Bibliothek des Instituts für Weltwirtschaft an der Universität Kiel Signatur R 14954 ‘ DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR BUREAU OF STATISTICS WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES FOR STORAGE OF MERCHANDISE IN TRANSIT OR IN BOND SPECIAL CONSULAR REPORTS VÜL. XXXV & *r *Tes WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1905 PUBLICATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF STATISTICS, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR. The publications of the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, are as follows: Gnou? l.—Foreign Commerce of the United States: Annual Report on the Commerce and Navigation of the United States. Annual Statistical Abstract of the United States. Monthly Advance Sheets from the Summary of Commerce and Finance. Monthly Summary of Commerce and Finance of the United States. Monthly Bulletin of Exports of Domestic Breadstuffs, Provisions, Cotton, and Miner/ Oils. Monthly Imports and Exports of the United States (total values, single sheet). Group II.—Consular Reports: Commercial Relations, being the annual reports of consular officers on the commerce, indi tries, navigation, etc., of their districts. Review of World’s Commerce, being a summary of the annual reports contained in Commek cial Relations. Monthly Consular Reports, containing miscellaneous reports from diplomatic and consul officers. Daily Consular Reports, issued daily, except Sundays and legal holidays, for the convenience of the press, commercial and industrial organizations, manufacturers, etc. Exports Declared for the United States, issued annually, containing the classification and declared values of exports from the various consular districts to the United States. (Commencing ­ with the issue of December, 1903, to be published in the Monthly Summary of Commerce and Finance.) Special Consular Reports, containing series of reports from consular officers on particular subjects, made in pursuance to instructions from the Department. The above consular reports were until July, 1903, issued by the Bureau of Foreign Commerce of the State Department; since that date they have been issued by the Bureau of Statistics of the Department ­ of Commerce and Labor, with which the Bureau of Foreign Commerce of the State Department has been consolidated. For details of these publications, the subjects of which the special reports treat, and the reports remaining for distribution, address “Chief, Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, Washington, D. C.” The publication of the reports on special subjects, in separate form, was begun in 1890. Those of the following titles are now available for distribution: Vol. 2 (1890 and 1891).—European Emigration; Olive Culture in the Alpes Maritimes; Beet-Sugar Industry; Flax Cultivation in Foreign Countries. Vol. 6 (1891 and 1892).—Coal and Coal Consumption in Spanish America. Vol. 10 (189/,).—Extension of Markets for American Flour. (New edition, 1897.) Vol. 11 (1894).—American Lumber in Foreign Markets. (New edition, 1897.) Vol. 14 (1898).—The Drug Trade in Foreign Countries. Vol. 15 (1898).—Part I. Soap Trade in Foreign Countries; Screws, Nuts, and Bolts in Foreign Countries; ­ Argols in Europe; Rabbits and Rabbit Furs in Europe; Cultivation of Ramie in Foreign Countries. Vol. 17 (1899).—Disposal of Sewage and Garbage in Foreign Countries; Foreign Trade in Coal Tar and By-Products. Vol. 18 (1900).—Merchant Marine of Foreign Countries. Vol. 20 (1900).—Part I. Book Cloth in Foreign Countries; Market for Ready-Made Clothing in Latin America; Foreign Imports of American Tobacco; Cigar and Cigarette Industry in Latin America. Part II. School Gardens in Europe. Part III. The Stave Trade in Foreign Countries. Vol. 21 (1900).—Part I. Foreign Markets for American Coal. Part II. Vehicle Industry in Europe. Vol. 22 (1900 and 1901) .—Parti. Acetic Acid in Foreign Countries. Part II. Mineral-Water Industry. Vol. 25 (1901).—Parti. Gas and Oil Engines in Foreign Countries. Part II. Silver and Plated Ware in Foreign Countries. . Vol. 24 (1902).—Creameries in Foreign Countries. Vol. 25 (1902).—Stored Goods as Collateral for Loans. Vol. 26 (1905).—Briquettes as Fuel in Foreign Countries. Vol. 27 ( 1903).—Markets for Agricultural Implements and Vehicles in Foreign Countries. Vol. 28 (1904).—Commercial Travelers in Foreign Countries. Vol. 29 (1904).—Macaroni Wheat in Foreign Markets. Vol. SO (1904).—Emigration to the United States. Vol. 51 (190!,).—Windmills in Foreign Countries. Vol. 52 ( 1904).—Foreign Markets for American Fruits. Vol. 35 (1905).—Industrial Education and Industrial Conditions in Germany. Vol. 5!, (1905).—Marketing Goods in Foreign Countries. Of the Monthly Consular Reports, many numbers are exhausted or so reduced that the Department ­ is unable to accede to requests for copies. Of the publications of the Bureau available for distribution, ­ copies are mailed to applicants without charge. In view of the scarcity of certain numbers the Department will be grateful for the return of any copies of the monthly or special reports which recipients do not care to retain. Upon notification of willingness to return such copies, franking labels to be used in lieu of postage in the United States, the Philippine Islands, Hawaii, and Porto Rico will be forwarded. Persons receiving Consular Reports regularly, who change their addresses, should give the old as well as the new address innotifying the Bureau of the fact. In order to prevent confusion with other Department bureaus, all communications relating to Consular Reports should be carefully addressed, "Chief, Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce ­ and Labor, Washington, D. C.” DEPARTMENT OE COMMERCE AND LABOR BUREAU OF STATISTICS WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES FOR STORAGE OF MERCHANDISE IN TRANSIT OR IN BOND SPECIAL CONSULAR REPORTS Vol. XXXV p £ g COMM Eff s a bibliq M *r 4T ES WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1905 % 3 % Bibliothek % ¿*K\& Department of Commerce and Lahor Document No. 34 BUREAU of statistics 3 CONTENTS Introduction Europe. Austria-Hungary: Vienna Trieste Belgium: Antwerp Brussels . Ghent Denmark: Copenhagen France: Paris Bordeaux . Calais Dunkirk Havre La Rochelle Marseille Nantes Nice Rouen Germany: Berlin Dresden Frankfort ... Hamburg Bremen Breslau. Cologne Freiburg Magdeburg * Mainz A Stettin Greece Italy: Rome Castellamare di Stabia Catania Genoa Leghorn Messina Milan Malta Montenegro Netherlands: Rotterdam. Amsterdam Portugal: Lisbon Azores Page. Russia: St. Petersburg 94 Odessa 95 Spain: Barcelona 95 Sweden and Norway: Christiania. Norway 96 Gottenborg, Sweden 98 Switzerland: Geneva 99 Turkey in Europe: Constantinople 100 United Kingdom: England— London 101 Bristol 103 Hull 106 Liverpool. 107 Manchester 112 N e wcastle-on-Tyne 113 Nottingham 114 Plymouth 115 Southampton 115 Scotland— Dundee 116 Dunfermline .. 117 Glasgow 118 Leith 119 Wales— Cardiff and Newport 121 North America. Dominion of Canada 124 British Columbia— Vancouver 130 Victoria 130 New Bruns wick— St. John 131 Nova Scotia— Halifax 132 Ontario— London 133 Orillia... . 133 Toronto 134 Prince Edward Island— Charlottetown 135 Quebec— Montreal 135 Gaspé 136 Quebec 137 Three Rivers 137 Page. 5 10 15 17 18 20 23 26 27 28 29 36 37 41 42 44 46 52 52 54 59 61 62 62 63 64 65 I 68 69 70 70 71 76 78 79 80 81 81 88 92 93 4 CONTENTS. Cage. Newfoundland: St.Johns. _ 138 Mexico: Mexico City 138 Vera Cruz 146 Central America: British Honduras— Belize 156 Costa Rica— San José 156 Guatemala— Guatemala City 157 Nicaragua-Managua 158 West Indies: Cuba— Habana 158 Bahamas __ 159 Barbados : 159 Bermuda. . 160 Curaçao 161 Jamaica 161 South America. Brazil: Bahia 163 Santos 164 British Guiana 165 Ecuador 166 Paraguay : 167 Peru 167 Asia. British India: Calcutta 169 Bombay 170 Ceylon 173 China: Amoy 174 Fuchau 175 Page. Japan: Yokohama 175 Kobe 176 Nagasaki 180 Formosa 181 Java 182 Persia 184 Turkey in Asia: Smyrna. 185 Trebizond 185 Africa. Algeria: Algiers 187 British South Africa: Cape Town 188 Egypt 189 Madagascar: Tamatave 190 Portuguese East Africa: Lourenço Marquez 192 Sierra Leone 194 Zanzibar 195 Oceania. Australia: Melbourne, Victoria. 196 Brisbane,(Queensland ..1 199 Newcastle, N e w South W ales. 200 Townsville, Queensland 201 Hobart, Tasmania 202 New Zealand: Auckland. 203 Samoa 204 Society Islands 205 No warehouses 206 C WAREHOUSES FOR STORAGE OF MERCHANDISE IN TRANSIT OR IN BOND. INTRODUCTION. At the instance of the Commercial Museum at Manila, P. L, the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, on May 11, 1901, requested that a call be made upon the consular officers of the United States stationed at the more important ports for information concerning warehouses at those places tor the storage, at a nominal rental, of merchandise in transit or in bond, and from which goods may be withdrawn for shipment ­ elesewhere without paying the customs dues. The Department of State therefore, under date of May 19, 1904, instructed certain consular officers of the United States to prepare reports covering the fololwing points: 1. Dimensions and original cost of warehouses, approximately. 2. By whom are the warehouses owned and conducted ? 3. Detailed account of service; (a) from the patron’s point of view ; (&) services rendered by the administration of the warehouses. 4. Scale of charges for storage (as full as convenient). 5. Receipts and expenditures on account of service. 0. What classes of goods, chiefly, are stored ? T. To what extent do Americans make use of these warehouses? 8. If convenient, give some idea as to the length of time goods remain in bond, as a rule. 9. Are all nationalities treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses? If not, what distinctions are made? 10. Give an account of the facilities for and the cost of the removal of the goods from boat to warehouse, and vice versa. 11. Give, as accurately as possible, the care and supervision exercised ­ over the warehouses by customs officials. These reports are included in the following volume. EUROPE. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. VIENNA. (From United States Consul-General Rublee, Vienna, Austria.) BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT. The three principal warehouses in Vienna are the Lagerhaus der Stadt Wein and the warehouses of Erste Oesterreichisehe Aktiengesellschaft, ­ and the Allgemeine Oesterreichische Transportgesellschaft. The dimensions and original cost of these are as follows: The Lagerhaus der Stadt Wien consists of two warehouses, one of which has 38,833 square meters (46,444 square yards) ground area, 157,051 square meters (187,832 square yards) surface space, and a weight capacity of 35,100 tons. The original cost can not be exactly given, as the buildings were furnished by the municipality of Vienna and were erected for the exposition of 1873. The cost for additional buildings since has been $357,770. The warehouse of the Erste Oesterreichische Aktiengesellschaft consists of two warehouses, one of which has 14,000 square meters (16,744 square yards) ground area, 27,000 square meters (32,292 square yards) surface space, and a weight capacity of 20,000 tons; the other, 6.000 square meters (7,176 square yards) ground area, 14,000 square meters ( 16,774 square yards) surface space, and a weight capacity of 11,500 tons. The original cost was $800,000. The warehouse of the Allgemeine Oesterreichische Transportgesellschaft ­ consists of one building covering a ground area of 800 square meters (957 square yards). The cost of erection was $69,000. There are a number of small warehouses conducted by express agents and companies, which are so insignificant as not to come into consideration. The Lagerhaus der Stadt Wien is owned and conducted bv the municipality; the Erste Oesterreichische Aktiengesellschaft and the Allgemeine Transportgesellschaft are stock companies. No detailed data are obtainable as to the receipts and expenditures on account of service. The average yearly receipts and expenditures of the warehouses mentioned above are: Lagerhaus der Stadt Wien, receipts $148,332, expenditures $135,611; Erste Oesterreichische Aktiengesellschaft, receipts $88.440; expenditures $76,330; Allgemeine ­ Oesterreichische Transportgesellschaft, receipts $14,000, expenditures $12,400. 7 8 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. SERVICES. The rights and duties of the patrons are as follows: Orders must be given in writing or by telegraph and must be clearly stated. The sum for which the goods stored are to be insured against fire must be determined. The goods to be stored must be accompanied by properly executed documents (invoices, customdiouse and taxation papers) and the written order for storage. Patrons are given receipts for the stored goods, or else can have warrants made out thereon. If goods in storage are in danger of spoiling, or their value no longer suffices to cover the expense of storage incurred, notice for removal may be given at any time, and if the goods are not taken away before the expiration of the period fixed they are sold and the costs of storage defrayed from the proceeds. Persons proving their identity as owners of the goods, or as the authorized attorneys of such owners, have the right to inspect their wares and to take samples of them. Goods are delivered upon written order of the owner and upon payment of all warehouse, customs, ­ and taxation fees that may be due thereon. Claims by the warehouse management against the storers of goods must be settled by the latter immediately upon demand. For its claims on the goods stored the warehouse holds the first lien, and this has the precedence over all other claims in case of bankruptcy also. Knowledge of business transactions of the warehouse management with its patrons is strictly kept from third persons. Services rendered by the warehouse to its patrons are as follows: Clearing of the wares arriving by railway or steamship and storing of the same. Possible advance of the freight dues when the goods to be stored or the person storing them offer sufficient guaranty. Placing the insurance of the stored goods against damage by fire. Local deliveries, shipments in all directions, inland and foreign. Collections ­ and payments. Paying customs duties and taxes on the goods stored. Examination and shipment of samples, manipulation of the goods, packing, repacking, etc. Delivery of wares to third persons, etc. CHARGES. The charges range from 1 crown (20.3 cents) to G crowns ($1.218) for 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds) per week, according to the character ­ of the goods stored, bed feathers, brushes, basketware, corks, fancy goods, and wall paper paying the highest rates. Goods stored in the open without cover are rated at 4 crown (10.2 cents) per 100 kilos per week. If at least 10,000 kilos (22,046 pounds) of certain articles are stored, special rates are allowed. These rates are computed per 100 kilos (220.46 pounds) per week and are as follows : At 1 crown (20.3 cents)—cotton in pressed bales, dried figs, rice, starch, and sugar in lots of at least 5,000 kilograms (11,023 pounds) ; at 1£ crowns (30.5 cents)—honey; at 2 crowns (40.6 cents)—colonial goods, fats, gall nuts, oils, prunes, and yarns; at 2£ crowns (50.8 cents) — tropical fruits, and wool in pressed bales; at 3 crowns (60.9 cents) — wool in impressed bales. Alcohol in iron tanks is charged 36 crowns ($7.308) per 100 hectoliters ­ (2,641.7 gallons) for the first month and 16 crowns ($3.248) for each following month. A month is counted at thirty days, and a aüstrîa-huNgarÿ: Vienna. 9 month begun is charged as a full month. For storage of goods under 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) in weight, the highest rate of 6 crowns or $1.28 per week is charged, without regard to kind. In all cases the week begun is rated as full. Rent for special rooms per annum ranges per room from $40 to $100. The fee for placing insurance on $40 value and less of the insured goods amounts to 2 cents per month. For $40 transportation insurance by railway within the monarchy the fee likewise amounts to 2 cents. Handling charges are as follows, per 220.40 pounds: For unloading from railway car, f cent ; for storing away packed goods, excepting voluminous packages, 14 cents; for storing away unpacked goods, 2 cents; for taking out of storage, excepting voluminous packages, 1^ cents; for taking unpacked goods out of storage, 2 cents; for weighing, ­ f cent. These rates are charged in full for lots under 220.40 pounds in weight. The rates for storing away and taking out of storage voluminous packages, such as furniture, machines, tools, etc., are computed according to amount of time and labor required. For packing parcels, from 7 to 14 cents, according to size, is charged. For hooping of a barrel, 10 cents. For other manipulation of goods, 10 cents per man per hour, 40 cents per man per half day, or 80 cents per man for a whole day. For piece goods per 220.46 pounds, the expressage fees, including work of loading, are 4 cents; for carloads, per car, including loading, $1.40. For custom-house declaration of dutiable goods the charge per carload ­ is 40 cents. For attending to custom-house regulations on colonial ­ goods the charges are: For from 10 to 100 kilos (1 kilo = 2.2046 pounds), 4 crown (10.2 cents) ; for from 100 to 600 kilos, 00 heller (18.27 cents) ; for over 600 kilos, 12 heiler (2.436 cents) per 100 kilos. For manufactured goods in general the charges are: Under 100 kilos, 1 crown (20.3 cents) ; 100 to 250 kilos, 1.6 crowns (32.48 cents) ; 250 to 500 kilos, 2 crowns (40.6 cents) ; over 500 kilograms, at the rate of \ crown (10.15 cents) per 100 kilos. For fancy goods, per 100 kilos, is charged 1.6 crowns (32.5 cents), and for cotton and woolen goods the rate is 20 heller (4.06 cents). Storage rent and fees for refrigerating must be paid in advance unconditionally. For storage by the year payment must be made a half year in advance; by the half or quarter year, a quarter in advance. ­ The price, with a maximum strain of 1,760 to 2,200 pounds on the square meter (1.106 square yards), ranges, for a space of from 25 to 300 square meters, from $13 to $16 annually, $8 to $10 semiannually, ­ $5 to $7 per quarter year; for space up to 1Ò0 square meters, from 80 cents to $1.10 per week, and for space of 25 square meters, from 16 to 20 cents per day. In weight the price per week for 220 pounds is from 30 to 36 cents. For storing away and taking out of storage, including weighing of goods, 4 cents for 220 pounds. STORAGE AND HANDLING OF GOODS. The classes of goods stored chiefly are: Cereals, champagne, coffee, colonial goods, cotton, dextrine, fats, flour, grain products, honey, leather, manufactured goods, mother-of-pearl, oils, rice, skins, spirits, starch, sugar, wines, wool, and yarns. In the refrigerators are stored beer, bulbs, butter, caviare, eggs, figs, fish, flowers, fruit, game, meat, milk, plants, and vegetables. As a rule wares may remain in bond so 10 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. long as their quality remains good enough to make their value suffice for the warehouse dues and customs fees. Until recently American firms made but little direct use of Austrian ­ warehouses ; but since about a year the warehouses of the Erste Oesterreichisehe Aktiengesellschaft have been patronized regularly by several American manufacturers of leather. All nationalities are treated exactly alike. Vienna not being a seaport, there are no facilities for the removal of goods from boat to warehouse. CUSTOMS SUPERVISION. A customs office is established at the expense of the administrators in the warehouse itself, and the supervision is exercised by one upper and four ordinary imperial customs officials and the properly organized ­ military guardians for dutiable goods. This enables convenient and prompt discharge of the work in connection with the customhouse. ­ W. A. IluiiLEE, Consul-General. Vienna, Austria, October 31,1901^. TRIESTE. (From United States Consul Hossfeld, Trieste, Austria.) HISTORY OF WAREHOUSES. The first Austrian law, or rather ministerial decree, authorizing the erection and regulating the administration of public warehouses appeared in 1866. Its object was “ To secure to commerce every possible ­ facility contemplated by the general tariff law, to aid the free circulation of merchandise, and to improve commercial credit.” The first public warehouses within the free-port territory, or free zone, of the port of Trieste were erected in 1887. They were the property ­ of a chartered company and were for a time managed jointly by the chamber of commerce and the city. Although the business of the new institution was upon the whole carefully and economically conducted, ­ it resulted every year in a considerable deficit, and in 1894 the Government was prevailed upon to purchase the warehouses and to manage them on its own account. They are still far from being selfsupporting, and their annual deficit must be met by governmental appropriations. DIMENSIONS AND ORIGINAL COST OF WAREHOUSES. The area (in square yards) of the free port, its warehouses, and appurtenances, etc., is as follows: Entire free zone, 499,124; basins, 233,959; quays, 101,897; warehouses, 67,254; loading sheds (hangars), 58,927; available for new warehouses, 192,420; available for new loading sheds, 55,030. The total length of quays is 3,895 yards. The total original cost of the warehouses is 27,600,000 crowns ($5,602,800), of which sum 3,900,000 crowns ($791,700) and 640,000 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY : TRIESTE. 11 crowns ($129,920) represent, respectively, expenditures for hydraulic and for electric appliances. SERVICE. The warehouses serve as depositories of foreign merchandise subject ­ to duty but not yet entered, until such goods are entered, transported ­ under bond to another customs district, or reexported ; also for the storage of merchandise subject to an octroi, or city tax, until such tax has been paid or the goods have been shipped out of the city. Parties depositing merchandise are entitled to a receipt, or certificate ­ of deposit. This receipt consists of two separable parts, (1) a certificate of ownership, and (2) a pawn certificate (here commonly called a warrant). This receipt, as well as either part of it. is negotiable. ­ Each part must contain (1) the date of issue, and the name and location of the warehouse; (2) the signature of the manager or responsible agent; (3) the serial number of the deposit book; (I) the name and address of the depositor; (5) a full description of the goods deposited; (6) the amount for which these goods are or will be insured, ­ and the name of the insuring company; (7) the period of deposit, if already determined; (8) a statement as to whether the goods are subject to customs duty, excise, or octroi tax. The warehouse is obliged to permit the inspection of goods and to allow samples to be taken at any time by parties holding either part of the certificate. Goods on which a receipt has been issued can not be attached or taken for security, but the negotiable receipt, if still in the hands of the debtor, may be attached instead. The warrant of a receipt so attached is then no longer negotiable. When a receipt or an essential part thereof is lost, it becomes the duty of the warehouse, upon request of the loser, to give public notice of such loss and to declare the certificate canceled. Loans may be taken on the whole receipt or certificate or on either one of its parts. The custom in Trieste is to take loans on the whole receipt, the warrant being seldom, if ever, assigned separately. When both parts of the receipt are assigned together, the indorsement of the certificate of ownership is efficacious for the whole receipt. When money lent on the whole receipt is not returned the day it falls due, the lender must give formal notice thereof to the owner of the goods, and if payment is then not made within thirty days the lender may take possession of the goods. The holder of both parts of a receipt, proving himself to be the legal owner, may demand a new receipt in his name and may then dispose of the goods as he chooses. When a loan is taken on the warrant apart from the certificate of ownership, the indorsement of the warrant must contain (1) the name and domicile of the indorsee; (2) the amount loaned and the rate of interest; (3) the date on which the loan falls due. These data must also be entered on the deposit book which the warehouse is by law required to keep. A defective first indorsement makes the loan null and void. The above formalities need, however, not be observed on subsequent indorsements, but such indorsements must be recorded in the warehouse deposit book if indorsees desire it. If the loan on the warrant is not paid the day it falls due, it must be protested like a note of exchange, and if payment is then not made 12 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. in due time the holder of the warrant may have the goods sold ; but the right of recourse is lost if they are not sold within thirty days after the warrant has been protested. The assignment of the certificate of ownership to the holder of the warrant is in effect a legal transfer of the goods. If the certificate of ownership is assigned without the warrant, the assignee’s title becomes the same as was that of the assignor, and the rights of the warrant holder are in no wise affected by the transaction. Whenever the owner presents the entire certificate of deposit or its two parts, and pays all storage dues and expenses, the goods must be delivered to him. They must also be delivered to him, even though the warrant is not in his hands, if he deposits with the warehouse ­ a sum sufficient to cover the amount of the loan and the interest up to the time the loan falls due. This may be done at any time before the period of deposit or that of loan has expired. If the warrant is paid in full, it must be surrendered; but if it is paid only in part, then the amount paid is simply indorsed on the warrant. In such a case the warrant holder has recourse and may protest against all parties liable for any loss or damage sustained by him. The warehouse has a lien on all goods in its custody for storage charges and expenses incurred, as well as a right to sell such goods whenever the stipulated term of deposit has expired, or after one year if they are deposited for an indefinite period, or at any time when the goods are in danger of perishing. The proceeds of such sales must be applied to the payment of claims in the following order: (1) Custom and excise duties; (2) expenses of sale; (3) warehouse dues and expenses; (4) claim of the warrant holder. Any balance left must be paid to the owner. STORAGE CHARGES. For the purpose of fixing storage charges the warehouse administration ­ has formed six classes of merchandise. The rates per quintal (220.4G pounds) per week range from cents for class 1 through one, four-fifths, three-fifths, and two-fifths of a cent for classes 2, 3, 4, and 5 to one-tenth of a cent for class 6. The classes are as follows: Class 1.—Arms; books and prints; clothes and hats; cochineal; ethereal oils; feathers and down; hardware; instruments, scientific and musical; ivory and tortoise shell; leeches; medicinal barks and lemon peel; medicines, prepared; opium; peltry; Peruvian bark; playing cards: rubber goods; silk goods ; silkworm (eggs of) ; silver; sponges; watches; whalebone; works of art. Class 2.—Alcohol and spirits; amber; basket work, material for; beverages, in boxes and baskets; biscuits; bristles, brooms, brushes, and similar articles; buckthorn berries; camel’s hair; cassia ; chemical products; cinnabar; cotton and cotton waste, not pressed; drugs and spices; glass; hay and straw, baled; hemp, flax, and oakum, not in bales; hides and skins, crude, salted, and not packed; hops; horsehair; ­ indigo; intestines; lampblack; laurel leaves; leather; licorice juice; liqueurs; machinery and parts thereof ; manna; manufactures of linen, wool, and cotton, not otherwise provided for; meerschaum ; mirrors ; pastry; porcelain ware; pottery; quicksilver; roots for medicines and perfumes; saddlery; saffron; senna leaves; silk co- AUSTRIA-HUNGARY: TRIESTE. 13 coons; silk, raw and waste; tableware; tea; tinware; vegetables; wax and candles ; wine, in cases and baskets ; wooden ware ; wool, not in bales. Class 3.—Almonds; aniseed; beer and wine, in barrels (also must and cider); cane, reed, straw ware, etc.; cane, Spanish; cheese; cacao; coffee; coffee, surrogates of; cream of tartar; currants; dyewood, cut or ground ; edibles; enamel ware; fennel; figs; fish, smoked or salted ; fruit; galls; honey ; horse-chestnuts; lard; laurel berries; lemon juice; matches; meat, smoked or salted ; medicinal seeds; metal pipes; nuts; pepper; pigment; plant fibers; pumice stone; raisins; rope; roots for dyeing; seeds not otherwise provided for; St. John’s bread; touchwood; varnish; yeast. Class 4.—Alum; antimony; arsenic; borax; candles, in boxes; cork; " crin d’Afrique;” dyewood, in blocks ; emery; gum arable ; hides and skins, dry, in bales; Japan earth, or catechu; lime; marble, in blocks, slabs, or flags; packing cloth; pitch; sea grass, in bales; seed, clover; soap; starch; stearin and paraffin; sugar, in barrels; sirup; scythes and sickles; vinegar, in barrels; valonia and myrobolan, not packed; white lead; white zinc; wood, extract of; wooden nails; yarn. Class 5.—Asphalt, crude; castings; cement; chains; china clay, or kaolin; coloring matter and earth colors; cooking oil; cotton, in bales; fat, tallow, butter, grease, cooking fat: glycerin, crude; garlic and onions; grain, in sacks; ground feed, packed ; hemp, flax, and oakum, in bales; horns, points of; iron, in bars or raw; iron and steel ware (also enameling tools), packed; jute, in bales; lead shot, galena, litharge; magnesite; meal; metal ware, ordinary; mineral waters; myrobolan, packed ; mother-of-pearl and shells ; nut wood, in blocks ; oil, for technical purposes; also coeoanut oil, palm oil, peanut oil, machine ­ oil, and oleine ; oil seeds, in sacks ; paper and pasteboard ; plate cuttings; plums; potatoes, packed; rags, in bales; rice, in sacks; roofing; ­ rosin; sacks, empty; saltpeter; sheet metal; soda, natron, and potash; sugar, in sacks; sulphur, packed and in blocks; sumac, ground; vitriol, copper, and iron; valonia, in sacks; wine lees; wire; wool, in bales. Class 6.