54 
WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 
wines, and cereals. Whether Americans make use of these ware 
houses can not be stated. All nationalities are treated alike. Goods 
are not allowed to remain in bond for more than five years. 
I inclose herewith a pamphlet containing the rules and regulations 
with reference to bonded warehouses of the German Empire, and also 
forms for the various applications. 0 
Richard Guenther, 
C onsul- General. 
Frankfort, Germany, July 15, WO1+. 
HAMBURG. 
(From United States Consul-General Pitcairn, Hamburg, Germany.) 
Bonded warehouses in Hamburg should be divided into two classes, 
those within the free harbor, and those in the city proper, within 
the German Customs Union. 
the free port and the warehouse company. 
The majority of the warehouses in the free harbor are owned and 
conducted by the Hamburger Freihafen-Lagerhaus-Gesellsehaft 
(Hamburg Free Harbor Warehouse Company), which was organ 
ized in 1855 for the purpose of erecting (under the supervision of the 
Hamburg government) and conducting warehouses within the free 
port district. On October 15, 1888, Hamburg and its surroundings 
were formally annexed to the German Customs Union, with the 
exception of an area of about 2,500 acres of land and water, which 
was reserved for the free harbor. 
The free port district embraces the North Elbe at Hamburg, the 
harbors and quays there, together with a part of the adjoining 
streets and blocks of houses, and the islands in the River Elbe 
opposite the city, including the island of Steinwarder. Inside 
this free harbor district, which is guarded along the borders by cus 
toms officers, the movement of vessels and merchandise is exempt 
from every customs control, and the unlimited construction of indus 
trial establishments is permitted. Buildings belonging to the free 
port are not allowed to be used for retail trade or for dwellings, with 
the exception of those necessary for warehouse keepers and for port, 
customs, and police officers. 
The building ground, in area 321,000 square feet, prepared for 
building and encircled by quay walls by the city, wins leased by the 
finance department of Hamburg to the Ereihafcn-Lagerhaus- 
Gesellschaft for the period of its existence. The capital stock of 
the company was fixed at 9,000,000 marks ($2,142,000), divided into 
9,000 shares of 1,000 marks ($238) each. The storage and manipula 
tion of goods and the letting of whole floors were made subject to a 
tariff approved by the Senate. The company has the right, and ma.V 
be obliged by the Senate, to issue transferable warrants for the goods 
stored with it, according to regulations approved by the Senate. For 
a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor.