warehouse  are  always  liable  to  a
personal  examination.
George  H.  Jackson,  Consul.
La  Rochelle,  France,  August  1901^.

MARSEILLE.
(From  United  States  Consul  Skinner,  Marseille,  France.)
There  are  numerous  warehouses  in  Marseille  where  merchandise  on
the  free  list  may  be  stored  upon  reasonable  terms,  and  their  receipts
are  negotiable  instruments  issued  under  conditions  described  in  a
previous  report.®  Merchandise  imported  in  bond  comes  under  two
categories.  A  few  classes  of  such  merchandise  are  regularly  entered
for  consumption  and  duty  is  paid  thereon.  Upon  the  reexportation
of  a  quantity  of  merchandise  of  the  same  character,  either  in  a  raw
or  a  manufactured  state,  the  duty  paid  on  it  is  refunded.  In  the  great
majority  of  cases  merchandise  intended  for  reexportation  is  stored
Under  the  control  of  the  custom-house  authorities  during  its  sojourn
“See  Special  Consular  Reports,  volume  xxv,  Stored  goods  as  collateral  for
Gans,  page  35.