—Coal; earth; iron; ore; raw products; stone; wood. RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES. The regulations of the ministry of commerce require the superintendent ­ and officials of the warehouses to observe absolute secrecy concerning all receipts and expenditures connected with the service. Only the minister of commerce is authorized to furnish or publish any data relating thereto. STORAGE OF GOODS. The following statement, issued by the administration of the public warehouses, gives the quantities (in quintals of 2*20.46 pounds) of the several classes of goods stored on.October 1, 1004. It is probably no! far from being a representative list of the classes and quantities of goods stored throughout the year: Coal, 72,668; grain, 44,820; oils, edible, 27,003; coffee, 10,873 ; sugar, 10,638; oil seeds, 10,511; figs, 6,600; hides and skins, 6,408; 14 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. wine, 6,170 ; rice, 4,825; fruit, dry, 3,524; rosin, 3,363; phosphates, 2,868; flour, 1,830; iron, 1,492; wood, 1,405; textile fabrics and yarn, 1,332; metals, 1,221; beans, 1,185; sulphate of copper, 3,121; nutgall, 908; oils, lubricating, 960; cotton, 843; spirits, 763; wool, 561; paper, 556; gums, 555; peas, 488; conserves, 466 ; drugs, 400: [allow and fats, 389; carobs, 383; cacao, 356; pigment, 286; nuts, 259; my robo! an, 220; chemical products, 205; pepper, 168; codfish, ­ 152; citrons, in salt, 114; sulphur, 92; coloring material, 89; cork, 84; almonds, 80; glass, 71; candles and stearin, 59; brass, 49; asphalt and bitumen, 36 ; tea, 23; all other articles, 1,601. While much merchandise of American origin is stored in the Trieste warehouses, it is done by the purchasers. It can, therefore, not be said that Americans make any direct use of these warehouses. All nationalities that make use of the warehouses are treated exactly ­ alike. During the last decade the average length of time goods remained in bond in the Trieste warehouses was nine weeks. HANDLING OF GOODS. The Government owns and manages not only all the warehouses, but all the piers, lading sheds (hangars), and other appurtenances of the port as well. The administration of the warehouses furnishes the necessary force of men for the loading and unloading of vessels, except the work on board ; it places and operates the cranes, advises the receivers, receives the merchandise from the cranes, assorts it according to marks and bills of lading, and loads it on wagons or railway ­ cars. On the other hand, the administration receives merchandise ­ from the railway company or other carrier, weighs it, and places it on board the vessel. It also attends to certain custom-house formalities. All goods after being taken from the ship are deposited in the hangars. They are exempt there from warehouse charges for from three to five days, and the receiver must either remove them or dispose of them otherwise within this period. If he fails to do so, the warehouse ­ authorities may remove the goods from the hangars to the public ­ warehouses or may sell them at public auction. Goods awaiting shipment enjoy free hangar storage for a period of eight days. The following is the tariff for various services connected with the loading and unloading of freight : For removing goods from vessel’s hold to hangar, wagons, or railway ­ cars, without landing them on the quay, 4 heller (0.8 cent) per quintal (220.46 pounds) ; when goods are weighed on board the ship, 5 heller (1 cent) per quintal. This includes the compensation of the workmen required to remove the goods from the crane to the hangar or the railway car, also the supplying of cars. For removing goods from the crane to the quay, assorting them according to bills of lading and marks, advising receiver, and placing ­ the goods on wagons or cars, 10 heller (2 cents) per quintal. A special rate, viz, 8 heller (1.6 cents) per quintal obtains for the following ­ articles: Colophony and ordinary rosin, potatoes in sacks, earth colors, brass, logwood in blocks, grain, rags in bales, hemp in bales, lumber and sttives, Japan earth, jute in bales, flour, metal in BELGIUM: ANTWERP. 15 pigs, plates, blocks, cane, metal plate, hoops, wool in bales, myrobolan, nuts in sacks, rice in sacks, saltpeter, sulphur in blocks and packed, soda, natron, sulphate of iron or copper, wine in barrels, anchors, chains, iron wheels, scrap iron, and cast iron. If goods, besides being removed from the crane to the quay, assorted ­ there according to bills of lading and marks, and then placed on wagons or cars, are also weighed, the total charge is 12 heller (2.4 cents) per quintal. Hydraulic cranes are used for transferring goods from ship to warehouse, and vice versa. The following is the tariff for the use of cranes of 15 quintals (3,307 pounds) capacity : Eighteen crowns ($3,654) for an entire day; 10 crowns ($2.03) for one-half day; 3 crowns ($0,609) per hour (daytime), and 5 crowns ($1,015) per hour (night). For cranes of 30 quintals (6,614 pounds) capacity the charge is 20 crowns ($4.06) for an entire day; 12 crowns ($2,436) for one-half day; 3.5 crowns ($0.7105.) per hour (daytime), and 6 crowns ($1,218) per hour (night). The charges for transferring goods from the wharf or hangars to the warehouses, or vice versa, are 6 heller (1.2 cents) per quintal. CUSTOMS RELATIONS. When requested, the administration of the warehouses pays all customs ­ and octroi duties, and charges for such service a commission of one-half of 1 per cent and interest at the rate of 5 per cent per annum on the amount advanced. As the warehouses are the property of the Government and are located within the Punto Franco, or free zone, the supervision exercised ­ over them by customs officials is only nominal. Fredk. W. Hossfeld, Consul. Trieste, Austria, October 14, 1904. BELGIUM. ANTWERP. (From United States Vice-Consul-Qeneral Haine, Antwerp, Ticlgium.) The bonded warehouses of Antwerp are known as the “ Entrepot Poyal,” and are situated in convenient proximity to the docks and quays and railroad terminus. On June 5, 1901, they were, with the exception of one wing, totally destroyed by fire, but by January, 1903, they were fully reconstructed and ready to receive merchandise. The reconstruction of the destroyed buildings was undertaken under contract ­ for the sum of $343,800, to which a supplementary amount of $45,000 was added for miscellaneous improvements. These warehouses ­ are the property of the city, but are under the control of the customs authorities. They cover an area of 39,000 square meters (46,644 square yards), and can contain 78,000 tons of merchandise. The Entrepôt Royal at Antwerp renders very valuable service to the trade at large, offering the greatest facilities to merchants and commission brokers as well as to foreign houses sending their goods on consignment, and the Belgian customs officials give every possible 16 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. facility to the patrons of the warehouses in the conduct of their transit business. The buildings are open daily, with the exception of Sundays and holidays, as follows: March 16 to October 31, from 7 a. m. to noon, and from 2 p. m. to 7 p. m. ; November 1 to February 15, from 7.30 a. m. to noon, and from 1 p. m. to 5 p. m. ; February 16 to March 15, from 7 a. m. to noon, and from 1.30 p. m. to 6 p. m. Patrons of the warehouses have their own laborers for handling the goods, under the surveillance of the custom-house officers. Lighting is charged to the trade at the rate of 2 cents per hour. The scale of charges for the storage of the various classes of goods will be found in the pamphlet annexed hereto, entitled “ Réglement Special pour l’Entrepôt Public d’Anvers.” 0 There are no records to show the receipts and expenditures relating ­ to the administration of, the Entrepôt Royal. The annual city report includes this in its miscellaneous receipts and gives no details. To secure them would require a special research on the part of both the city and the Government authorities. All classes of marketable goods are stored in the warehouses, save those belonging to the prohibited list in the pamphlet. Americans make the same use of the Entrepôt Royal as other nationalities for all manufactured products, food products, and the like. For grain and petroleum, as also for sugar and tobacco, there are special warehouses. All nationalities are treated alike. It is impossible to say definitely how long goods remain in the " entrepôt,” as this depends upon the condition of the market and the disposition of the consignee or the vendor. Furthermore, it must be borne in mind that goods likely to deteriorate or spoil, and by so doing to damage other goods in the warehouse, would be made the object of observations on the part of the officials, and in some cases ordered out of the warehouse. Merchants, by giving bonds, may have what are known as “ entrepôts ­ privés,” from which merchandise may be removed only by special authorization of the custom-house authorities and in the presence of an officer. There are also without the precincts of the Entrepôt Royal itself certain warehouses which may be leased as ‘ entrepôts fictifs,” but access to these may be had by engaging, at the rate of 4 francs ($0.77) per diem, a customs officer in whose presence all manipulation of the goods stored in them must be made. The merchant ­ is liable to the customs authorities for the exact weight of goods entered in these “ entrepôt fictifs,” and even if loss of weight is due only to evaporation (as in the case of tobacco) this must be clearly demonstrated to the authorities to prevent a fine on the missing weight of ten times the value of the duty thereon. Beet sugar, paying an excise duty, is stored in a special warehouse which is under the same customs régime as the Entrepôt Royal. For removing goods from the warehouses to the steamers and vice versa there is every facility possible. There are many corporations, known as " nations,” who do practically all the carting of this port at o This and a plan of the building and the report of the inspector-general are on tile in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, where they may be consulted by parties interested. Belgium: Brussels. 17 very moderate charges. It may be said that the average cost of cartage from the warehouse to any part of the docks or quays is 40 cents per ton of 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds). Stanislas H. Haine, V ice-Com ul-Geiieral. Antwerp, Belgium, July 15,1004. * BRUSSELS. « (From United States Consul Roosevelt, Brussels, Belgium.) The dimensions of the public warehouse of Brussels are 115 by 61 meters (377.2 by 200 feet). The building, which covers an area of 70 ares 15 cent a res (8,390 square yards), comprises an underground cellar constructed for storing wines and spirits and five additional stories, thoroughly appointed, for the reception and storage of all kinds of merchandise. The original cost is estimated at 2.000.000 francs ($386,000). The warehouse was built by the communal administration of Brussels, but. subsequently sold to the present owners, the Anonymous Society ?f Canal and Maritime Installation of Brussels. The establishment is conducted by the above-named company, assisted by a commission appointed by the Government, composed of members of the company and officials of the communal administration of Brussels and the customs ­ bureau. While goods remain in bond no duty charge is made, and none is collected if goods are reexported. Duty is payable when goods are taken out of bond and put upon the market for sale. By this arrangement ­ merchants are privileged to sell their goods for export free of entrance duty into Belgium and to pay duty upon goods only when taken out of bond to be sold upon the home market. In 1903 receipts amounted to 93,061.77 francs ($17,960.92) and ordinary expenses to 22,206.33 francs ($4,285.82). The classes of goods chiefly stored are wines, spirits, native and foreign sugar, tobacco, tissues, leather, dried fruits, conserved fruits, and groceries. No limit is placed upon goods in bond. Generally wines and liquors remain several years in the warehouse. The length of time, concerns other merchandise, varies according to circumstances. Sometimes goods are taken out a few days after entry and sometimes they remain in bond for several months. Usually they are taken out io the course of the year. a Accompanying the report of Consul Roosevelt, and filed In the Bureau of Statistics, where they may he consulted by parties interested, are five Inclosures. 1 hree of these contain the rules and regulations, including scale of charges for me Entrepôt Public de Bruxelles. Another shows the quantity of American W°ds in store at the warehouse January 1, 1904, and the other gives the scale °f charges for storage in United States money. Those charges vary, according jo the class of goods, from one half cent per 220.40 pounds per month for all hinds of metals to 19.3 cents for the same weight of silk and 77.2 cents for carriages. Alcoholic liquors are charged 1.9 cents per 20.42 gallons iu wood °r 2.3 cents per 100 bottles. 18762-05 M 2 18 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administration of the warehouse. Goods are transported to and from the warehouse by boats, which usually load and unload at the wharf opposite the principal entrance of the warehouse. By this method transportation expenses are greatly reduced, being but 5 to 6 francs ($0.96 to $1.15) per 100 bags of 100 kilos (220.46 pounds). Transportation by cart or wagon and unloading increases the cost 12 to 14 centimes ($0,023 to $0,027) per 100 kilos. Customs officers are stationed at the entrances and exits of the warehouse ­ for the purpose of certifying that goods taken out of bond conform ­ in every particular to the description contained in original bill accompanying the merchandise at time of entry. Independent of this verification goods are subject to a detailed verification before and after being taken out of bond, according to circumstances. Warehousemen strictly guard every floor and allow access to no unauthorized person. An annual verification is made of all merchandise ­ remaining in the warehouse. Geo. W. Roosevelt, Cons id. Brussels, Belgium, August 4, 1904' GHENT. (From United States Consul Mowrer, Ghent, Belgium.) BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT. The warehouses in Ghent are 210 feet long by 134 feet 6 inches wide, and cost approximately $125,450. They are the property of the city (article 35 of law of March 4, 1846). Wherever it is necessary the General Government may establish a warehouse. The common council furnishes the buildings decided to be necessary by the General Government. It is also charged to keep the warehouses in good condition ­ and make necessary repairs without delay. In case of delay the General Government can make the necessary repairs and pay for them out of the receipts of the warehouses. The warehouses are under the direction of a commission (commission ­ administrative de l’entrepôt) composed of three members of the common council, appointed by the King upon the recommendation of the minister of finance, who receives nine nominations from the governor ­ of the province. The directeur des contributions directes douanes et accises, at Ghent, and the receveur des douanes complete the commission. The term of office of the three members appointed by the King is three years; each year one member retires, but may be reappointed. The custody and superintendence of the warehouses are intrusted to the management of the customs. The bonded warehouse keeper specially authorizes (1) the admittance to the warehouse of persons not members of the administration; (2) the surveying of samples; (3) deviations from the regulations which particular circumstances require in the interest of importers. The warehouse keeper is responsible ­ for the placing, handling, and preservation of the merchandise BELGIUM : GHENT. 19 and the affixing and preservation of the labels. The employees of the customs service are attached to it to assist in carrying out the service by specially guarding each of the magazines of the warehouses. The keys to the warehouses and those of the magazines are in the custody of the warehouse keeper. He, when need arises, satisfies himself with the commission that the premises and buildings of the warehouse are kept in good condition, and guarantees the security and preservation required. lie makes all necessary repairs in good season. A workman is employed by the city to keep the premises clean. The receipts of the warehouses are turned over quarterly to the credit of the city by the warehouse keeper, 2 per cent being retained hy the Central Government for expenses of collection. The city has no expense except to keep the warehouses in good repair. The warehouses ­ are exempt from land and personal taxes. PAYMENT OF DUTY. The regulations require the payment of duty when the goods are taken out for use, but do not demand payment of duty when (he goods are in transit. The scale of charges for storage is as follows: Lumber, per square yard of surface occupied, $0.01; wood for furniture making, per 220.46 pounds, $0.01; coal, per 220.46 pounds, $0-01; spices, per 220.46 pounds, $0.04 ; flour and starch, per 220.46 pounds, $0,016; beans and peas, in cases, per 220.46 pounds, $0,016; beans and peas, in bulk, per 2 bushels, 3.35 pecks, $0,008; fruits, green, per 220.46 pounds, $0.03: fruits, dried, per 220.46 pounds, $0.02; grain and seeds, per 2 bushels, 3.35 pecks, $0,016; liquids, in barrels, per 26.5 gallons, $0.02; liquids, in bottles, per 26.5 gallons, $6-03; hops, in bulk, 220.46 pounds, $0.02 ; textile materials, mechanically ­ pressed, per 220.46 pounds, $0.02; textile materials, in bales, per 220.46 pounds, $0,024; cement, under cover, per 220.46 pounds, $0,006 ; ores and stones, under cover, per 220.46 pounds, $0.02 ; crude iron, etc., under cover, per 220.46 pounds, $0,006; machines, etc., under cover, per 220.46 pounds, $0.02. STORAGE OF GOODS. All foreign merchandise upon which duty is levied is received in fhe public warehouses, except things which are dangerous for other merchandise, as inflammable merchandise, and living animals, salt, otc. The warehouse keeper also receives any merchandise manufactured ­ in Belgium which is subject to the excise laws, such as sugar, distilled liquors, etc., upon which it is desired to defer the payment ­ of the excise taxes. At Ghent, the principal merchandise stored in the warehouses is tobacco in hogsheads, boxes, and bales; foreign sugar, dried fruits, and domestic sugar. Americans do not directly make use of the warehouses, but they ean use them, as the merchandise is a guaranty for the customs duties and warehouse dues. Belgian buyers of American tobacco store all the tobacco for which they have not immediate use. There m no distinction made as to the treatment of the different nationalities ­ by the administrators of the warehouses. While some kinds of merchandise may remain in the warehouses 20 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. only fifteen days, the time is generally without limit, varying from one to ten years, and sometimes longer. The administration is responsible for preserving the stored merchandise indefinitely. It can dispose of the merchandise only when the taxes due have not been paid quarterly. HANDLING OF GOODS. The public warehouses at Ghent are situated at the docks, easily accessible to vessels that come alongside, and also to the railroads. They are equipped for the unloading and storage of merchandise with three old-type hand winches, which are still used for packages of light weight, and three hydraulic winches. The hand winches are, without expense, at the disposition of the party depositing goods in the warehouse or taking them away. The rates for the use of the hydraulic winches are as follows: For lifting 1,100 pounds or hss, $0.05; for lifting 1,102 pounds to 1,650 pounds, $0.10; for lifting 1,652 pounds to 2,200 pounds, $0.15: for lifting 2,202 pounds to 3,500 ppunds, $0.20 ; with a maximum of $1.03 per wagon load. The merchandise is placed and stored as directed bv the warehouse keeper. That which is of the same kind, but subject to different duties, is, as much as the accommodations will permit, placed in different ­ warehouses. The warehouse keeper has a book in which he enters the receipt and delivery of the merchandise, also any changes that occur in the condition of the merchandise during the time it is stored. On receipt of merchandise lie affixes labels indicating the depositor, the kind of merchandise, country of production, place of export, manner of importation, ­ name of vessel and its captain, and nat ionality of the vessel. These labels are never changed so long as the merchandise remains all or in part in the same warehouse and under the same name. The packing of merchandise may be changed, but goods which are subject to different duties may not be mixed up, and marks and numbers on the old labels must appear on the new ones ; employees must report ­ this change of labels and packing, and verify the gross and net weight of the new packages. The accounts and records are modified ­ as the result of this report and the net weights serve as a basis for the final payment of dues. The packages must be opened and the merchandise unpacked to be sorted, classified, and examined. Frank li. Mowrer, Consul. Ghent, Belgium, August 8, 1904. DENMARK. COPENHAGEN. (From United States Consul Frazier, Copenhagen, Denmark.) BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT. Following are the approximate dimensions of the principal warehouses ­ and sheds in the Copenhagen free port. They are owned and conducted by the Copenhagen Free Port Company (Limited). The Denmark: Copenhagen. 21 insured value of these buildings, which is that indicated below in each case, represents, approximately, the original cost of construction. Warehouse 1 is a brick building with five stories and a cellar. The area of each floor is 21,200 square feet; total area, 127,200 square feet. Insured value, *212.202. Shed 1 is a brick building of two stories and cellar. Area of each floor, 21,200 square feet; total area, 03,600 square feet. Insured value, $123,002. An elevated platform is constructed along the front of both these warehouses on a level with the floor of the first story, and serves to connect the two. It has a total length of 1,800 feet, and is covered by rooting, thus affording storage space. Its area is 22,000 cquare feet. Insured value, $33,393. Langelinie shed is a brick building of one story and cellar. The area of each floor is 23,000 square feet; the total area 40,000 square feet, exclusive of platforms. ­ The roof of the shed is used as a promenade. Insured value, $110,014. The corrugated-plate shed is a one-story building, constructed of iron framework, ­ covered with corrugated plates. The area of the floor is 30,000 square feet, exclusive of platforms. Insured value, $39,932. Shed qq is a two-story building, partly of iron and concrete, with platform and balcony level with the first floor. Area of each floor, 19,000 square feet; total area, 38,000 square feet, exclusive of balcony and platforms. Insured value, $34,679. Shed A is a one-story brick building with platform. Area of floor, 14,000 square feet; insured value, $18,760. Shed II, one floor of 13,000 square feet area ; insured value, $22,512. Shed C, one-story frame building with brick gables and fireproof partition. Area of floor, exclusive of platforms, 40,'KK) square feet; insured value $41,540. Shed D, one-story frame building. Floor area, exclusive of platforms, 15,000 square feet; insured value, $15,330. Shed E, one-story frame building (sides of corrugated plate), with floor level with the ground. Area. 20,000 square feet; insured value, $6,003. Silo warehouse (elevator), brick building, containing 36 silos in three rows in the center and common, warehouse lofts on either side. The silos begin on the fli'st floor and extend upward through six stories. The ground floor, ou a level with the platforms, is used for delivering grain. Two railway tracks run through the building. The warehouse has a capacity of 11,690 tons of grain. Lhe building is supplied with two electric winches. Insured value (including Machinery for handling grain), $233,267. Shed II, temporary frame structure, with floor on ground level. Area, 35,000 aquare feet; insured value, $8,120. Shed III, similar to Shed II. Afea, 33,000 square feet; insured value, $9,139. Shod IV, similar to Shed II. Area, 30,000 square feet; insured value, $7,263. Shed it, temporary frame building with corrugated plate walls, and with floor level with the ground. Area, 13,000 square feet; insured value. $2,144. Siied ss, one-story frame structure with corrugated plate walls, brick gables a, 'd two fireproof walls. The floor is on level with the ground at the north and with the platform at the south. Floor area, 29.000 square feet ; insured value, *9,541. Lumber shed I, open, temporary frame structure. Floor space, 32,000 square fee t: insured value, $7,933. Lumber shed II. open, temporary frame structure with floor area of 20.000 square feet, furnished with a traveling crane for managing and warehousing heavy timber. Insured value. $8,951. Lumber shod III, open frame structure with floor area of 26,000 square feet, also furnished with a traveling crane for handling heavy timber; insured value, $5,896 Warehouse A, brick building with three fireproof compartments; four stories and cellars in the end wings and seven stories audi-ellars In the center building. Supplied with machinery for receiving and discharging grain and with eight electric winches. The total floor area is 74,000 square feet; insured value (including machinery), $113,330. Manufacturers’ building, brick structure with six stories, no cellar, supplied with six freight elevators and two passenger elevators and a heating plant, letal floor space, 89,000 square feet; insured value. $240,262. North Harbor warehouse, brick structure of two stories and no cellar. Total noor space, 3,500 square feet; insured value, $4,770. Warehouse B, silo warehouse, containing 48 silos, with a total capacity of 22 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 11,000 tons of grain. There are two passages for tracks under the silos; the ground floor is used exclusively for delivering. Insured value, $127,508. From patriotism and necessity the free port has always been managed ­ by men of thorough training, and the business public are eminenetly satisfied with the services rendered. During the past few years the trans-Atlantic trade has gradually been transferred to the free port until (and this condition has only been fully realized during ­ the past year) the entire distribution of this trade takes place in the free port. Shipping interests and merchants alike have found in the free port not only a protection but a positive impetus to Danish trade. It was constructed to meet the competition brought by the construction of the Kiel Canal. There is now a feeling of security where previously there was the constant fear that the importance of Copenhagen as a distributing center would be reduced to a minimum, owing to the existence of the Kiel Canal and to the great advantage which Hamburg enjoyed through its superior facilities and its larger interests. The free port has enabled Danish merchants to hold the trade of the Scandinavian countries and of the Russian ports on the Baltic which had been won through well-directed and patient effort, and which, without a free port, seemed in great danger of being lost. There are no available figures showing the receipts and expenditures ­ of the free port. SERVICES AND CHARGES. The services rendered consist of discharging and loading ships, warehousing goods and delivering them from warehouse, renting storage ­ rooms and spaces, renting offices, and furnishing electricity for light and power. Charges for storage are by the month of thirty days. Rates vary according to the article to be stored. 0 The rate for “ anchors,” for instance, is 2 ore (about one-half cent) per 100 pounds; for “dried apples,” 5 ore (about cents) per 100 pounds; for “bed feathers,” 11 ore (about 3 cents) per 100 pounds, etc. It is impossible to procure a general statement covering the cost of the removal of goods from boat to warehouse, and vice versa. Information along this line can be obtained in case of specific inquiry. STORAGE OF GOODS. The principal classes of goods stored are grain of all kinds, feed, coffee, lumber, sugar, lard, oil, farm machinery, tobacco, hardware, fruits, sirup. Great quantities of goods arrive in the free port from the United States, but it is only in exceptional cases that such goods are the property ­ of American firms. They are in most cases goods which have been purchased by Danish merchants, and lie in warehouse at the disposal ­ of such merchants. All nationalities are treated exactly alike. Most of the goods received at the free port are delivered in the course of eight days from the first discharging day of the ship. This is due to the fact that no warehouse rent is charged for the first eight °A detailed table showing the published storage rates and also the yearly rates for offices, sheds, etc., is on file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. FRANCE: PARIS. 23 days that the goods lie in warehouse. Other goods are delivered within a reasonable time. HANDLING OF GOODS. Tn addition to the mechanical appliances mentioned in the description ­ of buildings above, the free port has, for discharging grain, 3 electric ship elevators of 120, 150, and 200 tons capacity, respectively, per hour; 21 electric quay cranes, of which 7 have a lifting capacity of 3,307 pounds and 14 a lifting capacity of 5,512 pounds; 3 steam traveling cranes of 11,023 pounds lifting capacity, and 3 locomotives for switching railway trucks. A private company owns a 20-ton electric ­ crane, which is at the disposition of the public. There is a large coal-discharging plant, consisting of 6 Hunt’s coal-discharging towers, and a smaller plant with 2 others, being the property of a private company and of the municipality, respectively. CUSTOMS SUPERVISION. Customs officials have no supervision of the goods resting in the warehouses of the Copenhagen free port, and they only assume responsibility ­ at the boundary of the port, i. e., at the exits, where clearances ­ take place. It is to be understood, however, that arrangements may readily be made with the customs authorities whereby clearances may be made in the free port itself. Raymond R. Frazier, Consul. Copenhagen, Denmark, July 12,190b. FRANCE. PARIS. (From United States Consul General Gotcdy, Paris, France.) OWNERSHIP AND HISTORY OF WAREHOUSES. . The bonded and free warehouses of Paris are owned by a corporation ­ known as the Compagnie des Entrepôts et Magasins Généraux de Paris, with a capital of 30,000,000 francs ($5,790,000), the registered ­ office being at No. 11 Rue Croix des Petits Champs. These buildings permit merchants to buy considerable quantities of goods ^nd have them stored at a slight expense in the vast sheds in the interior of the city, or near the rail or canal depots, the goods being taken out as required. Moreover, a merchant is able to realize immediately ­ a loan on his goods up to about 60 per cent of the value, for certain banks will advance money on the receipts furnished by the said Compagnie des Entrepôts for the deposit of the goods. The working of the system dates from 1833, when the first bonded warehouses were established in Paris—one at the Marais and another on the Isle des Cygnes. Three years afterwards the two were united and transferred to La Vil let te, and the resulting establishment ­ still exists and is known as the Entrepôt de la Rotonde. By 24 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. royal decree of June 29, 1838, a warehouse was opened on the Quai Jem m apes for octroi purposes, and especially for salt. It is not generally known abroad that the octroi of Paris is a sort of city taxation ­ for the purpose of bringing in funds to the city itself, and that all edibles, alcohol, and building materials pay a slight tariff on entering the city. On August 7, 1843, a royal decree permitted a warehouse to be opened for sugar. On March 21, 1848, the Magasins , Généraux were instituted, and in 1800 these were all united, so far as Paris was concerned, into one company, as mentioned. In those cen- j ters not covered by the Compagnie des Entrepôts et Magasins Généraux ­ de Paris the chambers of commerce have themselves opened 1 similar buildings. BUILDINGS. The Paris company owns at present 28 warehouses (17 in Paris and 11 in the provinces), of which the principal in this city are: Entrepôts de la Rotonde, 204 Boulevard de la VIdette, a bonded warehouse, ¡ valued by the company at $380,000. Accepts all goods coining by canal into Paris direct into its care, and is under the supervision of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and the French custom-house and Paris octroi authorities. Salt, especially, is stored here. Pont de Flandre, 11 Rue de Cambria, Paris, a bonded warehouse occupying about 247 acres of ground and valued at $2,000,000. Specially suited for tbe reception of domestic sugars, liqueurs, and goods taxable by tbe Paris octroi, i This building, with its various annexes, can receive 2,000,000 sacks of sugar of 220.40 pounds each and 200,000 quintals of grain, flour, etc. (1 quintal equals 220.40 pounds avoirdupois). Quai de la Care, 05 Quai de la Gare, one of tbe largest of the city, organized for free goods, and special facilities for octroi. Accepts tbe goods coming into Paris by the Orleans Railway Company (which brings the Bordeaux wines to the city) and by the river Seine, there being special landing arrangements for discharging barges, etc. This property is valued by the company at $3,000,000. Entrepôt de Bercy-Nicolai, just, outside tbe gates of Paris, at Charenton, valued ut $2,500,000. Has special arrangements for settlement with octroi authorities when there is a tax on wine. St. Denis, 50 Avenue de Paris (Gate de la Chapelle). Property valued at $4,250,000. Warehouse for free goods, capable of holding 250,000 quintals (551,155.6 hundredweight) of grain ; but specially used for articles coming from French provinces, but which are taxable by the Paris octroi and inland revenue tax on alcohol, etc. Aubervilliers, depot and at gate of Paris. A bonded warehouse, specially taking woods, coal, iron, stone, etc. I inclose pamphlets containing general information about this company ­ and its work, and also the tariff of fees, charges, etc. 0 WAREHOUSE RECEIPTS AND WARRANTS. When goods are deposited at one of the several warehouses, two receipts are given by the company, a récépissé à ordre and a bulletin or warrant. The first paper is intended to serve as the document necessary for the sale and transfer of the goods deposited by indorsement. ­ The warrant can be used for credit purposes, placing (lie control ­ of the goods in the hands of the person making a loan on (lie usual basis, which is about (»0 per cent of the value. When the owner makes a loan on his goods he transfers them to the lender by simply indorsing the warrant. On selling his goods he transfers o Ou file iu tbe Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, where they may be consulted by parties Interested. 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. 26 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. CUSTOMS SUPERVISION. For the bonded warehouses of the company the custom-house officials ­ have control of the entry and exit of goods. Officers of the customs are always on duty on the premises (they are lodged by the company), and when the sheds are fastened for the night there are two locks, the representatives of the company having the key to one and the the custom-house officials in having the key to the other. The bonded warehouses at Paris are not much utilized for goods in transit to other countries, but are recognized more as a convenient storage place for merchants or a means of raising a loan on goods without actually selling them outright. John K. Gowdy, Consul-General. Paris, France, July £0,1904. BORDEAUX. (From United States Consul Tourgêe, Bordeaux, France.) In Bordeaux there are three kinds of warehouses of the sort indicated ­ in the Department circular on warehouses for the storage of goods, to wit : (1) L’Entrepôt Réel, which is owned by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and is under the supervision of customs officials; (2) Les Magasins Generaux, also owned by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, ­ where goods can be stored and used as a security for loans; 13) Les Entrepots Fictifs, owned by private parties, duly authorized ­ under supervision of the customs officials. The warehouses belonging to the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce consist of three distinct buildings. They were constructed at different ­ periods and are situated in different parts of the city, but always near the river or docks and connected with railroads. The first of these buildings, built in 1824, has a floor area of 27,920 square meters (33,392 square yards) and cost 1,200,000 francs ($231,000). The second, built in 1881-82, has a floor area of about 10,000 square meters (19,130 square yards) and cost 1,000.000 francs ($308,800). In 1885 the last of these warehouses was finished. It is built of metal and is called " La Halle Métallique.” It cost about 3,000,000 francs ($579,000) and has a floor area of 20,800 meters (32,053 square yards). The goods chiefly stored in these warehouses are skins and hides from South America (which occupy a large portion of the Halle Métallique), rum, foreign wines, spirits, coffee, and cocoa. The storage rate for goods in transit is about 10 francs ($1.93) per day for 150 superficial meters (179.4 square yards), insurance included. ­ The storage of bonded goods is a very complicated matter, as there is a special rate for each different kind of goods. I send herewith ­ a printed tariff 0 of the chamber of commerce, which gives all rates and charges pertaining to goods stored in their warehouses. The Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce is perhaps the only one in France which does not impose taxes on the local commerce. Its ware-« On file in tlie Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. FRANCE! CALAIS. 27 houses are a source of income, and its accounts are balanced every year by a profit varying from 20.000 to 40.000 francs ($3,800 to $7,720). Its receipts vary from 000,000 to 1,000,000 francs ($173,700 to $193,000) a year, and its cash on hand is about 400.000 francs ($77,200). No Americans make use of the warehouses of Bordeaux. All nationalities are treated alike. The length of time goods remain in the warehouses depends entirely upon circumstances. Coffee, cocoa, and spirits usually remain longer than other goods on account of the high duty levied on them. They are usually left in the warehouse until sold. Other goods do not as a rule remain long in bond. The transportation of goods from boat to warehouse and vice versa is done on very reasonable terms. The average cost of cartage is 2 francs ($0,386) per ton of 1.000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds). The customs officials have offices in each of the warehouses owned t*y the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, where everything pertaining ­ to the customs is regulated. The premises are guarded day and night by custom-house men without any charge to the chamber of commerce. Of the warehouses belonging to private parties little need be said, as they are of small importance. They have to pay the customs officials for the time employed in the care and supervision of the bonded goods stored therein. A urn ON W. Tourgée, Consul. Bordeaux, France, July 25, 1904. CALAIS. (From United States Consul Milner, Calais, France.) There are at Calais five bonded warehouses located near the harbor. They cover a total surface of 334,097 square feet, and cost $203,445. Three warehouses, named Hangars Fournier, Crespin, and Paul Devot, are built of iron and bricks. The Hangar de la Loire is of wood and brick, and is used for storing fodder. The fifth one is built of cement and iron, especially for sugar storage. Their respective ­ dimensions, areas, and costs are as follows: Statistics of Calais bonded warehouses. Name. Hangar Fournier ... fiangar Crespin Hangar Paul Devot. <le la Loire . «ugar warehouse ... Length. Yards. 860 175* 93 121 Width. Yards 1 Surface. So. ft. 137,035 34,409 08,817 36,668 50,677 Cost. Dollars. 113,226 58,072 31,052 12,545 48,250 I líese warehouses are owned arid conducted by the chamber of oomiHercv. Their management left a profit of $9,204 in 1903, the receipts fining $17,750 and the expenditures $8,492. They are of great value 28 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. to the importers and local manufacturers, who by their use can avoid paying for goods in advance. The scale of charges for storage is as follows: Per nondivisible period of ten days to the third period included, 4 cents per ton. Per nondivisible period of fifteen days to the sixth period included, 7 cents per ton. Per nondivisible period of fifteen days beyond the sixth period, 10 cents per ton. Warehousing rent is due for the whole consignment from the day of entering the first package into the warehouse. ­ Any consignment under 1 ton in weight is chargeable as if it were of 1 ton. The rent of every period begun is collected in full. The following classes and quantities of goods were stored in the warehouses in 1903: Wheat, 9,220 tons (all American) ; sugar, 24,000 tons; wool in bales, 15,000 tons (all American, but improted through London) ; straw and hay, 15,000 tons; pitch pine and pine wood, 7,500 tons (1,500 tons pitch pine from America) ; various goods, 2,280 tons. There are no resident Americans here doing business, and all the American goods here were stored by the French consignee. Goods may remain a long time in the warehouses. In 1903 (he average was two months. Goods are cared for and supervised by the chamber of commerce. Admission to the warehouses is forbidden to the public. All nationalities are treated alike. The warehouses are located on the quays of the harbor, where hydraulic ­ cranes, Tom per ley cranes, and jiggers are used for unloading ships. For grain the cost of carriage from the boat to the warehouse, including putting into sacks in the boat’s hold, weighing, carrying, and piling in the warehouses amounts to 30 cents per ton. For wool, unloading and putting into the warehouse costs 28 cents per ton. Certain goods, such as salt, sugar, and coffee, are stored in a special ­ and separate portion of the warehouses, where they remain under the direct supervision of the customs officers; but most goods, such as wheat, lumber, wool, hay, and straw, are admitted to the general warehouse, where the relations with the customs officers consist in making a declaration to them of each entry and delivery of goods. J. B. Milner, Consul. Calais, France, July 1Í), 1.904. DUNKIRK. (Fromi United Staten Consular Agent Morel, Dunkirk, France.) Four warehouses are built at Dunkirk for the storage of merchandise ­ in transit or in bond, all situated within one inclosure surrounded with walls. Their dimensions are as follows: Stores A and B each have a length of 31.5 meters (103.35 feet) and a width of IO meters (52.49 feet), and have two stories and a cellar. Stores C and I) have the same width ( 10 meters),bu'l are only one story high and 27.5 meters (90.22 feet) and 20.5 meters (80.94 feet) long, respectively. The original cost of the 4 warehouses was 150,000 francs ($28,950). These 4 warehouses constitute the “ Entrepôt Réel des Douanes." and are owned and conducted bv the Chamber of Commerce of Dunkirk in 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 30 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 17, 1854, and ceded November 14 of the same year to La Compagnie des Docks-Entrepôts du Havre, a company with a capital of 5,000.000 francs ($965,000). The duration of the concession is ninety-nine years. The ground upon which the warehouses, sheds, courts, docks, etc., are built is the property of the State, for which the company pays a total rent of about 2,000,000 francs ($386,000) in yearly installments. ­ By the terms of the concession the company obligated itself to construct buildings capable of receiving at least 130,000 tons of merchandise under the most favorable conditions, covered yards for overhauling and examining the merchandise before it was stored, sheds for the temporary storage of cargoes after discharge from vessels, ­ administrative buildings for offices for custom-house officials attached ­ to the bonded warehouses and for sleeping quarters for a certain ­ number of these officials, to erect walls to isolate the entire plant, to create means of interior communication by which merchandise could be removed from one warehouse and transported quickly to another or be loaded on vessels, and to install machinery and other apparatus for loading, discharging, and weighing cargoes, all upon plans approved ­ by the Government. The conditions of the contract have been carried out, and, owing to the growing demands of commerce, the company has built in addition warehouses covering a surface of 117,500 square meters (140,530 square yards). The docks belonging to the bonded warehouses and the stonework and pavement of the quays were constructed by the Government. As mentioned above, the term of the concession is ninety-nine years, at the expiration of which the property of the company, with the exception of the annexes, consisting of the buildings, the apparatus for handling merchandise, the stone walls inclosing the plant, etc., reverts to the Government. The following are the superficial areas of the original bonded warehouses ­ and those of the annexes : Areas of Havre warehouses. Buildings, etc. Original bonded warehouses. ­ Annexes. Warehouses Covered courts and storehouses. Courts not covered Total area. ■’% 74,152 45,448 208,320 (Is. 840 * 140,530 There are five cellars for wines and liquors, of a capacity of 6,000 tons. The north and south quays of the floating dock are each 1,821 feet long. In the pamphlet containing the rules, regulations, and tariff of charges of the company, sent with this report, 0 (here is a scale plan which indicates the arrangement and dimensions of the different buildings, covered courts, quays, etc. The estimated cost of the company’s plant is 15,000,000 francs ($2,895,000). a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. FRANCE’. HAVRE. 31 SERVICE. Vessels of all nationalities coming from foreign countries or from France can load or discharge their cargoes in the docks belonging to the company. Discharging in these docks is obligatory when half of the cargo is to be stored in the bonded warehouses. In case there is no room in the company’s docks arrangements can be made for discharging ­ in other docks of the port. In general no workmen, except those of the company, may load or discharge cargo or perform any other kind of work on the premises of the company, except that, when the crews are sufficiently numerous, they may load and discharge the cargoes of their own vessels. In this case the charges for the use of the quays, etc., are only one-third of those set forth in the tariff of charges. When there are not enough nien in the crews to load and discharge the vessels the company will supply the deficiency at rates fixed by the tariff of charges. If, however, ­ the number of men to be furnished by the company exceeds onethird of the total number required, all the work of loading and discharging ­ will be performed bv the company and full rates charged. The hoisting apparatus and other rigging of vessels must be placed at the disposition of the company to assist in the operations of loading a nd discharging. Vessels which have steam cranes will be allowed a reduction of the tariff, to be settled by agreement. The men necessary for running the cranes, together with the coal and oil, will be furnished hy the vessel under the responsibility of the captain. When discharging ­ or loading cargo the captain, first officer, or other person authored ­ by the owner of the vessel, consignee, or ship’s broker should be Present. When merchandise is weighed or verified by the customs officers the company will represent absent owners. The company is not responsible ­ for ingots of copper, money, jewels, and packages of great value, whether they form part of a cargo or belong to private individuals, unless they are deposited with the company; in this case a special receipt will be given without extra charge. The company is not responsible for any loss which may occur in breaking out and discharging a cargo of a vessel except when all the V®rk is performed by its own employees, nor is the company responsible ­ for any damage to a vessel entering, leaving, or moored in its docks. Vessels are maneuvered by their captains, or other officers, under the direction of the harbor master of the port. If there are not enough men aboard, the company will furnish the necessary help at the expense of the vessel. No vessel can leave the dock without a perunt issued from the office of the company. If a vessel should leave without a permit, the agent of the vessel, the consignee, or the broker wdl be held responsible for all unpaid charges. At the request of the consignees, or others interested, the company furnish lists of weights of cargoes within twenty-four hours after the weights have been verified by the customs officers. The charges f° r this service, based upon the tonnage registered in the customhouse, ­ are, 200 tons and less, 10 francs ($1.93) ; from 201 tons to 500 tous, 15 francs ($2.895) ; 501 tons and upward, 25 francs ($4.825). The company is solely and exclusively authorized to carry on all work of handling merchandise from the time it enters the w&re- 82 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. houses till it. is taken out. It guarantees that its workmen and employees will be acceptable to the custom-house authorities. It is responsible for the care and preservation of goods warehoused, except the damage and waste arising from their inherent nature or condition. Thje company can not be held responsible for damage or waste of goods which, (1) not intended for warehousing, are not taken away from the quays the day of their verification or inspection by the customs ­ officials; (2) having been withdrawn from the warehouse, have not been removed from the uncovered courtyards the day of their verification or inspection by the custom-house. In case the inspection of merchandise (except wood or metals) by the custom-house officials is finished just before the closing of the gates, so that it is impossible to take away the goods, the company will assume charge for the night only, at a tariff of 3 centimes (0.579 cent) per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds). Merchandise can not be shifted in the warehouses without permission of the owners. The company will receive for storage goods which have been landed elsewhere than in its docks, or goods which have been stored in private warehouses. A notice must be sent to the company forty-eight hours before the merchandise is delivered. It must give the name and flag of the vessel in which the goods were imported, the number of packages, ­ their value, and, as near as possible, the weight of the merchandise. ­ The company will not be responsible for the quantities declared nor for the weights of the goods which have not been weighed and escorted by the custom-house officials. The company will, at the expense of the owner of the goods, repack packages which are not in proper condition to be received at the warehouse. The different services which the company will perform in connection ­ with the reception and discharge of merchandise are grouped in several classes to conform with the official tariff. They consist in breaking out cargo from the holds of vessels, discharging, transporting ­ from the quays to the covered courts or warehouses, and storing, weighing, sorting the packages according to their origin and marks, or classifying them according to the customs tariff, separating damaged goods, furnishing detailed lists of weights to those concerned, in case of an arbitration arranging the goods for the arbitrators, rebaling, repacking, and recoopering packages, supplying the material for and ballasting ships, loading and storing cargoes, and carting, delivery, and lighterage of goods. In addition, the company will attend to all the formalities required by the custom-house and octroi officials in connection with merchandise ­ to be stored in or shipped from the bonded warehouses, and will settle questions of freight and other matters which may arise between the captains of vessels and consignees. ' CHARGES. The charges for all the above services are made according to a fixed tariff approved by ministerial decree The charges, except those for repacking and recoopering, are per 100 kilograms (220.40 pounds)-per hectoliter (2.84 bushels or 20.42 gallons), per number, or per 1,000 francs ($193) of value, without fractions, and calculated upon FRANCE: HAVRE. 33 the gross weight. In the following table is given the scale of charges for some of the principal articles handled by the company : Charges of Havre bonded warehouse, per 100 kilograms (220J f 6 pounds). Kind of merchandise. Acids: In barrels Brandy 0, and spirits:" in barrels« cig. 1 ?,';“*“ In boxes of 1,000.... - - pJA cases gpS-SISL“ Pressed Plour° tpr, ‘ S8ed Hides (dried')': gw In bal,,... In barrels.. In barrels. Tressed bai¿á:::: Wliear 168 not l ,reB8<i<1 f ... In creased \, ln bales not '‘Cía: Varu - «¡Ik pr bales.-wool, •ossed l, cot Cts. 1.54 2.32 1.54 2.895 2.895 8.80 1.98 1.35 1.74 2.70 1.54 1.93 1.93 1.54 1.93 1.74 1.93 2.895 1.74 1.54 1.54 1.54 1.74 2.12 2.32 1.93 2.89 1.74 1.74 2.12 2.32 [2.82 8.86 Discharging ­ on the quay. II I Cts. 2.32 3.86 2.32 3.86 5.79 6.75 3.09 1.35 2.12 3.86 2.32 2.32 2.12 1.93 3.47 2.32 1.74 3.09 1.93 1.74 1.93 1.93 2.32 3.47 4.25 2.32 .965 2.12 1.54 3.47 4.25 4.63 9.65 2 ■5* *!> 1 HI Cts. 1.16 1.93 1.16 1.93 2.895 2.895 1.54 .58 1.16 1.74 .965 1.16 1.16 .965 1.74 1.16 .77 1.54 .965 .965 . 965 1.16 1.54 2.12 1.16 .58 .96.5 .77 1.54 1.74 2.82 4.82 1 ÄS bo o fii Cfi Cts. 5.21 5.79 5.21 6.75 4.82 7.72 4.63 3.09 3.67 5.21 3.47 3.67 3.86 3.47 6.18 3.86 4.25 5.79 3.86 3.28 8.86 3.67 3.86 4.05 4.82 4.05 3.47 3.86 8.67 3.87 5.02 5.79 11.58 De goods. ° f | Extra services. Cts. 2.89 2.89 2.895 3.86 2.895 3.86 2.32 .965 1.54 2.51 1.35 2.32 1.54 1.93 3.47 1.93 1.93 2.51 1.74 1.35 1.74 1.54 1.74 1.93 2.32 1.93 1.54 2.12 1.54 2.32 2.70 2.895 6.79 Cts. 2.89 2.89 2.895 4.82 8.86 5.79 2.32 1.35 1.93 2.70 1.74 1.93 2.32 1.93 3.86 2.32 2.32 2.32 1.54 1.54 1.74 1.93 1.93 2.82 2.70 1.74 2.89 1.74 1.74 2.70 8.09 3.86 9.65 Cts. 1.93 2.82 2.895 4.82 2.895 3.86 1.54 .58 1.16 1.74 .965 1.16 1.85 1.16 2.895 1.35 1.54 1.64 .965 1.16 1.16 .965 1.85 1.64 1.74 1.00 *1.64 .77 1.54 1.74 2.895 5.79 Cts. 1.54 1.54 1.54 1.93 1.93 2.895 .965 .58 .77 1.16 .77 1.16 1.16 1.16 1.93 .965 1.16 1.54 .77 .77 '.77 .77 .77 .965 1.16 .77 .77 .965 .58 .965 1.54 1.93 3.86 Cts. 1.00 1.00 1.16 1.93 2.895 3.86 1.16 .77 .965 1.16 .77 1.16 1.16 .77 1.35 .965 1.16 1.54 .965 Cts. 1.93 1.93 1.93 3.86 2.895 4.82 1.54 .77 1.35 .965 1.16 1.35 1.35 1.93 2.895 1.35 1.64 1.93 1.35 .77 1.16 .965 1.35 .965 1.16 .965 .965 1.16 .77 .77 1.16 1.16 1.85 1.54 1.93 3.86 1.35 1.64 1.74 1.16 1.16 1.35 1.35 1.93 2.12 2.32 4.82 Cts. 1.93 1.93 5.79 9.65 3.86 3.86 2.895 .965 2.89 3.86 I. 93 3.86 4.82 3.86 1*2.895 1=7.72 2.895 2.895 2.895 6.75 1.93 1.93 2.41 12.895 «1.44 .9(05 .965 II. 98 *.48 3.86 5.79 U9.35 m2.89 »6.79 28.95 « Cts. 1.16 1.16 3.47 5.79 2.22 1.74 .58 1.74 2.32 2.32 2.895 *1.74 (- 4.44 1.74 • 1.74 3.47 dl.74 «1.35 1.45 /1.93 «8.68 .77 11.16 *39 2.32 8.86 (14.58 »0.93 »3.86 17.37 il ï er .hectoliter, 26.42 gallons. d Refined. e Raw. 18762—05 M 8 f In leaves. a In twists. * Including measurements. i Including marking and numbering ­ when discharging. J Covered. * Uncovered. ! Cotton and wool. *» Hemp. n Linen. 34 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. From the storage charges there is a discount of 10 per cent for all merchandise of which the storage in the bonded warehouses is obligatory, ­ and a discount of 25 per cent for merchandise which by law can be stored in a private warehouse (entrepôt fictif) under the surveillance ­ of the customs officials. For goods which have been released from the custom-house by payment ­ of the duties, or for goods on which there is no duty, the storage charges are given in the right-hand column of the foregoing table. When the goods are handled without weighing, for collecting the charges, part of the goods will be weighed to ascertain the general average weight. The charges for repacking and recoopering are fixed per package. No charge can be less than 1 franc (19.3 cents) for handling ­ cargo and weighing; 0.5 franc (9.65 cents) for handling cargo without weighing; 0.5 franc (9.65 cents) for recoopering or repacking. If the merchandise is received in bulk, when the rate in the tariff is fixed per package, the charges are increased 25 per cent. Charges of all kinds are paid in cash after each operation is finished. ­ To avoid delays, however, the company will open running accounts with merchants, provided the latter will deposit with the company a sum of money sufficient to guarantee the charges. Statements ­ will be sent to the offices of the merchants after each operation, and the accounts are settled monthly. Charges for unloading and delivery on the quays are paid by the captain of the vessel, or by the consignee, and when there is no consignee, ­ by the ship’s broker. All other charges are paid by the owners of the merchandise. Storage charges commence the day the first package is received. Merchandise stored for less than fifteen days will pay for half a month, beyond fifteen days and up to thirty days, for a whole month. A transfer of ownership of stored merchandise may be made upon the written order,of the grantor, indorsed by the grantee. In case of a transfer the former owner is held responsible for the storage charges until the expiration of the half month in which the transfer of ownership was made. The transfer charges, when the merchandise ­ is not displaced, are 20 centimes (3.86 cents) per 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds) ; but in no case can the charges exceed 5 francs (96| cents) or be less than 1 franc (19.3 cents). These charges are paid by the grantor. When merchandise is damaged, after an official report of its condition has been made by the custom-house officials, it is transferred at the expense of the consignee to a special warehouse where public sales are made. Stored merchandise intended for shipment in sealed or unsealed cars may be loaded in the yards of the company and sent to the freight station of the Western Railway over (be connecting lines of railway of the port of Havre at a cost of 1 franc (19.3 cents) per metric ton (2,204.6 pounds), or from the freight station to the company's storehouses ­ at the same rate. In the precincts of the bonded warehouses are 6^ miles of tracks belonging to the company. If the owner of stored merchandise refuses to pay the storage or other charges, the company holds the goods until (lie claims are liquidated. ­ In case of dispute as to the amount of charges the owner may withdraw his goods by depositing a sum equal to the amount in question. FRANCE! HAVRE. 35 RECEIPTS ANI> EXPENDITURES. The company publishes no statement of its affairs, keeping secret all statistics regarding the receipts and expenditures, except to its shareholders. Last year a dividend of 15 per cent was declared. The last quotation of its stock, which is seldom to be found on the market, was 1,215 francs ($234.49), the par value being 500 francs ($90.50). STORAGE OF GOODS. The following are the principal classes of goods which are usually stored in the bonded warehouses of Havre: Distilled liquors, cocoa, hemp, coffee, straw hats, preserved food products, copper, tin, iron, flour, fats, tallow, oils (light and heavy), honey, machinery, aromatic plants, apples, grapes, salted meats, lard, sugar, tobacco, tapioca, tea, wine, cabinet-making wood, wax, staves, dried fruits, paraffin, pepper, lead, chemical products, rum, and •tafia. There are at present 250,000 tons of merchandise stored, included in which are 3,410,910 bags of coffee. Dangerous merchandise. ­ as spirits, sulphur, guano, coal tar, rosin, turpentine, etc., can be stored only in special warehouses. Americans make use of the bonded warehouses of Havre to but a slight extent, and then generally in speculative operations in coffee a,1 d copper. Merchandise can remain in bond three years, commencing ­ the day it is entered, but if it is in good condition the period niay be extended by the collector of customs. It is difficult to give £ven an approximate idea of the length of time goods remain in bond. Sometimes merchandise is withdrawn in a few days, while at present there is coffee in the v rehouses which has been in bond for nearly five years. All nationalities are treated exactly alike as to the services of the company. The duties to be paid on merchandise com-"'g from the different countries are fixed by the customs laws of France. HANDLING OF GOODS. The facilities for the removal of goods from vessel to warehouse ai) d vice versa consist in hydraulic and electric cranes, railways, i:ai ’ts, and hand harrows. The merchandise is first hoisted from the yessel and stowed temporarily under the covered sheds. After having ­ been counted, weighed, and verified goods are loaded oil drays or cwrs and taken to the warehouse, where they are stored. CUSTOMS SUPERVISION. Custom house surveillance of the bonded warehouses is constant. Diere are duplicate keys to all doors and gales of the establishment, owe set being kept by the customs officials and the other by the agents °f the company. Officers of the custom-house, exercise the same supervision and control of merchandise in the bonded warehouses as die agents of the company, and the company, by the terms of its contract, ­ must carry out any rules which the treasury department may Uiake to safeguard the interests of the Government. Merchandise is not weighed by the customs officers; the weights l aken by the company’s agents, after being verified by the former, are 86 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. accepted, and on those weights the duties are collected. In the verification ­ the custom-house officers from time to time weigh a certain number of packages taken haphazard, and if a discrepancy is found they may require the merchandise to be reweighed. RECEIPTS. The bonded warehouse company and the other private warehouse companies of Havre issue documents representing the values of goods stored, which can be readily negotiated. For the details of the system, ­ which is both simple and effective, I would refer to a special report on the subject, entitled “ Stored goods as collateral for loans,” sent from this consulate and dated August 14, 1002. a A. M. Thackara, Consul. Havre, France, August 25,190 LA ROCHELLE. (From United States Consul Jackson, La Rochelle, France.) The bonded warehouse at the La Pal lice dock was built for the purpose ­ which it serves and is about 160 feet long by 125 feet wide. It is composed of a basement, ground floor, and upper story. It cost 145,000 francs ($27,985). It belongs to the city and is under the direction of the customs and octroi services. Merchandise deposited in this warehouse pays the import tax according to the general tariff on such quantities as are withdrawn for consumption on French territory. While in the warehouse it is under the surveillance of the custom officials, who occupy themselves on)y with duties on merchandise entered and withdrawn, while a storekeeper from the city follows the movement of the merchandise in order to decide upon and receive the tax for storage, which is turned over to the municipal treasury. This service was established to favor French importers who desire to purchase their merchandise abroad at a favorable moment and yet who do not care to receive it immediately or pay the customs duty at once. The administration does everything possible to encourage commerce in this particular way. The charges for storage depend on the nature of the merchandise and are made by the month, each article paying according to the tariff, which details more than 200 articles or kinds of merchandise. The charges are based on the unit of 100 kilos (220.46 pounds) or any fraction thereof. There is a charge for handling, which includes reception, weighing, and stowing. The receipts and expenditures on account of service were, in 1901, $661 and $87; in 1902, $860 and $64, and in 1903, $216 and $75. The principal classes of goods stored are wines, tobacco, tea, preserved ­ fruits, oils, coffee, pepper, wood pulp, ironware, flour, agricultural ­ machines, cordage,etc. Up to the present time Americans have not profited by the presence of this warehouse. There are, however, no distinctions made on account of nationality. It is difficult to « Special Consular Reports, volume xxv. page 24. 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. 38 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. in Marseille in a bonded warehouse owned and managed by the Compagnie des Docks et Entrepôts. BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT. This company controls certain warehouses, the dry docks, the storage warehouses, and considerable real property not yet utilized. The structures actually devoted to storage, together with their original ­ cost and dimensions, are as follows: Administration building (area, 1,47(> square meters; 1 square meter = 1.18 square yards), $279,853 ; principal warehouse (area, 14.(583 square meters), $2,1(53,407 ; warehouses F and G, $380,224; warehouses IT and Nos. 40 and 44 (area, 49,160 square meters), $1,011,146; warehouse No. 55 (area, 2,800 square meters), $188,717; Cape Punèdi land, $37,529. The administration building, six stories in height, contains, in addition to the offices of the company and the offices of the custom-house administrators, ­ a public-sales warehouse. The principal warehouse, 365 meters (1,197.5 feet) in length, is divided into four sections, each one having an interior covered court for trucking operations. The four sections include 76,200 square meters (91,134 square yards) of floor space, capable of accommodating 60,000 tons of miscellaneous merchandise. ­ The warehouses, seven in number, designated as No. 55, are for the storage of vegetable oils. These warehouses have a capacity ­ of 20,000 tons of oil in casks, and 1,000 tons in cisterns, of which there are 40. The cisterns are filled through siphons. The warehouses are owned and managed by (he Compagnie des Docks et Entrepôts, a private corporation performing many important ­ public functions, the principal of which is that of warehousing goods in bond. The concession, approved by the State, limits the powers ­ of the company as respects charges for services rendered. The organization of the system was authorized by the law of June 10, 1854, the concession being granted by the State to the city of Marseille, ­ which, in turn, disposed of the privilege to the private corporation ­ named. This company completed and began operating its first establishment January 1, 18(54. It pays a bonus of $19,300 annually to the city. The original grant established the relations between the company and the State. All tariffs must be approved by the minister of commerce and proclaimed by the prefecture of the department. SERVICE. The patron, while sometimes inclined to protest against the operation ­ of a public utility by a corporation organized for profit, is, on the whole, very well contented with the arrangement. He has at his disposition mod hi warehouses convenient of access from the port, controlled ­ by a corporation which, upon demand, takes possession of his arriving merchandise, transports it to a place of security, insures him against loss, and returns the goods intrusted to its care upon the payment ­ of fixed charges which are not subject to debate or amendment in favor of preferred clients. The company, in addition to the services described above in general ­ terms, concedes the right of the owner to visit his merchandise at will. When merchandise is to be visited the company engages to FRANCE! MARSEILLE. 39 move and shift the goods, if this is necessary to a satisfactory inspection, ­ without charge up to one-half of the whole number of parcels and upon agreed terms for the excess. If merchandise requires sorting, washing, folding, baling, or packing ­ the owner may employ persons for these services, and is provided with space for carrying on the work. The dock company, in this case, transports the merchandise to the space selected, weighs it, and returns it finally to its place upon terms clearly specified, based upon the general ­ tari if for transporting the goods from ship to warehouse or vice versa. The area devoted to the manipulation of merchandise is not charged for during forty-eight hours; that is to say, the storage charge runs as though the goods were in the original storage chamber, or if the operations require more than forty-eight hours, a tariff per parcel and per day ranging from 1 to 3 cents, and, in the case of bulky merchandise, ­ of 4 cents per ton, is applied. The company guarantees delivery of goods intrusted to its care and insured under the special insurance tariff, and reinsures itself. The company is not responsible for damage and loss (1) to merchandise ­ which, not intended for storage, is not removed from the wharf and sheds during the day of its inspection by the customs authorities, or during the day when it is put into proper condition for storage if it belongs to a class not inspected by the customs authorities; (2) to merchandise leaving the warehouses and not removed from the courts or sheds during the day of its examination by the custom-house authorities or of its preparation for final removal. ­ Nevertheless, in the case of exposed merchandise the company ­ assumes responsibility during twenty-four hours at a tariff of fi cents per ton of 1,000 kilograms. Goods can not be transferred from one storage room to another without notice to the company. Merchandise intended to be offered for sale at auction, after verification ­ by the custom-house authorities, is lodged in the auction sales department. The tariff for thus lodging and lotting is equal to onebalf the tariff for putting goods into ordinary storage. Visits to merchandise are forbidden without authorization of the proprietors. If desired, the company supplies a receipt which is a negotiable commercial instrument. The ordinary receipt mentions the number and date of arrival of the goods, the name of the owner a nd of the ship upon which imported, the marks, numbers, class of packages, and nature of goods. Merchandise put into storage can not be withdrawn without delivery ­ of a discharge detached from the receipt. Upon demand the company loads merchandise withdrawn for local consumption upon trucks for 5 cents per ton without regard to the nature of the goods. Upon demand the company undertakes to clear goods at the cusjoin-house, and to perform every operation necessary in order to finally deliver the goods wherever the consignee may desire them. CHARGES. The tariff of charges will be found in a printed pamphlet accompanying this report, being too lengthy and complicated for transia- 40 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. tion.“ I supply herewith a scale of charges of eleven selected classes of goods, reduced to American currency. These charges are per ton of 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds) per month. The bills for storage ­ are rendered for periods of fifteen days—that is to say, goods in storage less than sixteen days are charged one-half the tariff per month. When the storage period exceeds fifteen days, the full month is charged for. Charges of Marseille bonded warehouses per metric ion (2,20J/.6 pounds) per month. The financial report of the company sets forth the receipts and expenditures ­ without specifying the share of the storage department, properly speaking. The following is the last financial statement submitted ­ to the shareholders : The yearly general expenses are as follows: Loan of 1860. $123,281; loan of 1871, $62,519; interest on money belonging to pension fund, The report of the company for 1903 shows that 126,027 tons of merchandise ­ went into storage, the following being the principal items: Alcohol, 12,306; colonial sugar, 10.812; local sugar, 7.651; refined sugar, 4,231; tobacco, 1,099; cereals, 47,586; oleaginous seeds, 9,687; dry vegetables 8,140; cocoa, 574; drugs, 859; pepper, 294; tea, 412; “On file In Ihe Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, where it may be consulted by parties interested. Articles. Alcohol. Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. 38 19 29 77 29 Cents. Cents. Cents. ILS. SKILLS. 10 17 17 10 15 16 10 16 16 10 14 14 10 15 14 12 19 19 10 14 14 10 14 14 Arachides, shelled, in sacks. Copra, in sacks Cotton (pressed) Cotton seed, in sacks 10 10 19 58 28 12 10 19 67 28 19 15 28 57 28 8 10 19 57 28 Sheetings Hemp (pressed) Flour 67 28 38 96 38 19 15 28 57 28 8 15 28 57 28 8 10 28 57 28 Dry beans Condensed milk 57 28 38 96 38 12 19 19 12 18 18 14 14 Wool, unwashed 24 28 38 77 38 RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES, Financial statement of Marseille bonded warehouses. Receipts and expenses. 1902. 1903. Receipts Operating expenses. $1,525,703 $1,793,763 1,061,963 1,225,182 463,740 568,581 $14,713; city of Marseille, $19,300; total, $219,763, STORAGE OF GOODS, FRANCE: NANTES. 41 cotton, 385; wool, 2G4; rice, 482; hides, 479; vegetable oil, 8G0; oil cake, 1,512. As there are no American business houses in Marseille, it may be said that Americans make no use whatever of these warehouses, although owing to the great volume of American commerce they are nevertheless of considerable importance to American trade interests. -No distinctions whatever are made by the company in the treatment of clients. The fact that the bills for storage are made out every two weeks, and for periods of one-half month, probably results from the. experience ­ of the company that the average length of time during which goods remain in bond is two weeks. LANDING FACILITIES. ^ The company controls permanent docks and piers, built of stone. Ships anchor alongside and goods are discharged promptly and satisfactorily, ­ largely by hand labor. There are also numerous cranes and American unloading devices in case of full cargoes of grain and oil seeds. A public street separates the bonded warehouses from the docks, and goods are transported across the intervening space upon trucks and drays. The cost of these services may be estimated from the table of charges to be found in the printed tariff. It is the experience of individual business firms that the company removes goods from ship to warehouse for less than the cost to an ordinary individual for performing the same services. CUSTOMS SUPERVISION. The custom-house officers are in close touch with every transaction °f the Compagnie des Docks. The inspectors and appraisers have their offices in the dock company’s administration building, and their guards are posted at every point of ingress and egress. When goods are put into storage, a custom-house guard and an employee of the company together close the storage chamber, and this chamber ls never opened and the goods are never removed except in the Presence and by the authority of the guard. A vast project in embryo is receiving favorable consideration in Marseille, the object of which is to create a free zone, thus extending the bonded warehouse idea. It is proposed to make this free zone neutral territory, sufficiently large to permit of the erection of mann 1 act uring establishments where imported merchandise may be received, ­ manufactured, or changed in form, and reexported without being subject to any formality or costs of any description. Robert P. Skinner, (Consul-General. Marseille, France, June 27, 7004. NANTES. (From United States Consul Ridgely, Nantes, France.) The area of the warehouses at Nantes is 4G,000 square meters (55,015 square yards). The original cost was about $675,000. The warehouses are owned by the chamber of commerce and con- 42 WAREHOUSES TN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. ducted by a manager. The service is considered satisfactory from every point of view. Storage charges vary, according to the articles stored, from 3 cents per metric ton per month for cast iron to $1.93 for raw silk or vanilla, and $3.80 for nondangerous essences. 0 In 1903 the receipts for storage amounted to 200,000 francs ($38,000), and the expenses to 148,000 francs ($28,504). The goods principally stored in lhe warehouses are sugar, cocoa, coffee, olive oil, rum, and pepper. Americans do not use the warehouses ­ at all ; in fact, they are used almost exclusively by the French. All nationalities are, however, treated exactly alike by the administrators ­ of the warehouses. There is no rule as to the length of time the goods may remain in bond. They may remain a week, a month, six months, or a year or more. The administration of the warehouses has under its orders a corps of porters who can be employed for the removal of the goods from boat to warehouses and vice versa, and who are paid according to the tariff established, which is as follows per 2,204.0 pounds: Discharging of merchandise upon the quays, 19.3 cents; weighing of merchandise ­ by the customs inspectors, 9.0 cents; removing of merchandise into the warehouses and storing it therein, 19.3 cents; total, 48.2 cents. The removal of the merchandise from the warehouses to the quays and thence on board the boats involves about the same operation and charges as above. A comptroller and inspector of customs are specially attached to the warehouscs-nnd have under their orders a staff of agents. They have duplicate keys to the warehouses, with right of access at all times. They receive, examine, and record all declarations of entry and exit of goods and collect any duties that may be assessed. The utmost care is exercised, and the goods are carefully stored and handled ­ in every way. The administration of the warehouses does not act as the receiver of goods shipped here for storage in bond or otherwise assume any responsibility in connection with that operation ; it conducts no correspondence ­ on the subject and appears in the affair only as the proprietor ­ and manager of the warehouses and consequently as the custodian ­ of the goods after their delivery. Goods shipped here for storage ­ must therefore be consigned to an agent who must receive and deliver them to the warehouses. There are numerous agents at Nantes ready to undertake this operation. Benj. II. Ridgely, Consul. Nantes, France, July 0/, 190)]. NICE. (From United States Vice-Consul Piattt, Nice, France.) There is at Nice a warehouse for storage of merchandise in transit or in bond owned and managed by an incorporated company having a «Table of charges in detail on file in Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce ­ and Labor. frange: nice. 43 capital of $250,000. The warehouse covers about 40,000 square feet of space and is said to have cost about $100,000. The company takes charge of merchandise, answers for its safety and preservation (if not perishable), but will not be held responsible for damage by fire. All merchandise on entering the warehouse pays a Government ­ tax of 00 centimes ($0.1158) and, on leaving, one of 10 centimes ­ ($0.0193) for each receipt or warrant representing such merchandise. ­ The company undertakes the loading and unloading of vessels, ­ but has not fixed a scale of charges for such services, charges depending ­ on the nature of the merchandise and the position of the vessel. Without twenty-four hours’ notice of the arrival of merchandise the company does not guarantee its immediate entry, nor assume responsibility ­ for damage. It repairs damaged or insecure cases at the expense ­ of the owner and gives him notice thereof. A receipt is delivered giving the name of the owner, date of deposit, nature of the goods, their origin, the number, description, and marks °f the cases or packages, their measure or weight, and the sum for which the company itself has insured the goods. These receipts, are not t ransferable. For the delivery of goods the company requires twenty-four hours’ notice, and if goods are not removed within forty-eight hours thereafter ­ they are considered to have been redeposited and new charges accrue. The charge for loading or unloading at entrance of warehouse ­ is for the owner to pay. If the work is done by the company the charge is 4 franc (9.65 cents) per ton. The charge for warehousing ­ is calculated by the gross ton, by number, or by the thousand francs ($193) of value. Special storage may be procured at 7 francs ' $1.35) per square yard of floor space per annum. The charge for Weighing is 80 centimes ( 15.44 cents) per ton. The company accepts merchandise and gives against it “ warrants,” °r receipts “ to order,” which may be indorsed or transferred in the f°rm and manner prescribed by the law of May 28, 1858, and the decree of March 12, 1859. The merchandise thus “warranted ” may be divided up into as many receipts as the owner may elect by his payln g a tax of 2 francs ($0.386) for each receipt or “ warrant.” This eh arge includes the 60 centimes ($0.1158) mentioned above. The eompany will undertake to obtain advances upon these transfenable receipts on terms to be arranged and varying with the nature of the merchandise. The company has a bonded warehouse, which is under the supervision ­ of a Government custom-house officer. At Nice the bulk of the merchandise stored is made up of grain, flour, wines, and oils. American ­ exporters have not, up to the present, made any use of the warehouse, ­ where all nationalities are treated absolutely alike. Goods do ,l( >t remain in bond, as a rule, longer than six weeks. There are no special facilities for removal of goods from boat to warehouse and vice versa, and the estimated cost of such removal is said to be about 1 fi'anc ($0.193) per ton. 1'he cost of storage in the free warehouse varies widely, ranging from 1 franc ($0.193) per ton per month for such articles as charcoal, metal, wire, and sugar, to 4 francs ($0.965) for straw goods, and, except ionally, 20 francs ($3.86) for artistic statuary. In the bonded Warehouses prices for storage vary from 15 centimes ($0.028) per 100 44 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. kilos (220.46 pounds) per month for such merchandise as metals, marble, and guano, to 65 centimes ($0.125) for furs, pharmaceutical products, and camphor, and, exceptionally, 3.60 francs ($0.694) for essences and essential oils. This warehouse is very conveniently placed for the storage of goods in or out of bond, and offers to intending importers an excellent ­ opportunity for the preservation of their goods pending sale. Atttlio Piatti, Vice and Acting Consul. Nice, France, August 10, 190V ROUEN. (From United States Consul Haynes, Rouen, France.) BUILDINGS, MANAGEMENT, AND SERVICE. As long ago as 1835 the Rouen Chamber of Commerce constructed two 2-story warehouses in the rear of the principal customs office. These old buildings are still used to some extent for the storage of coffee, pepper, and liquids. The present capacious warehouses of Rouen were built by the city in 1860 facing the principal maritime basin on the right of the Seine, the most important of the buildings being only 75 yards from the wharf. The warehouses are constructed of brick, stone, and iron, are four stories high and receive every kind of merchandise, whether in sacks, cases, barrels, or loose, such as grains. One building is allotted for the storage of domestic sugar alone. On account of the short distance, goods are discharged from ships or railway cars by hand, sacks being carried on the back, cases on trucks, and barrels rolled. Steam windlasses are used to reach stories above the ground floor. All ground-floor space is reserved for liquids, ­ such as wines, brandies, oils, etc., and for soaps and greases; the first story contains grains, thread, cloth, and divers merchandise necessitating dryness. One building contains vast wooden reservoirs for the reception of wines, and also iron vats for the warehousing of oils, especially heavy mineral oils; the story above is equipped in a manner to permit the rapid and economical emptying of wine into the reservoirs. The iron vats for the mineral oils are filled directly from tank steamers by subterranean pipes. Another depot, consisting of only one story, receives cotton in bales, wools, and divers merchandise. The interior courts of these different warehouses are used for the storage of coal, wood, etc., and are crossed by the side tracks from the railway which passes near. In 1877 the city of Rouen ceded these warehouses to a company called the “ Compagnie des Docks et Entrepôts de Rouen.” The total cost of the land, construction, installation of vats, windlasses, ­ etc., amounted to about $1,000,000. The surface covered by the buildings and floors is 552,000 square feet, and that of the interior courts, 242,000 square feet. FRANCE: ROUEN. 45 CHARGES. The tariff for storage varies according to the nature of the goods. For flour, for each month of thirty days, or fraction thereof, it is as follows: Sacks of 220 to 230 pounds, Ï.93 cents; sacks of 230 to 350 pounds, 2.89 cents ; barrels of 187 to 227 pounds, 2.3 cents ; fire insurance ­ of every $193 worth of goods per month, 7.72 cents; cost of entering, weighing, and storing in warehouse, or delivering, 1.93 cents per sack or barrel; the same without weighing, 9.65 mills per piece; transferring from barrel to sack, 7.72 cents per barrel; marking, ­ including ink, 1.93 cents per barrel or sack. For wheat, rye, barley, hemp seed, corn, dry vegetables, rice, oleaginous grains, and oats the charge for entering, weighing, and storing, per 220.46 pounds, is 1.93 cents: and the fire insurance, 7.72 cents for every $193 worth. The cost for storage for each month of thirty days, or fraction thereof, is 1.54 cents per 220.46 pounds. When such merchandise is passed from one warehouse to another a tax of 1.93 cents per 220.46 pounds is charged. Colza, flax, nut, and all vegetable oils, in barrels, are charged 3.86 cents storage per 220.46 pounds gross for each thirty days or fraction thereof, 3.86 cents for entry, and 11.58 cents for weighing every ton. Fmpty barrels are kept for 9.65 mills per month per 220.46 pounds °t oil capacity. Petroleum, glycerin, and turpentine pay for entering a tariff of 5.79 cents for each barrel, and 4.82 cents for storage each month. For all oils placed in vats, 3.86 cents per 220.46 pounds is charged for entry, an d 2.89 cents per month per 220.46 pounds for storage. The minimum ­ that can be thus entered is 55,000 pounds. Wines, beers, vinegars, ciders, brandies, spirits, and sirups are charged 3.86 cents for every 26.42 gallons for entry or removal, and lhe same for each month or storage. If vats are used, 4.825 cents is charged. The insurance on such liquids is 7.72 cents for every $193 each month. For filtering wine, 9.65 cents per 26.42 gallons is charged; for filling, 2.89 cents per barrel; determining the degree, 4.825 cents per barrel; gauging, 4.825 cents per barrel ; weighing, 'hhö mills per 26.42 gallons; stopping leakage, 1.93 cents per barrel; re hooping, from 28.95 to 77.2 cents, according to size of barrel. For wool, 2.895 cents is paid for every 220.46 pounds weighed and entered or weighed and delivered, and 3.86 cents storage ror every *-20.46 pounds per month. Iron in bars, if sheltered, pays 19.3 cents per ton for a month’s storage ; if unsheltered, half that amount. File storage of sugar and coffee per ton costs 19.3 cents monthly. Other articles, such as glassware, furniture,wickerwork, unmounted Vehicles, pottery, hardware, agricultural implements, empty barrels, casks and bottles, sponges, and bicycles are charged according to K pace occupied. STORAGE OF GOODS. Americans have used the Rouen warehouses at different times for the storage of agricultural implements, wheat, etc. Great quantities tí African cotton, oats, corn, and wheat are always to be found in the warehouses, but these goods are stored by French merchants who 46 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. have bought the products in America or en route. All charges and accommodations are the same for all nationalities. Often goods arrive in such a condition that they remain only a few days. The state of the market, the demand for consumption, the nature of the merchandise, and the economic and industrial situation render it impossible to indicate the length of time merchandise is stored. An approximation would be, perhaps, in the neighborhood of four months. HANDLING OF GOODS. When the goods to be entered are of considerable quantity, the ships from which they are discharged or into which they are embarked ­ are moored alongside the wharf in front of the warehouses, and the loading or unloading is effected by carrying on the back when possible, or by rolling or trucking, or, in the case of heavy oils, by subterranean pipes. The same manner is employed in regard to the railway, the main line of which passes the doors and is connected with the interior courts by side tracks. The cost of this service is said to be exceedingly cheap at Rouen. CUSTOMS SUPERVISION. The custom-house officers have no supervision over goods entered fictively. Through the houses containing real storage, which pays to the state a higher tariff, officers pass about every three months in order to see that the merchandise upon which duty has not been paid still remains. Tiiornwell Haynes, Consul. Rouen, France, July 00,190J+. GERMANY. BERLIN. (From United States Consul-General Mason, Berlin, Germany.) Each State of the German Empire has its own system of bonded warehouses. That of Prussia was established by the statute of duly 1, 1869. Section 13 of this act,, paragraphs 97 to 110, inclusive, relates to bonded warehouses and their management, and is Iranslated in full below. BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT. The bonded warehouses (Zollschuppen) in Berlin are included mainly in a group of office buildings, sheds, and warehouses located on the north bank of the river Spree, near the central portion of the city. They occupy an inclosed space of about 7 acres between the I river and the viaduct of the city elevated railway. This viaduct is a wide, heavy structure of masonry about 30 feet in height, the arched spaces beneath which are used as office and storage rooms. A large, handsome group of stone and brick office buildings forms the gateway ­ to the inclosure near the Moltke Bridge, and in these are the | Germany: Berlin. 47 headquarters of the import custom-house department. The warehouses ­ and sheds for the storage of merchandise are from 1 to 6 stories in height, constructed of brick, stone, and iron, with fireproof ­ floors and stairways, and equipped with modern facilities for handling all kinds of freight. The whole southern front of this inclosed space is a wharf along the river, which forms the main channel of water transit through Berlin, and is connected directly by canals and canalized rivers with the Havel and Elbe, on which Hamburg is located, and the Oder, which debouches at the Baltic seaport of Stettin. Branch lines from the several State railways bring freight from every direction directly into the inclosure, where a system of switches and turntables permits the shunting of cars into every part of the yard. Besides this central and dominating group there is a large bonded Warehouse on Haide street, near the Lehrter railway station, which ls . devoted specially to handling and storing freight that comes directly by rail from Hamburg. Finally, there are eleven branch custom-houses for imported merchandise (Zoll Abfertigungs Stellen) ln different parts of the city, where smaller packages of foreign S°°ds, baggage, etc., can be stored in bond under the provisions of the general law.* These are so distributed as to serve conveniently persons living in every quarter of Berlin. It is impossible to ascertain ­ even the approximate dimensions or cost of these establishments, inost of which are Government property belonging to the State of Prussia, while some of the district warehouses are in private premises leased for the purpose on long terms by the State. GERMAN LAW REGARDING THE WAREHOUSING OF BONDED GOODS. The entire scope and working of the Prussian system are indicated b .y the statute upon which it is based, namely, section 18 of the law providing for the security of the customs limits of Prussia outside of .f le Hamburg district. The full text of this enactment, in so far as d relates to the bonded-warehouse system, is as follows: A. Public Bonded Warehouses. Sec. 97. For the promotion of indirect transit trade and internal traffic there «'re provided public warehouses in the important commercial centers of the tMTitory of the customs union, and at the main custom-houses on the frontier, 'hero a necessity therefor exists, which are under official supervision, and in 'Inch goods can be stored free of duty until they are withdrawn or forwarded. 11,1 public warehouses are either general warehouses (packing courts, halls, tei'chouses, free ports, secs. 98 to 104), limited warehouses (sec. 105), or free ^rehouses (free stores, sec. 107). I' 1 places where there are no buildings belonging to the Government which «oi be used as warehouses, or such buildings do not exist to the required "Xtent, it rests with the merchants or the community desiring such warehouses I>1 their enlargement to provide the requisite sale space for the use of the Government. (1) IKNEBAL WAREHOUSES. Sec. 98. Right of warehousing—Term of storage.—As a rule the right of , ‘^'‘housing is granted only to goods which are still subject to duty and which t,? "°* excluded from storing by special warehouse regulations (sec. 106). The ( ‘iih of storing shall, as a rule, not exceed the period of five years. Sec. 99. ¡Storage charges.—Where storage charges are levied they are to be 'Xed for each warehouse according to the local need for covering expenses. 48 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Where, however, the warehouses are managed for account of the Government, the following rates for storage per month shall not be exceeded: fa) For dry (solid) merchandise, 3 kreuzer (2f cents) per centner (1.10.23 pounds) ; (b) for liquid merchandise, 41 kreuzer (31 cents) per centner. Sec. 100. Liability of stored goods.—Merchandise stored in bond is unconditionally ­ liable for all duty charges on the same. When the delivery of goods from the warehouse is demanded by the party storing them, or by a third party, such delivery is to be granted only within the limitations prescribed by section ­ 14 of this act. [Section 14 defines the conditions under which goods stored in bond may be attached for debt.] Sec. 101. Permission to unpack.—The owners or parties having the right of disposal of merchandise stored in bond have the right, when suitable space is available, to unpack the goods in the bonded warehouse under supervision of the officials for the purposes of division, assorting, cleaning, preservation, or for other purposes which do not contravene the motive for storing them. For the purposes of supplementing, fitting up, etc., of the bonded merchandise, other goods not under customs restrictions may be brought into the warehouse. By such act the goods so introduced acquire the character of foreign merchandise on which no duty has yet been paid. Sec. 102. Duties of the administration of the warehouse in regard to the merchandise stored therein.—The administration of the bonded warehouse shall provide for the proper maintenance and management of the walls and roofs of buildings, for the secure locking of the same, for the maintenance of quiet and order among the employees, for the prevention of danger from fire in the warehouse and the adjoining inclosed space belonging thereto, and is liable for damages caused to stored merchandise through omission or neglect of such precautions and care. Such liability does not begin until the goods have been accepted in the warehouse and an official certificate to that effect Issued. For other damage to the stored merchandise and for accidents which may happen to the same the warehouse administration is not liable. Sec. 103. Notice of removal of merchandise from the warehouse.—Duty on goods declared for removal from bond' is paid according to the quantities and qualities ­ which were confirmed when the merchandise was received in bond. When the weight of goods has become diminished during storage in bond through repacking (sec. 101), or through accidental causes, or if it can be assumed that a deficiency in weight on withdrawal from bond is due solely to evaporation, ­ dust, or ordinary leakage, the weight at the time of removal shall be the basis for assessment of the duty, unless the party withdrawing the merchandise shall demand the weight on entry as the basis of dutiable quantity. If there is cause to suspect that part of the merchandise has been secretely removed, then the weight on entry shall be the basis of assessment for duty. Duty shall be paid separately on samples taken and withdrawn from merchandise stored in bond. No duty shall he levied on merchandise which has become entirely spoiled while stored in bond and which shall be subsequently destroyed under official supervision. Sec. 104. Mode of procedure with goods (a) of unknown owners nr (b) not taken out of bond in five years.— (a) If goods of which the owners or parties with a right of disposal of same are unknown have been in the warehouse for one year this is to be publicly advertised in the public press on two different occasions ­ at an interval of at least four weeks, giving the exact designations of such goods, and if no one applies for same within six months after the last publication the warehouse administration is entitled to sell the goods at public auction. The net proceeds of such sale (after deducting the costs of publication and sale, the duty, any costs which may have been incurred for preserving the goods, and the warehouse charges thereon) are kept for six months, and if after the expiration of the same no claim is made they revert to the Government ­ exchequer. If such goods are likely to spoil quickly, an earlier sale may take place with permission of the chief custom house officers, when date of sale shall be publicly advertised locally on two different occasions within eight days. (b) If goods, the owners of which or the party who has a right of disposal of the same are known, have been in bond longer than five years, the respective parties are to be requested (unless a longer storage has been applied for and specially granted) to take the goods out of bond within four weeks. If the parties do not comply with this request, steps for a public sale are to be taken, and the proceeds, after deducting costs and duties, are remitted to the owner or party who has the right of disposal. GERMANY: BERLIN. 49 (2) LIMITED WAREHOUSES. Sec. 105. In places which have no bonded warehouses, goods can be stored without payment of duty when a necessity for this is apparent and suitable rooms are found, on condition that the time of storage does not, as a rule, exceed ­ six months. On expiration of same, the conditions prescribed by section ­ 104 come into force. As regards charges, permission for repacking, and the procedure in respect to any loss in weight during the time of storage, sections ­ 90, 101, and 103 apply, as in general warehouses. (3) REGULATIONS FOR WAREHOUSES. Sec. 100. The more detailed specifications of the conditions for using the several warehouses as well as the special instructions as regards the clearance , goods sent to them or removed from them, will be contained in special regulations ­ to be issued. (4) FREE WAREHOUSES. Sec. 107. In the important seaports of the territory of the union, local warehouse ­ arrangements (free storehouses) may be arranged so as to be locally connected with the port. These warehouses are treated, as regards the custom-house, like a foreign country, with the conditions which are contained , n the regulations to be issued for the several warehouses. The spaces for oading and unloading, as well as storing, are to be separated from their suroundings by a secure barrier. B. Private Bonded Warehouses. Sec. 108. Goods on which duty is to paid can also be warehoused in private oonis, with or without the joint locks of the custom officials. If the goods are tended for sale in the territory of the union and are deposited only as ocurity for the duty upon the same, which, however, is credited (private credit ^houses), the period of warehousing, as a rule, must not exceed six months, s t° re( l longer, must not exceed the calendar year of the date of entry, wn. %oods stored are exclusively intended for sale abroad (private transit icehouses), the provisions of sections 101 and 103 apply to these warehouses cornu are a * so un( l er Government lock; as regards the period of storing, the Editions °** action 98 apply. On the other hand, the owner of a private „‘»■it warehouse which is not also under Government lock is unconditionally at ti for the duty on goods taken out, on the basis of the weight ascertained P time of their removal, if he can not produce proof that the duty has been rp, ln some other place or that the goods have been exported. vi<d e administrators of customs reserve the right to collect fees for the super->'ion of private transit warehouses which are jointly under official lock P n S the time of their being open. ani The particular conditions in regard to which articles of merchandise b v a uuder what conditions private warehouses may lie allowed are to be issued y tlle federal council (Bundesrath) of the customs union. C. Current Accounts. E °* HO. In order to promote the sale of foreign goods abroad, wholesale a o , are flowed to remove such foreign goods without paying duty, by entry on d Urren t account, on condition that their reexport abroad shall be proven or the gr-Zf^ 61 ^ 0011 * ,e finid. The conditions under which such accounts are to be R ' nte d and the duties of the owners of such accounts will be specified in a ^Parate regulation. RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES i v . U v° rec °ipt s and expenditures on account of service at the bonded alehouses are not given separately in any published statement of the ?jj e finances of Prussia, and special inquiries as to such details are Hormly ignored by the officials in charge of such records. 18762—05 M 4 50 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. STORAGE OF GOODS. The kinds of goods chiefly stored are wines, liquors, coffee, tea, spices, tobacco, cotton yarns, and a great variety of imported textile merchandise, but the list includes to a greater or less extent every kind of dutiable merchandise that is imported to Germany. The average length of storage is stated to be about three months; the limit is five years. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses. Americans use them like the rest. The bonded warehouses in the free zones at Hamburg and Bremen are used more by American merchants doing business in Berlin than are the warehouses ­ located here. American houses in Berlin import mainly shoes, tobacco, cigarettes, typewriters, machinery, cash registers, pianolas, etc., which are generally wanted even before they can be received and are taken out of the custom-house immediately upon arrival. Such American merchants in Berlin as do an export trade to Russia, Austria, Switzerland, and other European countries generally store goods on arrival in the bonded warehouses at Hamburg and Bremen, where they are separated from those coming to this city and reexported ­ directly from the port of first arrival. But, if desirable, the whole shipment from America or other foreign country may be brought to Berlin and a portion here set apart and reexported without ­ payment of duty. CUSTOMS SUPERVISION. The care and supervision exercised over goods stored in bond are very complete and comprehensive. The whole premises arc carefully inclosed, admission being granted only to persons with papers or other evidence showing that they have business there. The warehouses ­ are in charge of superintendents with an ample force of watchmen, clerks, and porters, most of whom are uniformed and trained employees of the State. HANDLING OF GOODS. Porters and workmen who handle and assist in opening, weighing, repacking, and loading freight after assessment of duty are paid by the owner of the merchandise at the rate of GO pfennigs (15 cents) an hour, but the owner may bring his own men and wagons to perform such services in presence of himself or a responsible agent. The facilities for handling goods from boat or car to the warehouse ­ and vice versa include stationary and movable cranes, winches, trucks, industrial tracks with cars, and steam, electric, or hydraulic elevators. CHARGES. The schedule of Government charges at the bonded warehouses in Berlin, assessed in compliance with the statutes above quoted, are as follows: (A) Storage fees per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds) per month: (1) For beer, liquors, vinegar, wines of all kinds, stored in covered rooms, 6^ cents; (2) for all other merchandise stored in covered ­ buildings or sheds, 4£ cents; (3) for merchandise of all kinds Germany: Berlin. 51 stored in the open air, 3f cents. (B) Storage charges for goods from abroad, which are not subject to duty but are unloaded in bond and hept to be reloaded intact and reshipped, 44 cents; beer, distilled liquors, vinegar, wines, etc., in covered space, 64 cents. (Cl Rent for inclosed space per square meter per annum, $2.73. (D) Crane and elevator charges: For the use of (1) cranes, for each 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds), I4 cents; (2) steam cranes, for each 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds), 5 cents; (3) hand crane, for each 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds), 1£ cents; (4) portable crane, per day, $5.71; per hour, 71 cents; (5) elevator charge, per 100 kilograms, cents. I e ) Weighing charges, when goods are weighed at request of the owner, per 100 kilograms, 24 cents. 1' ire insurance on goods in bond is provided when desired at a cost per month of 66 pfennigs per 1,000 marks, equal to 15.7 cents per $238, or 66§ cents per $1,000. The schedule of charges made for the services of laborers, coopers, rnd porters employed in unloading, opening, repacking, storing, and reloading merchandise at the custom-houses in Berlin, as arranged an d specified under authority of the general law, is exceedingly long md complicated, and descends into minute details which would be hardly comprehensible under the American system of labor in Government ­ offices. The more important provisions of these regulations, J „ ri so far as they specify the charges made to owners of merchandise r°r handling, weighing, opening, and reloading, are as follows, the rate being in all cases per double centner of 100 kilograms, equal to 220.46 pounds avoirdupois: (I) For unloading from boats or railway cars—(A) Dutiable merchandise, ­ with or without opening of packages, cases, or sacks—(a) ^hout weighing, 14 cents; (b) with weighing in bulk, 3f cents; \y) dutiable liquids in casks—(a) wine, liquors, beer, vinegar, and j other beverages, (1) without weighing, 1 cent; (2) with weighing n hulk, 2j cents; (h) oils, sirup, and similar in bulk, 2\ cents; (C) Merchandise free of duty, without weighing, 4 cent. ■,.(11) Unloading or loading wagons with dutiable or free merchante, ­ or loading the same on boats or cars, without weighing or coopwage,3cent. (Hi) For cooperage—(1) For opening or boring into and closing casks containing liquids or butter, grease, lard, tallow, honey, etc., ach, l-| cents; (2) for driving hoops and putting into repair casks j a ) containing native spirits or beer, each, I4 cents; (b) containing °reign spirits, beer, wine, etc., casks weighing 440 pounds or less, 5 _ e nts; weighing 440 to 660 pounds, 74 cents; weighing more than 660 Pounds, 10 cents; (c) containing oil, sirup, lard, grease, tallow, etc., to 220 pounds, 44 cents; weighing 440 to 880 pounds, 5 cents; oighing more than 880 pounds, 74 cents; (3) for opening and closing j outside cask or covering, according to weight, 24 to 5 cents; (4) tin Pining and closing a cask containing dry merchandise whereby c e head is removed, 5 to 6 cents; (5) for opening and closing large „ Ses containing machinery and weighing more than 550 pounds, ^cording to size of cases and difficulty of work, 5 to 12 cents; (6) e\- F , C0Ver ing cases with jute, canvas, or other textile material, for *p| ,v square meter of such material used, 124 cents. •fo ho.full text of the elaborate code of regulations from which the icgoing is translated is not printed and is contained only in a 52 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. manuscript code issued by the customs authorities to chiefs of divisions. ­ A complete copy of the same has been obtained and is inclosed with this report..“ Frank H. Mason. Consul-General. Berlin, Germany, July 23, lOOJj.. DRESDEN. (From United States Consul-General Cole, Dresden, Germany.) The system of storage prevailing in the United States is almost unknown here and instances where money is lent by banks on warehouse ­ certificates are exceedingly rare. There are two bonded warehouses in Dresden, both owned and controlled ­ by the Saxon government, but the officers in charge positively refuse to give me any information regarding the dimensions, traffic, capacity, or charges, and the houses are so little used that reliable information can not be gained from patrons or outsiders. From latest printed reports I learn that these warehouses received 11,072 tons and delivered 11,579 tons during the year 1902, and I have no reason to believe that the traffic has materially increased since. The goods stored consisted mainly of petroleum, tobacco, coffee, grain, sugar, wine, and some cigarette paper. This merchandise ­ is brought by barges on the River Elbe from Hamburg or Bohemia, arid is usually under customs seal when received; if not, each package is sealed before being placed in warehouse. The printed report for 1902 shows that the receipts and deliveries were about equal, indicating that property was not stored long. The warehouses are not used by Americans, and except grain and petroleum ­ no American products are stored. While the officers in charge declined to give other information, they assured me that the same terms are accorded all patrons, regardless of nationality. As the bonded warehouses are owned and controlled by the Saxon government, they are in charge of customs officials or sworn officers of the kingdom. The meager use made of the two bonded warehouses ­ in this city, and the fact that Dresden is situated so far inland, lead me to believe that any further report from this post would not be valuable. Chas. L. Cole, Consul-General. Dresden, Germany, July 1, 1904. FRANKFORT. (From United States Consul-General Guenther, Frankfort, Germany.) On receipt of the Department’s circular I addressed the Royal Prussian ­ custom-house authorities of Frankfort-on-the-Main with reference ­ to the questions contained therein, and received the following information : The dimensions and original cost of the warehouses, approxia On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. GERMANY! FRANKFORT. 53 matcly, could not be given on account of lack of data. The warehouses ­ are owned partly by the State of Prussia and partly by the city of Frankfort. They are conducted by the Royal Prussian custom-house authorities. The administration of the warehouse cares for the safety of the goods deposited; as a general rule only goods upon which duty has yet to be paid may be deposited. Goods which are usually kept in packages must be in good condition so far as packing is concerned, mid defects in packing must be repaired before depositing goods. Goods the deposit of which may be injurious to the warehouses, as those suspected of infection, or which may be subject to spontaneous combustion or may explode, or which may injure other goods near, an d articles which may become putrid will not be admitted for storage. A register of all goods stored is kept, and the depositor receives a storage receipt. The administration is justified in considering the holder of the storage certificate competent to dispose of the goods, ail d is not obliged to make inquiry whether he is the legitimate owner of the receipt. If the administration has, however, been notified ­ that the receipt has passed into wrong hands, a note is made of it ln the register, and the goods can not be withdrawn until the competent ­ authority has decreed who is the rightful owner. Stored goods may be transferred by presenting the receipt and taking request to that effect. If, in the discretion of the management, ­ no objection is made, a corresponding change is made in the Register and the receipt ; eventually a new receipt is issued. If a receipt bas been lost the depositor of the goods must notify the management. A duplicate receipt will eventually be issued, and a note of it made in the register. Each withdrawal in part of the goods stored is noted y the management on the receipt; after all the goods have been withdrawn ­ the receipt remains with the customs authorities. The depositor can supervise his goods; he can lock them, in which case the method of locking must appear in his request for storage, the depositor is obliged to look after his goods from time to time and See to it that they are not injured on account of their position by yermin, etc., and if there has been such injury to notify the officer m charge. The depositor is permitted, on giving written notice to the management, ­ to take samples of the goods stored by him. The opening of _he packages, the taking of samples, and the closing of the packages ­ anew must be done in the presence of an officer. The weight of the samples taken must be noted in the register, and if the total weight 'd the samples is subject to duty it must be paid when the goods are finally withdrawn. Owners and owners’ agents are allowed to repack goods in the warehouses under the supervision of customs officials for he purpose of dividing, sorting, cleaning, preserving them, etc., pro-Vl ded suitable room exists. Notice of such repacking must be given in ^rating and the receipt exhibited, and then the repacking can only be Proceeded with after the management has assigned an official for supermini). ­ Packages which become empty through repacking have to T a y duty if removed from the warehouse. . The custom authorities refused to answer questions relating to C an( l receipts and expenditures. fhe chief articles stored at Frankfort are coffee, tobacco, sparkling 54 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. wines, and cereals. Whether Americans make use of these warehouses ­ 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 organized ­ 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 customs ­ officers, the movement of vessels and merchandise is exempt from every customs control, and the unlimited construction of industrial ­ 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 manipulation ­ 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. GERMANY: HAMBURG. 55 further provisions, terms, etc., I refer to the inclosed copy of the complete articles of the Hamburger Freihafen-Lagerhaus-Gesellschaft,“ as well as to the report on the free harbor of Hamburg prepared ­ by my predecessor, Consul Robertson, and transmitted to the Department of State on November 27, 1895.* WAREHOUSES IN THE FREE HARBOR. ^ent for the storing and manipulating of merchandise, etc., to 165,085 square meters (197,442 square yards). The approximate original cost of the warehouses was about $5,000,000. The Hamburger Freihafen-Lagerhaus-Gesellschaft not only leases entire buildings, floors, and rooms to private firms and persons, but also operates itself a number of warehouses and sheds for the storing of merchandise, etc. A detailed account of service can be seen from the inclosed copy of the regulations and tariff of the company,“ containing ­ all regulations, specified tariff of charges for storing, weighdelivering, etc., of goods, and further particulars, thus giving a clear picture of the manner in which the services are performed. The approximate annual receipts on account of services amount to *•>00,000 and the expenditures to $250,000. Full particulars are shown by the inclosed report of the company for the year 1903, c containing, ­ among other information, balance sheets, giving all receipts, <ls ?pts, expenditures, and liabilities. , Most of the firms which have rented storage room or entire buildln gs from the corporation operate such storage entirely on their own account and under self-management, without control on the part of the company. Besides, several buildings and floors are let to so-called . Vuartiersleute," whose business consists in storing and manipulatweighing, sampling, etc.—merchandise for merchants whose Prices are located in the city proper and who do not operate warehouses ­ of their own in the free harbor. In addition to the warehouses of the Hamburger Freihafen-Lageraus-Gesellscliaft there are several other warehouses in the free hari 0 ? conducted by private firms, who are the proprietors of such hildings. Whereas the warehouses owned by the Freihafenagerhaus-Gesellsdiaft are exclusively modern structures equipped mh all necessary appliances for lifting, warehousing, and unhousn g of merchandise, both by land and water, the privately owned arehouses are generally old buildings on the south bank of the j v ' v .er Elbe, which are almost exclusively used for the storing of H ilk goods which do not require special care and attention, and conwl! /! n in the ümeau °f Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, & Tni nia ^ consulted by parties interested. 8 valuable report was printed in Consular Report No. 185, for February, Inin’ 4 >ai ’ es 137 to 194. It gives a history of the port and its relations to the for i ria ' postoms Union, a description of the natural and artificial facilities ti Addling trade, cost of the works, charges for service, etc., the port regulac s, and the extent of the trade. Uu file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 56 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. sequently the rates of storage are lower than those charged in the modern storing houses of the company. Almost all lines of business, particularly in foreign products of all classes, in order to facilitate transit trade without customs interference, ­ are represented in the free harbor. Coffee is the chief article ­ stored in these warehouses. The inventory at the end of last year showed a stock of almost 1,500,000 bags in the stores of the company. ­ Other articles stored in these warehouses are meats, lard, oil, fruits, grains and seeds, foodstuffs, lumber, sugar, metal and metal goods, wines and liquors, etc. Americans make considerable use of these warehouses. As the rates of storage are considerably lower than those for storage in American bonded warehouses, and as there is no interference on the part of the custom-house authorities and almost no formalities connected ­ with the entry of merchandise and the storing of the same, large quantities of American whisky, for instance, are permanently stored in the free harbor, such whisky being kept in store here until properly seasoned, when it is reshipped to the United States. Furthermore, ­ all the large American firms represented in this city, such as the largo packing companies, the more important harvesting and sewing machine companies, hardware manufactories, etc., constantly store goods in local bonded warehouses. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses. Almost all warehouses, both those located in the free harbor and those in the city, within the customs union, are situated along the waterways in the city and harbors, and goods may be removed from boat directly to warehouse and vice versa. The charges therefor vary between 25 and 75 cents per ton, according to the quantities transported. As T have said above, the customs officials do not exercise any supervision ­ over the warehouses within the free harbor, which is treated exactly like a foreign country. WAREHOUSES IN THE CITY. Besides the several warehouses in the free harbor, there are also ß number of bonded stores and warehouses in the city proper. When Hamburg was annexed to the customs union in 1888 there were hundreds ­ of merchants and wholesale dealers who chiefly dealt in and exported to foreign countries foreign-made goods, and who owned of had long-running contracts for warehouses in the city within the ne# customs boundary. To avoid prejudicing their interests, or otherwise ­ compromising them, these people were permitted to continue to store in their private warehouses dutiable goods upon which the duty had not yet been collected, under the following conditions: Goods upon which the customs authorities have a claim can bo stored in private warehouses, with or without joint locking by the customs ­ authorities and the owner. These private warehouses aro classed as: (a) Transit warehouses, where the identity of each separate ­ package is kept track of, and some of the goods stored are intended for consumption within the customs district, and at the same tim e some are intended, partly or wholly, for consumption in foreign countries, (b) Division warehouses, when the identity of each separate ­ package is not kept track of, and no distinction is made betweei' GERMANY: HAMBURG. 57 goods intended for consumption within the customs district and those partially or wholly for consinnption in foreign countries, (c) Credit warehouses, when the goods are intended for consumption within the customs district, and are stored only for the purpose of securing the customs duty due or credited upon them. Private warehouses are allowed to be maintained only by parties who keep a proper set of commercial books, who enjoy the confidence °f the customs authorities, and who personally reside in the town where the warehouse is situated, or have residing there a duly accredited ­ representative. Che space in the private warehouse must be arranged in such a manner that the goods can be stored there separate and apart from other goods. In warehouses which are jointly locked by the customs ­ authorities and owners, the partitions must be of such a nature that no goods can be placed in or withdrawn from the storage space Without the opening of the official lock, or the easily detected damaging ­ of the inclosing partitions. fhe official customs locking is done with special patent locks, which the customs authorities furnish at the expense of the warehouse owner. Private warehouses must, if under lock of the customs authorities, always be kept under the private lock of the warehouse keeper or owner. The owner of a private warehouse is responsible for the customs duties on the goods entered, and, in “ credit ” warehouses, these duties are levied according to the weight of the goods at the time of their receipt without regard to any diminution or damage which may arise during their storage through natural influences or accidental occurences. ­ The same rule applies to “ transit ” and “ division ” warelouses not under lock of the customs authorities, so long as it is not Proved that the duty has been paid at some other place, or that the goods have been entered at some other private warehouse, or, finally, uat they have been exported. floods intended for entry in a private warehouse are, as a rule, examined at the custom-house from which their transportation to ne private warehouse under joint lock of the customs authorities must be controlled. The chief of the office may decide whether the ^Patching can take place at any other place, and whether fhe warehouse ­ owner has to pay the customs authorities for this concession, an <l, if so, how much! " P°r each “transit” and “credit” warehouse a special account is (¡poned at the custom-house. The entry and writing off of the goods ? r transit” warehouses under joint lock of the customs authoril0i h and for “ division ” and “ credit ” warehouses is done according o the net weight, or if the goods are dutiable on their gross weight, i Wording to the gross weight. Goods which are dutiable by the piece mitered and written ofl according to their number. The customs c majorities may at any time make an examination of the warehouse. o y le time during which private warehouses under joint lock of the ( ustems authorities may be kept open is determined by the customs n ,C \ ^ not exceeding 3 marks (71 cents) per officer per day lay be collected from the warehouse proprietor for the watching of u Warehouses during the time they are open. As a rule goods may be stored only six months in “ credit ” waro-°uses. Exceptions may be made by authority of the customs office, 58 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. but the extension of time granted must not go beyond the end of the calendar year. Goods deposited in “ transit” and “ division ” warehouses ­ may generally be stored there for a period not exceeding five years. If goods which have been entered at “ transit ” warehouses at different times are packed into one package, the time of storage is figured from the day on which the part which has been stored longest ­ was entered. For " division ” warehouses the storage limit is controlled ­ by writing off such goods as are to be withdrawn from the shipment which has been stored longest. Exceptions are also permitted ­ in the cases of “ transit ” and " division ” warehouses. “Transit ” warehouses without the joint lock of the customs authorities ­ are permissible for goods which are subject to no higher duty than 3 marks (71 cents) per 100 kilograms (220.40 pounds), but the head finance authority may permit this concession in exceptional cases for goods subject to no higher duty than 6 marks ($1.42) per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds). The repacking, dividing, and treating of goods for the purpose of assorting, cleaning, and preserving them is permitted during the time of their storage, and even a further treatment of them may be permitted ­ provided this does not alter their character sufficiently to bring them under another heading of the tariff. If, in repacking, packages of different numbers, kind, description, or weight are to be made, notice thereof must be given the customs authorities in advance. Duties on goods which have passed into the customs district for consumption are computed and paid twice a year (July and January). As long as a " division ” warehouse is open, its entrance is constantly guarded by a customs officer, who is at all times authorized to enter the warehouse. Goods in a “ division ” warehouse which have become entirely spoiled or useless are written off free of duty from the customs ­ account after they have been entirely destroyed under customs supervision. “ Credit ” warehouses are, as a rule, not placed under joint lock of the authorities. Goods of any description may be deposited in them. These warehouses within the customs district are nearly all situated ­ on the city canals, which are in direct communication with the waterways of the port. Transportation to and from them is therefore ­ cheap. Rents for them are not so high as for those in the free port. The fees charged by the customs authorities for the services of their officers are comparatively low. These advantages are regarded ­ as outweighing the disadvantage of having one’s goods under the constant control of the customs authorities, and consequently these private warehouses are rather popular with many merchants; however, ­ the majority of transit goods are warehoused in the free harbor. Accurate statistics as to the dimensions and costs of the warehouses in the free harbor other than those operated by the Hamburger Freihafen-Lagerhaus-Gesellschaft, and for those in the city proper, are not obtainable. The Hamburg free-harbor system differs so considerably ­ from the systems adopted by other countries that a comparison can scarcely be drawn. The facilities thereby offered are unequaled, but it would be impossible to adopt the same system in other ports without such a transformation of an entire city district as took place when Hamburg was annexed to the German Customs Union in 1888. Hugh Pitcairn, Consul-General. Hamburg, Germany, August d, 100J. GERMANT: BREMEN. 59 BREMEN. (From United States Consul Diederich, Bremen, Germany.) FREE PORT OF BREMEN. The Free State of Bremen has two large free ports on the right bank of the river Weser—that is, a territory outside of the customs union border—where merchandise of all kinds may be stored and whence, after payment of duty, it may enter Germany or pass in bond through German territory to foreign countries. These territories exempt from duty are situated on both sides of the harbors at Bremerhaven ­ and Bremen, and are commonly called the Freihafen—that is, free harbor. As the free harbor at Bremen is the larger of the two, and as the means employed in shipping and storing merchandise are similar, I furnish only such information as I could gather about the warehouses at Bremen. WAREHOUSE BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT. Of the three large basins which comprise the free harbor of Bremen, basin No. 1 measures 2,000 meters (6,561.6 feet) in length and 120 meters (393.7 feet) in width, and has a depth of 8 meters (26.2 feet). The warehouses on both sides of this basin are owned by the State of Bremen and let to the Bremer Lagerhaus Gesellschaft under a contract, ­ according to which the State of Bremen has 75 per cent of the net profits and the Bremer Lagerhaus Gesellschaft the remainder. In this district of the free harbor the above-named company occupies at present ten warehouses of an average size of 170 meters (577.7 feet) in length and 30 meters (98.4 feet) in depth, each being six or seven stories high. Each of these floors is divided into compartments. Tlie cost of building one of these warehouses was about $266,250. The warehouses are for rent, either as a whole or in parts. On both sides of the harbor, separated from the quay only by a railway track and the movable hydraulic cranes of 4,000 kilograms (8,818.5 pounds) lifting capacity, are strongly built sheds used for storing transit goods. One of these sheds is two stories high and can be heated so as to serve for the storing of fruit. The business in all the Warehouses, sheds, etc., is conducted by the Bremer Lagerhaus Gesellschaft ­ in a manner specified by the aforementioned contract between the State and the company, under which contract also the fees are prescribed for all services rendered by the company. CHARGES. Each vessel loading or unloading has to pay 10 pfennigs (2.38 cents) per 1,000 kilograms (2204.6 pounds) on all freight handled at the quay, with the exception of bunker coal and the materials and equipments of vessels. In the tariff of charges for loading and unloading ­ merchandise, the latter is divided into four classes, which pay different rates, as follows: (1) General merchandise, not named in one of the following groups, is charged 8£ pfennigs (2.Ó23 cents) per 100 kilograms for unloading and putting in warehouse or shed, and vice 60 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. versa ; (2) class S. 1, comprising asphalt, barytes, cotton-seed cake, potatoes, maize, saltpeter, clay, etc., is charged 6 pfennigs (1,428 cents) per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds) ; (3) class S. 2, comprising briquettes, rails, rice flour (in bags) pig iron, sugar in bags, etc., is charged 5 pfennigs (1.19 cents) per 100 kilograms; (4) class M, bulky goods, such as stones, cokes, fertilizers, and raw materials for the manufacture of fertilizers, iron ore, gravel, kranit, coal, paving stones, sand, etc., in quantities of at least 100 metric tons (of 2,204.6 pounds each, are subject to special agreement. If handled in smaller quantities, these goods are, like those of class S. 1, charged 6 pfennigs (1.428,cents) per 100 kilograms. For goods that are not put into storage, but only loaded over from vessel into railway car or vice versa, charges are according to the following tariff: General merchandise, 5 pfennigs (1.19 cents) per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds) ; classes S. 1 and S. 2, 2f pfennigs (0.595 cent) per 100 kilograms (220.40 pounds) ; class M, 10 pfennigs (2.38 cents) per 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds). Pieces of merchandise that weigh more than 2,000 kilograms (4,409.25 pounds) are loaded and unloaded by means of a floating steam crane of 40,000 kilograms (40 metric tons, or 44 American short tons) lifting power, charges ranging from about 35 cents for each 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds) , in case the piece does not weigh over 4 tons, to about $2.85 per 1,000 kilograms, if the article weighs nearly the full capacity of the crane. If the goods are first deposited on the quay, so that the crane has to be put into operation again, an additional ­ fee is charged. Merchandise arriving by water and not intended to be put in storage may be kept in the quay sheds or in the open, if the condition of the goods will permit, for four days free of charge, and goods ariving by rail and intended for exportation by vessel are granted free storage for eight days. The charges for storage are prescribed specifically for each kind of merchandise and are quoted per month. For example, apples, per case, 3 pfennigs (0.714 cent) ; apples, per barrel, 10 pfennigs (2.38 cents) ; asphalt, per bag, 5 pfennigs (1.19 cents) ; cotton, East Indian, per bale, 15 pfennigs (3.57 cents) ; cotton, American, per bale, 25 pfennigs (5.95 cents) ; cotton-seed cake and cotton seed flour, 50 pfennigs (11.9 cents) per 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds) ; beer, per case, 10 pfennigs (2.38 cents) ; cacao and coffee, per bag, 5 pfennigs ­ (1.19 cents); cocoanuts, per 100 kilograms, 8 pfennigs (1.9 cents) ; grain, heavy, in bags, per 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds), 40 pfennigs (9.52 cents) ; grain, heavy, loose, per 1,000 kilograms, 50 pfennigs (11.9) cents; grain, light, in bags, per 1,000 kilograms, 50 pfennigs (11.9 cents) ; grain, light, loose, per 1,000 kilograms, 60 pfennigs (14.28 cents) ; corkwood, per bale, 15 pfennigs 3.57 cents) ; palm kernels, per 100 kilograms,* 5 pfennigs (1.19 cents), etc. GOODS STORED AND CUSTOMS SUPERVISION. The chief articles stored here are American cotton, tobacco, coffee, flour, dried fruits, lard, cacao, drugs, meat, wool, and sugar. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses. Germany: breslau. 61 The entire free harbor is under control of the custom-house—that is to say, no merchandise is allowed to pass the gates.of this district without paying the duty or being put in bond for exportation to other countries. Each consignee of goods is bound to make a declaration of entry and each shipper of goods has to make a declaration of export to the custom-house, giving the number of packages, marks and numbers, ­ contents, gross and net weights, and place of origin or destination ­ of the merchandise referred to. These declarations are made under oath and are wanted chiefly for statistical purposes. WAREHOUSE RECEIPTS. In conclusion it may be stated that the warehouse receipts issued by the Bremer Lagerhaus Gesellschaft are negotiable under the laws of this State if they are accompanied by warrants. Henry W. Diederich, Consul. Bremen, Germany, July 190b BRESLAU. (From United States Consul Man, Breslau, Germany.) There are two public warehouses in this city—one owned by a commercial ­ association, but controlled and operated by the Government, while the other is owned and conducted by the city authorities. The Government warehouse is owned by an association of merchants, ­ and while certain details of the business are managed by them, Jbe main conduct of the whole is in the hands of the Government. I he buildings cover an area of 3,000 square meters (3,588 square yards) and are three stories high. It is impossible to obtain even an approximate estimate as to the original cost of these warehouses, the buildings having been erected So long ago. Charges for storage vary greatly, ranging from 3 to 18 pfennigs (0.7 to 4.3 cents) per month for 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds). The Government warehouse is used chiefly for the storage of general ­ merchandise, and the city warehouse, in addition to general merchandise, ­ also receives agricultural products, the products of the mines, and all raw material. Estimates as to the length of time Roods as a rule remain in bond are not sufficiently satisfactory to fluote. There is, however, a time limit of five years from the date of receipt. No different treatment on account of nationality is accorded those applying for storage room in these warehouses, but so far as I can ascertain no use has as yet been made by Americans of the Breslau ­ warehouses. The facilities for removing goods from boat to the city warehouse are excellent, owing to the finely built docks and electric cranes. The general charges for removing goods from boat to warehouse and vice versa are as follows per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds): General merchandise, 7 pfennigs (1.666 cents) ; refined sugar (in loaf form), fO pfennigs (2.380 cents); raw sugar (in bags). 4 pfennigs (0.952 cents) ; artificial fertilizers, 7 pfennigs (1.666 cents) ; cement, 5 Pfennigs (1.190 cents). 62 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The customs officials have full care and supervision of the Government ­ warehouse, while the city warehouse is supervised and looked after by city officials, who, in case of goods subject to duty being deposited with them, are held responsible for the payment of the duty to the customs officials, and, furthermore, are authorized to demand a guaranty from the depositor for the payment of the amount of the duty. Ernest A. Man, Consul. Breslau, Germany, August 26,190If.. COLOGNE. (From United States Consul Barnes, Cologne, Prussia, Germany.) The area of the warehouses operated by the port administration of this city amounts approximately to 29.000 square meters (34,684 square yards). The original cost of the buildings was 2,330,000 marks ($554,540). They are owned and conducted by the town of Cologne. AÍI services usually rendered in connection with the receiving ­ and forwarding of merchandise are assumed by the administration ­ of the warehouses. The scale of charges for storage is inclosed herewith.® Receipts during the year 1903 were 94,000 marks ($22,372), and expenditures were 44,000 marks ($10,472). The goods chiefly stored are coffee, wine, sugar, and tobacco. Americans ­ make use of these warehouses, but to what extent I am unable to state, as no statistics are obtainable concerning the different nations. All nationalities are treated exactly alike. It is impossible to give any estimate as to the length of time goods are kept in bond, but they seldom remain longer than one year. The most modern machinery and methods are employed in removing ­ goods from boats to the warehouses. The cost of the service varies according to the kind of goods, and ranges from 2 to 3 cents per 220.46 pounds (100 kilos). The goods stored in the warehouses are all under the general supervision ­ of the town and customs authorities, and they can only be removed ­ after all the necessary official formalities have been complied with. Chas. E. Barnes, Consul. Cologne, Germany, November 15,1901f. FREIBURG. (From United States Consul Liefcld, Freiburg, Germany.) Freiburg is an inland city with custom-house and officials, but not provided with warehouses for storage or for distributing purposes. I understand that at Singen, between Constance and Schaffhausen, a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. Minimum charge is 50 pfennigs (11.0 cents). Rates per months for 220.4(5 pounds range from 1.1 cents for asphalt and potato or corn meal to 4.2 cents for such articles as cotton or woollen goods, eggs, tobacco, leather, glassware, and furniture. Germany: Magdeburg. 63 Switzerland, and at Basel, Switzerland, there are warehouses where goods coming from the south can be stored, while goods coming from the north have passed the large warehouses of Cologne and Frankfort, so it is probable that on account of these advantages in the cities to the north and south of Freiburg the need of storehouses in this city has not up to the present time been felt. As Freiburg is becoming an important railway center and a new and extensive freight depot is now in process of erection, there can be no doubt that in the near future a large warehouse will have to be constructed to satisfy the ever-increasing demands for better facilities ­ and accommodations. E. Theophilus Liefeld, Consul. Frieburg, Germany, October 1If, 190If. MAGDEBURG. (From United States Vice-Consul Breuer, Magdeburg, Germany.) The seaport of Magdeburg is Hamburg, and the bulk of foreign (transoceanic) trade of this consular district is transacted there. It inay, however, be of some interest to receive some information about the warehouses at this inland port. Magdeburg forms, so to speak, a n intermediate port, by means of the Elbe River, between Dresden a nd the southeast of Germany on the one side and Hamburg and the seaboard on the other. There are three principal warehouses in this city built for storage, !, t a nominal rental, of merchandise in transit or in bond, namely, the Städtisches Hafen- und Lagerhaus (municipal), capacity 20,000 tons; the Elblagerhaus (stock company), capacity 30,000 to 40,000 tons; a nd Albert Liiddecke & Co. (private enterprise), capacity 3,000 tons. They are built in generous dimensions and with all modern improvements, and are conducted in a most practical and systematic . . There is not much difference between these warehouses in the scale °f charges. Detailed information as to classes of goods, management, ("barges, time, etc., is given in the pamphlet inclosed. 0 All store, in bond or in transit, all kinds of goods, particularly beet sugar, raw and Wined, cereals, fertilizers, chemicals, oils, lard, etc., partly of American ­ origin. t There is no preferential treatment as to nationalities, but so far American firms have not been availing themselves to a great extent ?f these warehouses, inasmuch as their business is"almost exclusively Hi the hands of commission agents in Hamburg. Goods in bond are under the joint lock and control of the customhouse ­ officials and the warehouse owners. I take this opportunity to invite attention to a most interesting frook in German, called “ Das Deutsche Lagerhausgeschäft und Lagerhausrecht,” by Dr. Otto Goldberg, published in Zittau, Germany, ' v hich can be procured through this office. John B. Breuer, Vice-Consul. Magdeburg, Germany, August 31, 190.If. 0 On file In the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 64 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. MAINZ. (From United States Consul Schumann, Mainz, Germ any.) The bonded warehouses of this city, including a large warehouse for general storage, a grain elevator, a warehouse for the storage of petroleum, turpentine, benzine, etc., a warehouse for the storage of spirits, an inspection hall, and sundry small warehouses, are substantially ­ built brick structures of pleasing architectural lines, which were erected by the municipality of Mainz in the year 1887 at a total original cost of $363,639, exclusive of the cost of the ground. The total storage areas of the principal buildings are as follows: Main warehouse in the customs harbor, 129,150 square feet; grain elevator in the customs harbor, 58,609 square feet, with a capacity of 6,710 tons; cellar of the grain elevator, which is used for the storage of oil, lard, and wine, 7,761 square feet; inspection hall, 19,726 square feet; warehouse for petroleum, turpentine, benzine, etc., 7,213 square feet; warehouse for spirits, 8,815 square feet. Hydraulic cranes on rails unload the vessels directly at the doors of the warehouses. While the buildings belong to the municipality, the management is conducted by the Grand Ducal Hessian customs ollice at Mainz, and all goods are under close supervision and inspection of customs officials, and nothing can pass the gates of the inclosure to the customs harbor that has not been officially inspected. Goods may be stored in bond in the warehouses for a period of five years; but for good and sufficient reasons this period may be extended. On the average goods remain in bond one-half to one year. The goods chiefly stored in the bonded warehouses of this city are grains, spices, lumber, coffee, cocoa, cork stoppers, petroleum, rice, tobacco, tea, lard, lubricating oil, spirits, wine, and sugar. American goods stored in the bonded warehouses of this city are chiefly grains, lumber, petroleum, lard, lubricating oil, and tobacco. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses. The total receipts for the entire bonded-warehouse system average about $30,000 a year; the total expenditures about $27. r '00. The storage charges are based upon area of floor space in square meters (10.76 square feet) or weight in hundreds of kilograms (220.46 pounds), and are as follows:- For storage of wine, alcohol, etc., in the cellars of the warehouses, per square meter, for three years, $3.50; for one year, $1.43 ; for one month, 18 cents. F or the storage of oil, fats, and other articles requiring a low temperature, in cellars, per square meter, for three years, $2.14; for one year, 95 cents; for one month, 12 cents. For storage in the upper stories of the warehouses, per square motor, for three years, $2.14; for one year, 95 cents; for one month, 12 cents. For storage in the spirits warehouses, per square meter, for three years, $2.14; for one year, 95 cents; for one month, 18 cents. For storage in the petroleum warehouses, per square meter, for one year, 95 cents. For the storage of wheat, rye, barley, and .corn, loose, the charge per 100 kilograms is 5 pfennigs (1.19 cents) (220.46 pounds) ; and for oats, rape seed, malt, legumes, and linseed, 6 pfennigs (1.43 cents), all in quantities of at least 50,000 kilograms (110,200 pounds). For smaller quantities of various goods the storage ranges, according to the article—heavier articles being GERMANY: STETTIN. 65 cheaper than light—from 5 pfennigs (1.19 cents) to 18 pfennigs (4.28 cents) per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds) or part thereof, for one calendar month or fraction thereof. Walter Schumann, Consul. Mainz, Germany, July 21,190\ STETTIN. (From United States Consul Kehl, Stettin, Ocrmany.) THE FREE HARBOR AND ITS WAREHOUSES. The free harbor at Stettin, commenced on February 6, 1894. and opened for business during the latter part of 1898, covers an area of 61 hectares (150.73 acres). The cost of construction (in marks) up to the time of opening was placed as follows: Earth work on the basin and the raising of the surrounding land, 1,700,000; quay around basin, 3,000,000; two quay sheds, 950,000; one storehouse, including machinery furnishings, 1,117,500 ; office building, 495,000; machine bouse, 250,000; other buildings, 270,000; wire fencing and floating customs boat at entrance to harbor, 180,000; machinery, excepting that in storehouse, 700,000; railroad bed, ties, rails, etc., 875,500; paving and roadways, 1,200,000 ; locomotive, 100,000; gas and water connections, sewerage, ferry, drain, etc., 694,500; value of ground, 3,050,000; total, 14,582,500 ($3,470,635). Since the day of opening about 3,000,000 marks ($714,000) additional ­ have been spent on the harbor, in the way of new sheds, storehouse, building a second basin, etc. The sheds referred to in the above statement of cost are each 30 meters (98.4 feet) broad, 182 meters (593.8 feet) long, and contain 6,530 square yards of floor space. The plans of the harbor permit the erecting of ten such sheds. The store or ware house referred to is 20 meters (65.1 feet) broad and 182 meters (593.8 feet) long, and has five floors and cellar. The building is divided by fireproof walls into twelve compartments. As in the case of sheds, the plans of the harbor permit, if necessary, the erection ­ of eight such warehouses. The free harbor, the various buildings, ­ locomotives, and ferry are owned, operated, and conducted by the city. SERVICES. The advantages of the free harbor, from a patron’s point of view, are that the merchandise may remain in storage for an indefinite period without paying duty, and that at any time all or any part of the merchandise ­ stored may be withdrawn for inland transportation—in which event the customs duty must be paid—or the merchandise can be reexported, in which case a statement of nature, quantity, country °f origin, and country of destination must be furnished the harbor officials for statistical purposes. Patrons can use their certificate of merchandise in bond for collateral purposes by transferring the certificate ­ to the party or parties advancing the money. The services rendered by the administration of the warehouse are 18762—05 M 5 66 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. of a supervisory nature. Goods bound inland (except in bond) pay the necessary duty; merchandise reexported is tabulated for statistical ­ purposes. FEES FOR RENTAL, STORAGE, AND HANDLING. The following statement shows the fees for storing in closed compartments ­ and the use of open space in the free harbor: I. A. The city will rent single storerooms or whole parts of the warehouse. Leases for storage room made for one year are, at the expiration of the year, subject to three months’ notice to vacate (calculated ­ by the four quarters of the year) ; leases for more than one year are subject to a six months’ notice; for goods stored less than one year the time for giving notice is fixed by the harbor authorities. Kent for storage room is payable in advance. One year’s rent for a single storage room is, according to location, as follows: Storage rates in Stettin free-port Warehouses. Location. Cellar First floor. _ _ Second floor Third floor.. Fourth floor Fifth floor .. Size of room. Utmost weight to the square meter (10.70 square feet). Annual rental. Sq. ft. 2,483.3 2,529.5 2,661.8 2,604.8 2.604.8 2.004.8 Pounds. 2,204 3,966 3,305 2,204 2,204 1,102 $214.20 201.80 214.20 202.30 190.40 100.00 The above rates are to be used as a basis for calculating rentals for less than one. year. B. Space for storing in the open (not under roof) is let at the rate of 10 pfennigs (2.38 cents) per square meter (10.70 square feet) per month for an area of at least 100 square meters (1,070 square feet). If space is used for any other purpose except storing the rate of rental is set by the authorities. II. A. The city will accept goods for storage for a fee based on the weight of the article or articles to be stored. The charge amounts to 10 pfennigs (2.38 oents) per part or full month for every 100 kilograms ­ (220.40 pounds). A special rate of 5 pfennigs (1.19 cents) per 100 kilograms per month is made on the following articles: Ammonia, ­ water of ammonia, asphalt, cotton, cotton waste, tin, lead, manures, ­ foodstuffs, iron, mineral wax, guano, kaolin, grains, rosin, legumes, flour, lubricating oil, paraffin, phosphate, seeds, salt, lard (mentioning only articles coming from the United States). B. On 100 tons of packed merchandise there is a discount of 25 per cent, and on 500 tons a 50 per cent discount is made from the regular rate. C. For bulky merchandise, for which in proportion to weight a large amount of space is required, such as willow ware, furniture, chairs, empty cases, empty barrels, rags, feathers, wool, etc., the storage fee is increased 50 per cent. Germany: Stettin. 67 D. For storage in the open one-half the rates A to C will be charged. The officials in this case assume no responsibility whatever. E. Commenced months and parts of 100 kilograms are calculated as full months and full 100 kilograms. F. Charges are based on articles packed in the customary manner and of customary weight. For deviations from the general custom the storage fee is set by the authorities. Pieces of more than 1,500 kilograms (3,305 pounds) or pieces liable to catch fire will be refused. The authorities have the right to stipulate ­ what merchandise shall be accepted for storage. G. In special cases the authorities have the right to make special rates. III. A. Additional fees per 100 kilograms (220.40 pounds) are: (1) for handling during storing, 0.7 cent; (2) for handling when taken out, 0.7 cent (the fees given in 1 and 2 will be increased 1 pfennig ­ (0.238 cent) for merchandise in small packages, or if in pieces of less than 20 kilograms (44 pounds), or for loose articles, excepting oil cakes) ; (3) for transferring from shed to warehouse, or vice yorsa, with the use of a crane, 0.5 cent; (4) for raising or lowering in the warehouse from one floor to the other, each way, 0.5 cent; (5) for unloading or loading merchandise coming or going by rail, (a) including weighing, 1.4 cents, and (b) without weighing, 0.7 cent ; (G) for weighing merchandise, except as mentioned under 5, 1.2 cents; (7) for getting together certain marks and numbers from a pile of merchandise, 1.2 cents; (8) for filling or emptying sacks, (a) m connection with other services, 0.5 cent, and (b) otherwise, 1.2 cents. B. In warerooms rented as a whole, as many as four incandescent ­ lights will be put in at the expense of the renter. Light will be furnished at the rate of 5 pfennigs (1.2 cents) for two lights, and 10 pfennigs (2.4 cents) for four lights. The electric meter for determining ­ the amount of light used will be rented for 2 marks (47.0 cents) per year extra. The above tariff of fees refers to the renting of storerooms and the handling of merchandise for storage. The ordinary ship, port, and city dues, the use of the railways in the free harbor, cranes, city laborers, etc., are all extra, and embodied in the freight charges. RECEIPTS ANI) EXPENDITURES. The receipts from the warehouse, sheds, and rented open space and all other sources connected with the storing of merchandise, amounted to 47,300 marks ($11,257) in 1903. It is impossible to secure information as to the expenditures for such services, for the 1'cason that the expense account of the free harbor covers all services and outlays of every nature and kind, and does not itemize expenses for merchandise in bond or for ships and merchandise cleared, but embodies both lines under one head. In round figures the total receipts ­ from the free harbor were $50,000 less than the expenditures during 1903. GOODS STORED. Hog products, dried fruits, oleomargarine, and cotton oil are the Principal articles of American origin stored in the free harbor; the length of time that these articles remain in bond is regulated by the 68 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. condition of the market. Petroleum and mineral oils can not be stored there for any length of time. All nationalities are treated alike by the officials of the free harbor in the matter of storing or clearing merchandise, and in the entering and clearing of vessels. WAREHOUSES OUTSIDE THE FREE HARBOR. The " Packhof ” and the “ Vereins-Speicher ” are bonded Government ­ warehouses and under customs control like the free harbor. In these two warehouses whole compartments can not be rented; the storage ­ fee is based entirely on weight. " Gentzensohn’s Petroleum-Hof ” and several other “ oil yards ” are private bonded places for storing oils only, and charge as follows for storage: For weighing each barrel, 3 pfennigs (0.7 cent) ; storage fee per barrel for first month or part of month, 15 pfennigs (3.6 cents) ; storage fee for every subsequent month, per barrel, 10 pfennigs ­ (2.3 cents) ; open space (not under lock) per square meter (10.76 square feet) per month, 15 pfennigs (3.6 cents). Information as to receipts and expenditures of these private bonded warehouses is not obtainable. John E. Kehl, Consul. Stettin, Germany, July 1G, 1001^. GREECE. (From United States Consul McGinlcy, Athens, Greece.) In this country there are warehouses for storage of merchandise in transit or in bond at Piraeus, Syra, Patras, Corfu, and Calamata. There are two such warehouses at Piraeus, each about 50 by 30 feet; the dimensions and costs of the others have not been learned. The warehouses mentioned are owned and conducted by the Greek Government, ­ but there are others in Piraeus which are owned by private parties and conducted by their owners and by government officials. They arc used for the storage of cereals. The service seems to be satisfactory to the local patrons. I can not say how nonresidents view it. Officials of the customs service are in attendance at all hours. The rates charged for storage in the public or government warehouses ­ are 25 leptas (about $0.035 at present rate of exchange) per 100 okas (282.185 pounds) for less than 200 okas, and a little less for more than 200 okas, for each three months, without deducting tare. Merchandise remaining in the custom-houses over eight days are charged storage at these rates. Light or bulky goods or merchandise, such as baled hay, straw, or cotton, furniture, hats, children’s toys, and carriages, wool, manila fiber, silk cocoons, dried fruit, felt, baskets, ­ and many other articles pay double these rates. Landing and storage charges are paid at the time the goods are removed from the warehouses. No charges are collected by the government for cereals and other goods stored in private storehouses. If any record is kept none is available showing the receipts and expenditures of the warehouses for storage and transit in bond, sepa- ITALY*. ROME. 69 rate from those of the custom-houses, but the receipts from such warehouses ­ at Piraeus are estimated at nearly half of the income from the customs at that port. The classes of goods chiefly stored are groceries, dry goods, hats and caps, leather, cloth, tobacco, cotton, and nearly every kind of merchandise imported, except cereals, which are stored in private warehouses. Goods can remain in bond but two years. As a rule they remain not longer than four months. Americans seldom use the storage warehouses, a small quantity of machine oil having been the only commodity stored by them in Piraeus of late years. All nationalities are treated alike. All merchandise, with the exception of cereals, are unloaded by lighter directly from the vessels to the warehouses. The cost is about 10 drachmas (about $1.40) per ton. Cereals are unloaded at the dock, and cost 2 to 2.50 drachmas ($0.29 to $0.36) per 1,000 okas (2,821.85 pounds). Officers of the customs service are on guard at the warehouses day and night, and are supposed to see that the warehouses are kept clean and in repair. Daniel E. McGinley, Consul. Athens, Greece, October 7,190!>. ITALY. ROME. (From United States Consul-General De Castro, Rome, Italy.) The dimensions of the warehouses in Italy differ much according to the importance of the port of entry, and their costs can not be stated. They are part of the custom-house buildings and are under the control and management of the .custom-house authorities. Goods may be entered in transit or in bond. Duty need not be paid until the goods are withdrawn; while they are in a customs warehouse a tax of 1 centime (0.193 cent) per day and per parcel, box, or bag of 100 kilos (220.46 pounds) or less is charged. In custom-houses having no Warehouses a tax of 2 centimes (0.386 cent) per day and per 100 kilos or less is charged for custody. Any fraction of 100 kilos is calculated as 100 kilos. The revenue of the Borne warehouse is about 7,000 lire ($1,351) per year. No records are kept here of the revenue of other warehouses, as the receipts are turned into the treasury in bulk and not itemized. All sorts of goods not of a perishable nature, such as drugs, coffee, sugar, dry goods, and raw material, are stored. When goods arrive they may remain in the custom-house free of charge for a period of two weeks, which may be extended for another two weeks. All applications ­ must be made on stamped paper, costing 12 cents. At the expiration of the term the goods are removed into the warehouse, and may lie there for twelve months. Warrants or receipts are delivered so as to enable the owner of the goods to dispose of a part of them or all. As fast as the goods are withdrawn the duty is collected. All nationalities are treated alike by the administration. There is Ro kind of discrimination exercised. 70 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The cost of removal of goods from boat to warehouse depends entirely upon the kind of goods and upon the locality. As an average it might be said that it costs 12 francs ($2,316) per ton. The care and custody of the warehouses is exercised exclusively and rigorously by the custom-house authorities. The customs department ­ has a uniformed corps of guards with regular military training and under the command of officers. Their duties consist in guarding the approaches of every custom-house precinct and the entrances of the cities as well as the frontier, to prevent smuggling in the entrance and exit of dutiable goods. Hector de Castro, Consul-General. Rome, Italy, July 8,190If. CASTELLAMARE DI STABIA. (From United States Commercial Agent Crowninshicld, Castellamarc dl Stabia, Italy.) In this district warehouses for storage of merchandise in transit or in bond exist only in the Torre dell’ Annunziata. The dimensions are 390 by 330 feet and the cost was $120,000. The warehouses are owned and conducted by a company, which will discharge goods into their bonded warehouses, pay freight and all other expenses, and in some cases advance cash on deposits. It also takes charge of loading goods on board ship. The charges for storage are 10 cents per ton per month. Wheat is the chief commodity stored. Americans make no use of the warehouses; but all nationalities are treated alike by the administration. Goods are removed from lighters into warehouses ­ by hydraulic cranes at a cost of 50 cents per ton, and are loaded into lighters from warehouses by the same method and at the same price. They remain in bond usually about two months. Customs ­ officials have full supervision over all bonded goods. C. S. Crowninsiiield, Commercial Agent. CASTELLAMARE DI Sl’AMA, ITALY, July 27, 1901+. CATANIA. (From United States Consul Heingartner, Catania, Italy.) There are no bonded warehouses in this consular district. The ¡ regulations of the custom-house, however, are very favorable for (he storage of goods and withdrawal for shipment elsewhere without payment ­ of customs dues. Nonperishable merchandise can be reshipped without payment of customs duties within the period of two years. The storage of perishable goods is limited to three months. The charge for storage is 0.01 lira (one-fifth of a cent) per day per 100 kilos (220.4 pounds). The storage of lubricating oils for sale to steamers is about the extent that the storage privilege is used I by Americans at this port. The custom-house being situated in the harbor, the cost of removal j of goods for reshipment is nominal. Alexander Heingartner, Consul. Catania, Italy, July 11+, 190.!+. ITALY: GENOA. 71 GENOA. (From United States Consul Bishop, Genoa, Italy.) There are in Genoa three large warehouse enterprises, called the " Magäzzini Generali Genovesi ” (Genoese general warehouses), the “Deposito Franco di Genova ” (customs-free warehouse of Genoa), and the “Emporio Commerciale della Dársena” (dock commercial warehouse). At the first-mentioned warehouse goods are subjected to custom-house registration and oversight from their arrival; at the second, ­ the customs takes no cognizance of goods till they are actually delivered into the country, the warehouse being meanwhile a free zone where they can be manipulated; at the third, there is in the different ­ departments a mixture of both these plans. 1 will answer the questions in order with respect to each establishment, and also transmit ­ a number of printed pamphlets.® MAGAZZINI GENERALI GENOVESI. BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT. The various buildings and their dimensions are: One warehouse, length 1,020 feet, width 00 feet, having four floors with 36 compartments ­ connected by fireproof iron doors ; total floor area nearly 350,000 square feet net; one warehouse, ground floor only, of 2,000 square feet; one warehouse, ground floor only, 1,800 square feet. The original ­ cost, including cranes and machinery, was $1,500,000. These structures are owned and conducted by the Customs and Bonded Warehouses Company (Limited), of London, under a concession from the Italian Government dated June 28, 1898. SERVICES RENDERED. The services performed include the berthing of ships for discharging ­ or loading, reception of goods for temporary deposit in transit, collection and distribution of merchandise throughout the country, depositing of goods in warehouses for subsequent sale or disposal in gross or detail, and obtaining loans or advances against collateral security issued by the company in the form of warrants or deposit certificates; also the discharging and loading of vessels, landing and shipping of goods, loading and unloading of railway wagons and carts, transit of goods, and storage in bond or free warehouses of all kinds of merchandise, comprising such commercial operations as may be required, as weighing, preparing for sale, guaging, bulking, or repacking. The company deals only with foreign merchandise. CHARGES. The printed copy® of the tariff of charges shows the maximum amount that may be charged. In practice, however, lower tariffs are applied, according to the exigencies of business. Some idea of the actual charges in vogue may be gathered from the following examples: 0 On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 72 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Charges for storing specified commodities at the Magazzini Generali, Genoa, Italy. The principal classes of goods stored are cotton from the United States, India, and Egypt; agricultural machinery, manufactured goods, lumber, iron tubes, stores, and general merchandise from the United States; grain, seed, teak, and corn from the river Plate and India; wine from Spain and Greece; sulphate of copper, ammonia, and chemical products, machinery, pig iron, and fire bricks from Great Britain; wool from Algeria, Spain, and Australia; steel and iron from Germany. The length of time goods remain in bond varies, but two or three months is the average period. Directly, Americans use the warehouses very little, but indirectly very largely ; that is to say, large quantities of cotton and goods from the United States are warehoused here in the names of Italian agents. The concern offers exceptional facilities for the security of American shippers who desire to do business in Italy under a plan by which, instead of consigning goods to the agent and so losing all control over them, the shipper may consign the goods to this company, which receives ­ them and delivers them to the agent as shippers may direct from time to time in whatever quantity desired. This secures the shipper against fraud and is a guaranty that the goods will remain under his own control until he releases them to receivers on this side. No distinctions are allowable under any consideration. There are electric traveling cranes with capacity up to .1,500 kilos (3,307 pounds), and steam cranes up to 5 tons capacity at the warehouses. ­ The cost for labor, landing, or loading from or to vessels ; is on the average 50 centimes (9.7 cents) per ton, plus about 10 centimes (1.93 cents) for cranage. fished on the spot, with a full corps of examining officers and customs guards, who verify the ingress and egress of all goods to insure correctness ­ of description, weight, and regularity of declaration according ­ to the customs laws. The company has also given a bond of 80,000 fire ($15,440) to the Government, and is under the penalty of , losing its concession if irregularities in regard to revenue interests are permitted. Rent per ton per week. Kind of merchandise. Goods in sacks and bags, such as wheat, corn, barley, seed, rice, meal Option and vegetable fibers 10 1.9 25 4.8 10 1.9 30 5.8 20 8.9 15 2.9 30 6.8 10 1.9 15 2.9 Timber, planks, and boards Wine Tallow, oils, and grease. Sulphate soda, and dry goods in casks Iron and steel in pigs or billets under cover. ►^uipnate soda, ano. ( Coffee, cocoa, sugar. Tvat» nrï/I a! i vï /■v Iron and steel bars, rods, or plates. CUSTOMS SUPERVISION. A customs office especially for these warehouses and quays is est ah- ITALY: GENOA. 73 In addition to the above information, the descriptive pamphlet“ gives the plan and various views of the warehouses externally and internally. THE DEPOSITO FRANCO OF GENOA. BUILDINGS ANI) MANAGEMENT. The Deposito Franco occupies a total area of about 172,227 square feet. The buildings are: One main warehouse of four stories, including ­ the ground floor, with an area of 21,097 square feet; eleven special warehouses of three stories, including the ground floor, with total area of 134,542 square feet, separated by streets suitable for the traffic, and an open warehouse or shed, iron, with an area of 16,415 square feet for the loading and unloading of goods within the general ­ inclosure. There are four hydraulic elevators for lifting merchandise ­ to the different floors. These are moved by the water power that works the hydraulic cranes of the port of Genoa. The buildmgs and appurtenances are all thoroughly modern, and together with their contents are kept with great neatness. Negotiations are now in progress to considerably enlarge the area devoted to this enterprise by taking in adjacent ground. The Deposito Franco is a continuation of the ancient Porto Franco (free port or zone) which dates back to the commencement of the commercial history of Genoa. A part of the old buildings with fortified ­ walls and entrance gate are still seen. In its present form it was established under a general law of the Kingdom of Italy dated 1876 by the chamber of commerce of Genoa, in whose hands its management ­ is vested. A pamphlet containing the general law, decrees, and mternal regulations is forwarded herewith.“ The chamber of commerce ­ of Genoa owns and manages the warehouses. SERVICES RENDERED. The service performed is much the same as at the Magazzini Gener> ali, except that there is entire freedom for manipulating, cleaning, mixing, or changing the form of the various products—as, for instance, ­ coffee, sugar, rice, oils, etc.—and also for manufacturing should the introduction of any kind of manufacturing into the precincts ­ be found desirable. The Deposito has the right of extraterritoriality, ­ and the merchandise pays duty only on the form in which it is introduced into the country, and not on that in which it arrives at the port. On page 13 of the pamphlet referred to will be found a list of the articles excluded from deposit. Since March 25, 1900, the exclusion extends to foreign wines. The cause of the exclusion of wines is that after the mixing and other manipulation it is impracticable to follow accurately the schedule of duties which are fixed differently for countries ­ with the “ most favored nation ” clause and others. The remaining ­ articles excluded are those of government monopoly, or those thought to entail danger or too much inconvenience or risk of mss in the guardianship. There is a separate depository (municipal) tor the storage of petroleum and other inflammable materials. “On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 74 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The treatment of sugars was once a very great interest in the Deposito Franco, but since 1807, with the notable development of the Italian sugar-manufacturing industry, few foreign sugars arrive. A few hundred sacks will now be found on deposit against 100.000 at one time. There are some rooms in the buildings which can be used as private offices, so that the depositors can carry on their entire business there if they so desire. CHARGES. The tariff of charges furnished me is the following (translated from the Italian) : Charges for storing specified commodities at the Deposito Franco, Genoa, Italy-Kind of merchandise. Rent per too per month. FIRST CATEGORY. Hides, dry or green, of all weights, from Africa Dry hides, weighing over 1,500 kilos (3,307 pounds), from all other countries Dry hides, weighing under 1,500 kilos (3,307 pounds), from all other countries Green hides, any kind or weight, from all other countries Dry skins of rabbit, beaver, otter, and other similar species Tanned hides of whatever country of origin, kind, or weight Hides with the wool on Lire. Cents-2.50 1. X0 3.00 2. (0 I 5.00 5.00 1.50 96. g SECOND CATEGORY (COLONIAL PRODUCTS). Coffee in sacks Coffee in barrels Sugar in sacks Sugar in barrels Chocolate Pepper THIRD CATEGORY (DRUGS AND CHEMICALS). Alum, bolo, chloride of calcium, red lead, litharge, potassium, Scotch and English ­ red, salts of soda, dye earths Antimony, arsenic Alizari, glue, coralline, curcuma, cream of tartar, euphorbium, pungent salts, extract of tamarind, tartar v Aloes, aniseed, asafetida, Berlin blue, belzuino balsamo, borax, wild orach, coriander, ­ gum arable, gum lac. incense, licorice, manna, molasses, honey, castor oil, pignoli nuts, roots, rubbia, semen santo, senna, verdigris, vitriol Allspice, cassia, Peruvian bark, colocynth, magnesia, sarsaparilla, sponges Cinnamon, cantharides, cochineal, clove, scammony, tea, saffron FOURTH CATEGORY (WOOD). Dyewoods Wood for cabinetwork .00 .00 .50 .70 .80 .00 .70 .80 1.00 1.50 2.50 5.00 .80 1.00 % Î ÿ 19.3 S ¡i FIFTH CATEGORY (METALS). Iron in bars, hoops, sheets and plates, anchors, chains, nails, cannon, lead 70 Gun barrels, manufactured iron, wire, tinned sheets, copper in pigs or rods, scrap iron, steel rods, tin in pigs and sheets, zinc in pigs and sheets, copper and brass wire 1.50 13.5 SIXTH CATEGORY (MISCELLANEOUS). Cotton in bales Alabaster, starch, white lead, glass bottles, hemp,earthenware Almonds,quicksilver,hair, glue stock, writing paper, hardware, manufactured sundries,oils, clay pipes, soap,camel’s hair,dried fruits.eleaned wool, window and mirror glass, linen and cotton yarn, horsehair, deer and cattle horns, crucibles Ivory, wax, corks, bamboo canes Washed wool _ Indian tortoise shell .80 1.00 1.50 2.50 3.90 5.00 Italy: genoa. 75 Articles stored in the stairways, corridors, and alleys will pay but three-fourths of the foregoing rates. A full month’s rental is charged, even though the goods should replain no longer than a day. At the expiration of a month the succeeding ­ charges are by periods of fifteen days. At the end of the year all goods in storage are held to pay the charges up to the end of December, even though they still continue on deposit. This is for the purpose of aiding the management in its statement of accounts, (foods can not be withdrawn from deposit till all storage charges have been paid. For articles not named in the present tariff the charges will be according to weight and quality, and charges on similar articles. The managing committee of the Deposito Franco will decide in case of controversy arising as to articles not previously contemplated and provided for. OTHER DETAILS. The statement of receipts and expenditures is not furnished. Much the same classes of goods are stored as in the Magazzini Generali. Americans do not use these warehouses very much, either directly or indirectly. The products of South America, on the other hand, are very largely represented. All nationalities are treated exactly alike. As a rough estimate, I should say that goods remain in storage an average of three or four months. The transfer of goods from boat to warehouse, etc., is a matter in charge of a different company, this depository concerning itself only with the storage. The facilities for such transfer are excellent, and (he costs will not vary greatly from those given for the Magazzini Generali. The custody and movement of the goods deposited are entirely free from customs formalities. They must, however, be stored in such a Way as allow the customs officers to recognize easily their character «ml quality. THE DOCKS COMMERCIAL WAREHOUSES. BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT. There are seven different quartier!, or precincts, containing Warehouses of several stories; the precints are separated by roadways, which are well equipped with railway tracks connecting with a freight station close by. There is a covered area of 401,2(58 square feet, besides 59,807 square feet more in platforms. The total storage capacity is (50,000 tons. The establishment is located at and makes Part (if the ancient navy dockyards of Genoa, which were taken over >>y the municipality about fifteen years ago, and have been reconstructed ­ into the present modern and efficient commercial emporium. File cost of the whole was about 6,000,000 lires, or $1.158,000, which includes also the rail tracks, hydraulic appliances, etc., and the improvement ­ of the water basin. The complete plan is shown on page 43 of a pamphlet transmitted herewith.® 0 Ou üle in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 76 , WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. This establishment is owned and constructed by the city of Genoa. A printed pamphlet containing the regulations and tariff, and a smaller one, in English, containing the regulations for the stationing of vessels in the docks, are transmitted herewith. 0 SERVICES RENDERED. The specialty of the institution is the storage of salted meats and fish, cheese, butter, canned goods, and other preserved alimentary products, which articles are excluded in general from the warehouses already described. It receives also much wine, in bottles only, and spirits in all forms. It has three departments, the largest of which is a free-deposit section; another is a custom-house section. This second free-deposit section is similar in plan to the large Deposito Franco, already described, but is under different management and rules. To be established it had to receive the consent of the chamber of commerce, which authorized in it the storage only of certain merchandise. ­ Private depositories and offices can bo conveniently rented by the year. The charges are rather minutely classified in seventeen main sections. The full tariff is given in pamphlet transmitted.® A large, refrigerating plant under Italian management, the “ Magazzini Frigoriferi Genovesi,” is also within the precincts. This is a new enterprise here, and is attracting much interest and favorable comment. Indirectly Americans use these warehouses to a large extent, that is to say, all the American lard and bacon imported into Genoa in great quantities is received in these warehouses. A great quantity of American staves also arrives. An average of two months is the length of time goods remain stored, though of course many pass through almost at once. All nationalities are treated alike, except so far as the “ most favored nation ” clause interferes. For instance, French and Spanish ­ salted fish are admitted to the free deposit section, while the Portuguese product, which does not enjoy the benefit of the clause, is excluded. The establishment is equipped with numerous electric and handpower cranes and with eight or more electric-power lifts. The transport ­ of goods is done by a special porterage company. The cost might average about 40 cents per ton, from vessel lying in the dock to the warehouses. All the operations taking place here are subject to the regulations of the national and city customs departments. William II. Bishop, Consul. Genoa, Italy, July 9,190If. LEGHORN. (From United States Consul Smith, Leghorn, Italy.) In the custom-house, owned and conducted by the State, two large rooms, with a floor space of about 900 square yards, are set aside for a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. ITALY: LEGHORN. 77 storage of goods in transit or intended for reexport. Tn addition there is a group of buildings, with a total area of about 6,000 square yards, located at what is known as the Punto Franco, just outside the customs limits, and owned and managed by the municipality. Merchandise ­ stored in the warehouses located in the custom-house is under the direct care and responsibility of the customs officials. The owners are allowed the privilege of verifying goods and taking samples, but the merchandise must be reexported or sent forward in bond in the same condition in which it was received. Charges for storage in these warehouses are fixed at 1 centesimo (one-fifth of a cent) per day for each bale, crate, or case weighing not more than 1 quintal (22Ò pounds). For each quintal or fraction thereof in excess the charge is at the same rate of 1 centesimo per day. The ?cale of charges at the warehouses owned by the municipality is given iu a pamphlet“ sent herewith, and varies according to the class of merchandise received. This pamphlet also gives in detail the rules governing the service rendered. Most goods are stored in these warehouses. ­ . Receipts at the custom-house warehouses are not important, varyll )g, as they do, from $800 to $900 annually; expenditures can not be (Oven. The municipal warehouses have a gross income of from $8,000 to $9,000 a year and expend about $3,000 for management, etc. Drugs and spices, liquors, grain, paraffin, fabrics, machinery, chemical products, oils, varnishes, and spirits are the chief goods Placed in storage. American products warehoused are principally cotton-seed oil, wheat, corn, paraffin, agricultural implements, and sewing machines. Merchandise deposited in the custom-house Warehouses is classified, as it is expressed, as being in either direct or temporary custody. Under temporary custody it is, as a rule, withdrawn ­ in a few days, but in any case is not allowed to remain more |han three months. Under direct custody the limit is two years. At the Punto Franco there is no limit as to the time goods may remain store. » , All nationalities are treated alike in the custom-house warehouses, hut in those owned by the municipality only goods coming from those countries with which the State has a commercial convention are admitted. Actually, this rule excludes from the privilege of storage a U merchandise coming from Portugal, Canada, Australia, and India, a nd certain classes of goods from Spain. . The cost of removal from steamer to warehouse is from $1.55 to $1-75 per gross ton for goods which it is necessary to weigh on ?cales. Coal, grain, and similar merchandise, the weight of which ls estimated by measure, pays from 97 cents to $1.16 the ton. Vice V( Wsa, from warehouse to ship, the expense is from 37 to 58 cents a ton. p Goods stored in the custom-house warehouses, as well as at the .unto Franco, are guarded night and day by the custom-house offi-? la ls, and in the latter case also by municipal guards. Bonded warehouses ­ owned by individuals or firms do not exist here, although s °me of the larger importing firms lease rooms or space by the year °Ou ine in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 78 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. in the municipal warehouses for the storage of their own goods exclusively. Jas. A. Smith, Consul. Leghorn, Italy, August 6, 190lg. MESSINA. (From United States Consul Caugliy, Messina, Italy.) The area of the interior of the storage warehouses here is 49,212 square feet and the buildings originally cost about $240,000. There are also spaces of ground amounting to 65,010 square feet, surrounded by walls, where such goods as lumber, metal, etc., are stored. The property belongs to the city, but is managed by the Banca Popolare. From the patron’s point of view the warehouses are of the greatest service, as he can always command some ready money upon goods which for the moment are not salable. They serve as a place of deposit for both domestic and foreign goods, upon which advances up to two-thirds of the value are allowed. The charges for storage are based either upon the amount of space occupied or the weight of goods, at the choice of the depositor; in the first case six months’ storage charges must be paid in advance. A schedule a of charges is inclosed. A simple receipt is given when goods are deposited, but if the depositor wishes to realize upon them another form is issued, which can be indorsed and transferred as a piece of bankable paper. No information will be given concerning receipts and expenditures. The principal kinds of goods chiefly stored are coal, lumber, grain, shocks from America and Austria, petroleum, and wine. There is no • limit as to the time goods may remain in the warehouses, unless their deterioration damages other goods. If the charges are not regularly paid, the goods may be sold to cover expenses.incurred. Two of the six warehouses have been turned over to the Italo Americano, said to be controlled by the Standard Oil Company. Two large reservoirs for petroleum have been built, two cargoes have been received, and very shortly the casing of the oil for shipments ­ will be begun. All nationalities are treated exactly alike. As the warehouses are practically upon the water’s edge, vessels can discharge ­ or take in cargo with very little expense. The warehouses are always under the rigid supervision of the customs-house and the octroi officials. A warehouse containing national goods is locked with a single key, which is kept by the director, while one containing foreign goods has two keys, differing from each other, one of which is held by the proper customs authorities. Chas. M. Caugiiy, Consul. Messina, Italy, August #0,1901g. « On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. ITALY*. MILAN. 79 MILAN. 'From United States Vice and Deputy Consul Smith, Milan, Italy.) . The warehouses in Milan which receive merchandise in transit or 111 bond, and from which goods may be withdrawn for shipment elsewhere ­ without paying the custom dues, are known as the “ Maggazini generali della Lombardia.” I inclose a copy of the articles of asso-9%tion a of the society to which these warehouses belong, as it contains '^formation not covered by the special interrogatories contained in the circular of the Department. I also inclose the official tariff, c Mich contains the regulations in vogue and other important information. ­ .The original cost of the warehouses was 450.000 liras ($80,850), but Mh subsequent additions it is estimated that the cost has- been ^creased to 000,000 liras ($115,800). The total area is about 13,000 Miare meters (15,548 square yards). The magazines are owned by a 'united liability company and are conducted by an administrative c °uncil which delegates one of its members to act as manager. Ihe service is particularly useful to those who import goods on speculation, or who desire to stock for their own consumption, but are Ji°t willing to pay the custom dues until the goods are sold or ready •° be disposed of in the ordinary way of business. Goods introduced the warehouses remain there as foreign merchandise, and can be ^exported from Italy if they should not be sold or otherwise disposed °y The scale of charges for storage is according to tariff sent liere-Mli,° in consulting which it should be noted that for goods in bulk. ° r for goods stored for long periods of time, the manager may accord JJftain discounts, as also he may make a special agreement in which penses and payments are included. The goods stored consist chiefly of cereals, other agricultural proand wines. Liquors, alcohols, and other inflammable goods are 'Emitted only in a determinable proportion to the total quantity of ^°°ds in deposit. This restriction has to be observed to satisfy the jmditions of fire insurance. So long as the expenses incurred for forage, etc., do not amount to more than the presumed value of the Mpds in deposit the management does not fix a time limit beyond Mçh the goods are not allowed to remain. In practice, the length , time goods remain in bond varies from a month or so to four 0t «ve years. M far Americans have never made use of these warehouses. The '»iatment of goods by the administrators is equal in all respects and 0 distinction is made, whatever be the nationality. fbe printed tariff shows the facilities for and the cost of the ‘'’Lovai of the goods from boat to warehouse, and vice versa, but jPMal arrangements can be made for different goods according to n e Quantity and to length of time they are to remain in deposit, and ® whole cost can be provided for in the agreement. ^Masmuch as the customs officials have to exercise supervision in the ar <‘bouses, which are in a way private, they carry it out with the utrigor; and, the administration, on its own part, in order to ■'Pond to the confidence which the Government reposes in it, pays M file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 80 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. special attention that the greatest regularity and correctness is maintained. ­ Were this not so, and were the custom-house to learn of any abuses of its confidence, the concession accorded to the company would be withdrawn. H. P. Smith, Vice and Deputy Consul. Milan, Italy, August j, 190J^. MALTA. (From, United Slates Consul Grout, Valetta, Malta.) It would be difficult to state when the warehouses used for storage of goods at rental or in bond were erected and I do not believe it would be possible to ascertain the cost of construction, inasmuch as all now in use, both public and private, were built originally by the Knights of Malta in the latter part of their control here many years ago. Some of the buildings were constructed for the purpose of storage ­ while others were intended for other objects. There are a few warehouses in the hands of private firms, but nearly all are owned by the local government, being conducted by the customs branch. The administration of the service is regarded as very satisfactory. Many officials are employed as guards and custodians, and goods are transferred ­ from ship to warehouse, or vice versa, in a simple manner, but according to an efficient system. No regulation is made as to length of time goods may be stored, a parcel paying the same charge for a day or two as for a much longer term. Beer pays a rental of 2 cents per barrel. Wines having not more than 15 per cent of alcohol are charged 4 cents per barrel, while classes containing from 16 to 23 per cent of alcohol pay 8 cents per barrel. Petroleum pays 3 farthings ( 1-J cents) per 8 gallons. For each 112 pounds, or 64 rotoli, sugar is charged a little over 2 cents. A rent of 6 cents is charged for 100 boxes containing 100 cigars each. Cavendish or other manufactured tobacco is charged 12 cents per 100 pounds weight. According to the last annual report of the local government receipts on account of warehouse rentals amounted to $8,251.36. It would be impossible to even estimate the actual cost of the service, on account of the diversified duties of the officers in charge. As a rule only goods liable to duty are stored in the Government warehouses. They chiefly comprise beer, spirits, wines, grain, flour, canned meats, coffee, and petroleum. As a rule goods do not remain in bond for any great length of time, one year being considered something ­ unusual. Perhaps one month might be considered a fair average. ­ Very little use is made of the warehouses here by Americans. All nationalities are treated alike, there being no discriminating charges. On account of rapidly increasing cost of labor it would be impossible to give any fixed charge for handling. Recently as high as 36 cents per small cartload from boat at water’s edge to warehouse has been asked. John II. Grout, Consul. Valetta, Malta, July 19, 190.l¡.. NETHERLANDS: ROTTERDAM. 81 MONTENEGRO. (From United States Consul Chester, Budapest, Hungary.) The “Hungarian Commercial Museum” publishes a consular report to the effect that the Montenegrin minister of finance in Cetinje has caused government as well as private warehouses in the port of Antivari ­ to accept merchandise in bond or transit, and has relieved such merchandise from all payment of dues and customs pending notice on the customs collector of their intended withdrawal. Frank Dyer Chester, Consul-General. Budapest, Hungary, June 27,1904-NETHERLANDS. ROTTERDAM. (From United States Consul-General Listoe, Rotterdam, Netherlands.) For centuries past numerous warehouses have stood on the quays at Rotterdam, on the right side of the river Maas. These warehouses, however, are not directly accessible by steamers but only by trucks. In Rotterdam mercantile establishments of the seventeenth and eighteenth ­ centuries, the warehouses are always found on the ground floor, behind the offices, while the merchants’ residence quarters are above the offices and warehouses. After the introduction of steam power, warehouses to fill other needs had to be constructed. At the present day a steamer remains in port as short a time as possible ­ ; the cargo must therefore be discharged quickly. When the cargo is not destined for Rhine or Maas ports and therefore can not he immediately discharged into Rhine or Maas lighters, there must be sufficient room on the quay to deposit a whole cargo. In modern ports as a rule the storage places on the quays are covered so far as practicable, at least for merchandise that might suffer from rain, and this is the case along the quays of the left side of the Maas. No sheds are found along the quays of the right side of the river, though the steamers of numerous lines to England, France, and northern Germany ­ discharge their cargoes there; but the establishment of modern facilities for these lines is contemplated. At present these steamers discharge their cargoes on the quays in the open air, whence they are distributed to the warehouses situated in the vicinity. When it rains the merchandise is protected by canvas. CLASSES OF WAREHOUSES. The warehouses are designated, according to the amount of supervision ­ exercised by the customs authorities, as follows: (1) The free entrepôt (public bonded warehouse) ; (2) the private free entrepots (private bonded warehouses) ; (3) the entrepots fictifs (fictitious warehouses) ; (4) the warehouses over which no customs ­ supervision is exqrciscd. The free public warehouse is treated in detail on later pages. 18762—05 M ■ —6 82 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The private free entrepôts are for the storage of goods which are subject to the highest rates of duty, as spirits, wines, etc. These warehouses belong to private persons or companies, but are entirely under the control of customs officers and are arranged in accordance with their directions, so that nothing can be introduced or altered without their authorization. The entrepots fictifs (fictitious bonded warehouses) are destined for articles subject to the lower rates of duty, like petroleum, cotton seed, tobacco, and mineral water. The only supervision exercised by the customs authorities over these warehouses is the controlling now and then of the quantities of goods stored therein. In the warehouses over which no customs supervision is exercised free goods or goods on which the duty has already been paid are stored. A special category of warehouses is formed by those under the management of the corporations known as “ veemen.” These corporations ­ charge themselves with the transportation and the storage of merchandise and issue warrants for the merchandise stored. Under these warrants they hold themselves responsible for the quantities of merchandise mentioned in the warrants, and the warrants can be pawned or sold. Besides the smaller warehouses occupied by these corporations on the right side of the Maas in the old city, large modern establishments have been built by them on the left side of the river. The principal veemen are the following: “ Pakhuismeesteren,” “ Vriesseveem,” “ Blaauwhoedenveem,” “ Leydscheveem,” " Nederlandscheveem,” “ Wilhelminaveem,” “ Hollandsveem,” and “ Ilandelsveem.” Certain parts of the warehouses occupied by some of these companies can be used as entrepôts fictifs for the storage of goods subject to minor rates of duty in transit or in bond. DESCRIPTION OF WAREHOUSES. The antiquated warehouses of the right side of the river are not of special importance, and no description of them has been published. The following details of the great storage establishments on the left bank of the Maas at Rotterdam are contained in the publication “ Le Port de Rotterdam,” by H. A. van Yssclstevn. These establishments include— (a) One brick warehouse (area 7,400 square meters—8,850 square yards) and three wooden sheds (total area 9,000 square meters— 10,764 square yards) under the direct management of the free entrepôt ­ (free public warehouse) and situated on the entrepôt harbor. This warehouse is divided into five parts, each part bearing the name of one of the five continents. It consists of a basement and three floors over it. The merchandise can be hoisted to the several floors not only by the exterior hydraulic cranes, but also by one windlass of a capacity of 1.000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds) and three of a capacity each of 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds). (b) Twelve wooden and four brick and sheet-iron sheds under the direct management of the community’s commercial establishments, situated on the Spoorweghaven (railroad harbor), the Rhine Harbor, and the Katendrecht Harbor; total area 27,242 square meters (32,511 square yards). (c) A considerable number of wooden, iron, and brick sheds be- NETHERLANDS: ROTTERDAM. 83 longing to the community and let to various corporations; total area, 21,950 square meters (26,252 square yards). (d) A number of sheds belonging to private parties but situated on ground belonging to the community; total area, 20,277 square meters (24,251 square yards). (e) Sheds and warehouses belonging, with the lots they cover, to private parties. The total area of these is 31,812 square meters (38,047 square yards). They include, among others— The warehouses of the Society for the Managing of Grounds and Buildings along the Wilhelmina Quay, which are let to the Vriesseveem Warehouse Company. There are three warehouses under one roof, named “ New-York,” “ Baltimore,” and “ Chicago.” Each Warehouse has a basement and two floors. The area covered is 2,250 square meters (2,691 square yards). The warehouses of the Blaauwhocdenveem Warehouse Company, situated between the Wilhelmina Quay and the Rhine Harbor on the north side. These warehouses are three in number, constructed of brick, and named “Handel” (Commerce), “ Scheepvaart ” (Navigation), ­ and “ Nyverheid ” (Industry), and have each three floors, besides the basements. The area covered by the ground floors is 4,264 square meters (5,100 square yards). The brick warehouses of the warehouse company “ Pakhuismeesteren ” (warehouse masters), also situated between the Wilhelmina Quay and the Rhine Harbor. There are four warehouses denominated ­ respectively “ Java,” “ Sumatra,” “ Borneo,” and “ Celebes,” each with three floors and a basement, covering an area of 3,818 square meters (4,566 square yards). The brick warehouses of the warehouse company “ Leydscheveem,” built in line with the warehouses described under a, &, and c. These have, besides a basement, two stories each. They consist of three buildings called “De Ruy ter,” “Johan de With,” and ‘ Tromp,” and cover an area of 2,020 square meters (2,416 square yards). u The warehouse “ De Molukken,” of the warehouse company ‘Vriesseveem,” is situated on the east'side of the Rhine Harbor. It has five floors besides the basement. The area covered is 2,624 square meters (3,138 square yards). Sheds also belonging to the “ Vriesseveem ” company, in area *>490 square meters (2,978 square yards). The warehouses of the warehouse company “ Handelsveem ” are built of brick and of “ armed beton.” The brick building has two, the beton building three floors. The area covered by the two buildings ls 3,146 square meters (3,763 square yards). . The warehouse of the warehouse company “ Nederlandscheveem,” Situated along the Rhine Harbor; it is built exactly like the brick firehouse of the Vriesseveem company. The area covered is 1,950 square meters (2,332 square yards). . A brick warehouse on the south side of the Rhine Harbor, belonging ­ to the Blaauwhoedenveem and called “ Santos,” consisting of six floors; area, 1,140 square meters (1,364 square vards). The iron sheds of the Holland-American Cotton Oil Company, Irving principally for the storage of cotton seed ; they cover an area of 4,000 square meters (4,784 square yards). WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 84 The total area covered by warehouses on the left side of the river Maas, at Rotterdam, is thus 80,232 square meters (36,157 square yards), and by sheds, 87,479 square meters (104,624 square yards), making for both warehouses and sheds a total covered area of 117,681 square meters (140,745 square yards). Besides the sheds enumerated the State Railway Company occupies ­ four sheds on the railway yards, west from the railroad harbor, which cover an area of 16,800 square meters (20,093 square yards), while the Holland Railway Company has on the right side of the river sheds covering an area of 3,300 square meters (3,947 square yards). All the warehouses are built 1 meter (39.37 inches) above the level of the quays, thus permitting considerable of the merchandise to be carted on board the ships without the aid of hoisting machinery. All the floors of the community’s warehouses and the majority of the private warehouses are provided with electric elevators. The quays, docks, wharves, warehouses, and sheds are lighted by electricity. The warehouses in Rotterdam from which goods may be withdrawn ­ for shipment elsewhere without paying the customs dues are the free entrepots of the city and the bonded warehouses of the warehouse companies Blaauwhoedenveem, Leydsche Veem, and Pakhuismeesteren. THE FREE PUBLIC WAREHOUSE. The free entrepôt is operated for account of the city of Rotterdam, and is managed by four directors, in accordance with the general rules for the free intrepôt at Rotterdam, dated 1885. Two of the directors are expert merchants, appointed by the Queen ; the collector of customs ­ and taxes is another, while the fourth is appointed by the municipal ­ council, which body also appoints a manager. The entire free entrepot is under constant supervision of the customs authorities, but its account current has to be approved by the municipal council. There are two ways of storing goods—letting entire separate warehouses ­ or sheds, and letting storage room in warehouses under the supervision of storage masters. In the first case the warehouses are let for one or more months, and at the longest one year. The tenant may to a certain extent, provided he submits to the general rules of the free entrepôt, manipulate his goods as he likes. For all the merchandise ­ thus stored the proprietor receives no other receipt than & bulk storage certificate, signed by the collector of customs, in order to obtain the necessary documents when the goods leave the warehouse. Goods stored under the supervision of storage masters are under the management of the free entrepôt, which issues the storage warrant. In this case the entrepôt is responsible for the number of bales, barrels, ­ pieces, or sacks. The free entrepôt, however, in accordance with the general law of August 26, 1820, can not be held responsible for ordinary ­ or extraordinary losses not brought about by the fault or the negligence of the management. A storage warrant, as it actually represents ­ a certain quantity of stored goods, may be pawned or sold. The free entrepôt has two establishments. One is situated along the “ Boompjes ” quay on the right side of the Maas River and was formerly the office and complex of warehouses of the East India Company ­ ; it is now owned by the State, from which it is rented by tW NETHERLANDS : ROTTERDAM. 85 municipality of "Rotterdam for storage purposes. The second establishment ­ is formed by the grounds, warehouses, and sheds along the “ entrepôt ” harbor on the left side of the Maas. Merchandise subject to duty is transported to the free entrepôt under the supervision of customs officers. The duty must be paid when the goods leave these warehouses, unless they are to be exported under bond. The directors of the free entrepôts of the community of Rotterdam have provided me with the following information regarding their Warehouses : The community’s bonded warehouses consist of the “ East India house,” a Government building let to the community, and the warehouses along the entrepot ­ harbor, which are owned by the community. The lofts, basements, warehouse ­ floors, and sheds cover a surface of 45,500 square meters (54.425 square yards). The original cost of the East India house is unknown, but the cost of the entrepôt dock and warehouses has been 1,000.000 florins ($040,000). Besides the storing of goods at fixed rates, the free entrepôt lets whole warehouses, ­ lofts, basements, or separate parts for one year or a shorter term at different rates, varying according to accommodation and kind of goods to lie stored. In the warehouse or separate space rented the tenant may, under the supervision of the customs officers, manipulate his goods so fqr as required, and he may also use the hydraulic cranes and jiggers for loading and unloading steamers and vessels by paying 10 florins ($4.02) per day for each crane and florins ($3.22) per day for each jigger. He may also hire necessary tools and make use of the electric light at prescribed rates. The charges for storage of goods are calculated per month at fixed rates ; they depend on the weight, measure, and value of goods. For the majority of goods storage is charged per 100 kilograms (220.40 pounds) ; for grain, rates are Quoted per last (85.2 bushels) or per cubic meter (35.314 cubic feet) ; for large Packages and lumber, per square meter (10.704 square feet). Except inflammable or otherwise dangerous goods, all dutiable or free goods °f foreign origin may be stored in the warehouses. The storage of Dutch goods °r foreign goods on which the duty has been paid is not permitted by the customs ­ authorities. The goods of American origin stored in the bonded warehouses ­ of the free entrepôt are dried fruits, grain, tobacco, oats, oil. -lumber, machinery, etc. The length of time that goods remain in bond differs very much und depends on various circumstances, as demand, market price, etc. Depositors °f all nationalities and their goods are treated exactly alike. The advantages of storing in the free entrepôt and the facilities granted owners are that they may, under the supervision of the management, store and deliver the goods by their own workmen; such facilities are not allowed by the Private warehouse companies of this port. If desired, however, the storage and delivery can be effected by the laborers of the free entrepôt at fixed rates. The loading and discharging of steamers must be effected by the employees of the owners or depositors of the goods. Supervision over the bonded warehouses is exercised day and night by the customs officers. No goods are allowed to pass in or out unless accompanied oy custom-house permits or passports. The bonded warehouses of the free entrepôt are surrounded by a stone wall on the land side and on the river side j j y railings and lock booms. The locking and unlocking of the gates, lock booms, etc., is done by the customs officers. The amounts received for rents and storage rates during the last three years ' v ere as follows : Receipts of free entrepôt at Rotterdam in 1901, 1902, and 190ft. Year. 1901 190¿ l9o:i Warehouses. ­ $42.172 42,810 4:1.240 Receipts from— Sheds. Grounds. $9.979 10,77(1 10,074 $3,045 2,10.1 1,871 Total. $55,19« 55.(18« 65,185 86 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. ' For the use of hydraulic hoisting machinery $2,007 was received in 1903, against $1,663 in 1902 and $2,011 in 1901 ; for the use of electric light, $264 in 1903, against $262 in 1902. The total receipts of the free entrepot in 1903 were $58,214; the total expenses were $28,103, leaving as profits $30,111, against a favorable balance of $30,942 in 1902.« THE BLAAUWHOEDENVEEM COMPANY (LIMITED). This company states that it is fully equipped for the forwarding, handling, storing, and insuring of all kinds of merchandise; it employs ­ sworn city weighers and also acts as lightermen, wharfingers, and stevedores. Warrants are issued for all goods stored in the company’s ­ warehouses, on which warrants bankers make advances. The company takes upon itself the management of commercial establishments, ­ docks, and wharves, for either own or joint account. All kinds of business are conducted in connection with the above-mentioned ­ branches, such as surveying, delivering, and superintending the weighing of goods. At Rotterdam, The Blaauwhoedenveem Company possesses three spacious storage establishments, a private pier 403 feet long, and railroad sidings connecting ­ with the State Railway Company and the Holland Railway Company. The total floor space of the Blaauwhoedenveem warehouses amounts to about 29,000 square meters (34,684 square yards). The original cost of construction of the establishments was about $480,000. The warehouses are used exclusively for the storage of all kinds of merchandise. The company has no scale of charges for storage. Among others, American articles like oleo oil, cotton seed oil, flour, canned goods, oil cakes, etc., are stored to a very large extent. All nationalities are treated alike as far as charges and facilities are concerned. The bonded warehouses of the company are under constant supervision of customs officers, by whom they are opened and closed. The length of time that goods remain in the warehouses depends entirely upon the article, market prices, etc. & THE LEYDSCHEVEEM (LIMITED). The Leydscheveem Warehouse Company provided me with the following information with reference to its bonded warehouses: This company has a large number of warehouses in all parts of the city, the largest being situated on the left side of the river Maas on the Wilhelmina Quay. This establishment is divided into three separate premises, named “ De Ruyter,” “ Tromp,” and “ Johan de With.” The warehouses are used for the storage and manipulation of merchandise. The storage charges depend upon the article. For each article there is a different ­ rate. While all classes of goods are stored, the warehouses of the Leydscheveem Company contain chiefly tobacco, coffee, and fruits. Storage warrants are issued to bearer, and the company therefore never knows for whose accounts goods are stored. The length of time that goods remain stored is unlimited. One of the conditions printed on the warrants of the company Is. however, that after a period of five years each warrant ought to he renewed and all dues for storage paid. The goods stored in bond are under constant super a Further details of the business were forwarded by the consul and are on file in the Bureau of Statistics. The railroad traffic of the free entrepot amounted in 1903 to 804 cars loaded or unloaded, against 1,001 in 1902. The quantity of sugar stored in the free entrepôt averaged 450 tons per month during the first seven months of the year ; after the new crop came in, however, the average became much higher, and in December 3.600 tons were stored. & See also further description of the warehouses of this company in the report below for Amsterdam, where are situated the principal offices. NETHERLANDS: ROTTERDAM. 87 vision of the customs authorities. The same terms and facilities are granted to the goods of aW nationalities. The Leydseheveem Company has since its establishment paid an annual dividend to shareholders of from ß to 7 per cent. RATES OF THE PAKHUISM EESTEREN. 'The Pakhuismeesteren Warehouse Company has provided me with a detailed table of storage charges;“ this may be accepted as representing ­ the usual rates for similar service in most of the warehouses here. The rates shown include storing charges, which range from about 24 to 19 cents per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds) ; rents, including insur anee, which are from about one-tenth of a cent toll cents per month for the same quantity; and delivery charges, ranging from about 1.6 to 10 cents per 100 kilograms. THE “ HOLLANDSVFEM (LIMITED).” The warehouse company “ Hollandsveem (Limited),” under date of September 29, 1904, wrote me as follows: Although we do not own bonded warehouses, but store dutiable goods in the tree entrepôt, we think it may interest your Government to know the following about our concern : Our company is an auxiliary branch of the firm J. T. Yervloet & Co., and the shares are in the hands of the owners» of this firm. We have no warehouses of our own, but have taken the lease for one, five, and ten years of some buildings ln the city and along.the quays, which is more economical and offers less risk of wholesale destruction by fire. Those of our warehouses that are situated on the quays can be easily a Pproached by barges, from which the goods are transferred to the several floors. We have goods weighed, sampled, sorted, cleaned, bulked (coffee, etc.), stacked piles in lots, reweighed, packings renewed or repaired at the delivery, etc. we issue warrants for dry stock, such as coffee, metals, etc., guaranteeing the Weight as taken in. These warrants are to bearer, and the rent has to be paid every five years at the latest. The warrants may be pawned at the banks for 75 to 80 per cent of the market value, on the strength of our contract with the Bank the Netherlands, who have our deposit of .$20,000 as a guarantee fund. The bre insurance premium for goods stored on such warrants is included in the rent storage rate. For goods of variable weight the warrants issued by us to bearer do not include weight risks, and the insurance is covered for the amount burned in the warrant. We are charging the same rates per 100 kilograms per month as our competitors, ­ including fire insurance, but we are open to contract with firms who regularly wish to keep a large stock under our care. We have accommodations to store all sorts of goods which are not dangerous, explosive, or highly combustible, or malodorous. We store American lard, bacon, dried fruits (apples, plums, prunes, apricots), oils, oleomargarine, tobacco, Bitch, etc. Goods stored under our care in the general government bonded stores ban remain there any length of time, provided the rent (storage dues) be paid either monthly or quarterly. The goods arriving by steamers from the United States are discharged in sheds, and the receivers have to send their own laborers to remove them ou vans. Supervision over the bonded warehouses by customs officials is exercised as explained above. NEED OF WAREHOUSES AT ROTTERDAM. It is only of late years that the need for the large storage warehouses ­ and sheds of the community, the “ veemen ” and other warehouse ­ companies has been felt. Notwithstanding the fact that the Majority of the great warehouses on the left bank of the river Maas, 0 Filed in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, where t bey may be consulted by parties interested. 88 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. at Rotterdam, have been built since 1895, there is at present a lack of storage room. New warehouses and sheds, however, are being built constantly and the storage space still increases from year to year. S. Ltstoe, Consul-General. Rotterdam, Netherlands, November 12,1901¡.. AMSTERDAM. (From United States Consul Hill, Amsterdam., Netherlands.) In a report on stored goods as collateral for loans,® transmitted July 10, 1902, I made the following résumé: During the reign of the counts of Holland it had already become necessary to establish a weigh-house in order to guarantee to merchants correct weighing by means of measures controlled by the city authorities. It is supposed that as early as the year 1275 such a weigh-house existed on the dam at Amsterdam. Later the privilege of the weigh-house was transferred to the city. During the seventeenth ­ century, the period during which the East India Company and the West India Company flourished so extraordinarily, every merchant, before delivering goods, was compelled to have them weighed in the city weigh-house (Stadswaag). Merchants brought their wares to the city and employed weigh-house carriers (waagdragers) to place them upon the scales of the weigh-house and to deliver them on board ship. These waagdragers formed corporations called “ veems,r under the direction of four or five chiefs and four trustees chosen from among the leading merchants. These directors employed laborers to perform the work. When the city abolished the municipal weigh-houses the waagdragers took a city oath and were then called “ sworn weighers ” and workers for the trade. Their work consisted of receiving goods from on board ship, weighing them, and either warehousing or delivering them. For a long period—perhaps forty or fity years—the veems have issued “ cedullen ” (warrants) to bearer for the goods stored by them in their warehouses. ­ These warrants are accepted by the Netherlands Bank, and also by private bankers and banking institutions, as collateral for loans. In making loans upon merchandise, the Netherlands Bank requires the following: (1) The borrower must be well known to the bank. (2) An application for a loan, accompanied by an estimate by a broker accepted by the bank, and a statement of the value must be furnished. (3) The application must be approved by the direction of the bank. (4) A contract deed of the loan must be made, whereby the merchandise is transferred to the Netherlands Bank. Loans may be made up to G5 per cent of the value on articles that are not very largely dealt in ; up to 70 per cent on most articles of merchandise; on sugar and cotton, 75 per cent, and on tin, 80 per cent. The warrants of only such veems or warehouses as have a guaranty deposit with the bank are accepted by the Netherlands Bank as collateral for loans. The warrants of the Dutch Trading Company and of the municipal bonded warehouse are accepted by the bank bona fide. The average amount loaned on merchandise ­ in this way by the Netherlands Bank during the last three years [to 19021 has been about 7,000,000 florins ($2,814,000). In consequence of the increase of trade and of the extension of warehouses, the veems of late years have been transformed into stock companies, each having a capital of from 1,000.000 florins ($402,000) to 3,000,000 florins ($1,200.000). Amsterdam, besides being preeminent in the diamond polishing, splitting, and cutting industry (which on account of the small bulk of its materials makes no figure in warehouse statistics), is the largest colonial market on the Continent. It is first in tobacco and cinchona bark, it is a large coffee market, and the names of its manufacturers of chocolate are known everywhere. It is also a large grain and flour market, and its trade in timber, iron, petroleum, dyewoods, “Published in Special Consular Reports, volume xxv, page 63. NETHERLANDS: AMSTERDAM. 89 hides and skins, tin, etc., increases annually. Its position as a transit port for a large part of the Continent, of which it is one of the great gates, indicates its true importance and the character of the merchandise warehoused here. Hence the important part played by the Communal Entrepot dock and the other warehouses, of which the Blaauwhoedenveem may be taken as the most-developed type. Certain other warehouses restrict their business to one article; the Turperhoedenveem, for example, stores tobacco only. Much of the information contained in this report was furnished by the Blaauwhoedenveem, and applies particularly to that company. The services performed include clearing, receiving, warehousing, handling, delivering, and forwarding merchandise, and charging and discharging steamers. The scale of charges and an account of receipts and expenditures for handling merchandise can not be given. All kinds of merchandise are stored, but principally coffee, tobacco, ­ flour, cocoa, and colonial produce. Goods can remain in bond for an unlimited time; only when they are entered for consumption must the import duty be paid. Goods in transit are not liable to duty. Americans do not make use of the warehouses directly, although American imported goods are stored in large quantities. All nationalities ­ are treated exactly in the same way by the administrators of the warehouse. When steamers can not come alongside the warehouses for discharging ­ or loading, goods as a rule must be carried by lighter from the ship to the warehouses. Costs are charged per weight or per package, ­ depending on the nature of the goods. The bonded warehouses are divided into public, private, and fictive °nes. The public warehouses belong to the city and are superintended ­ by customs officials. These warehouses, serving for storage °f all kinds of dutiable goods, are sealed by both the administration of the warehouses and the trade. A private warehouse is indicated by the merchants and approved by customs officials, and also sealed by both parties. The owner of a private bonded warehouse is responsible ­ for the goods stored in it, as to number of packages, weight, a nd contents. Fictive bonded warehouses may be used only for goods on which the duties are low and charged on the weight. These ai *e private warehouses of the merchants under their own su r veillance, not sealed by the customs officials. The merchants are responsible ­ for the number of packages and the weight. The public and Private bonded warehouses, under surveillance of the custom-house officers, are open for the public on all work days at the time stipulated ­ by the officers. The presence of the custom-house officers must bo paid for at the rate of 20 cents Dutch (8 cents United States) per hour, payable to the government. The rates per 100 kilos (220.46 pounds) charged by the Vriessev oein of Amsterdam on the principal staple articles are as follows for receiving from on board ship, transportation to warehouse, warebousing, and insurance for one month, delivery, and transportation to railway or steamer (but particular manipulations not included) : Coffee, 19^ cents; sugar, 8 7 ^ cents; tin, 13 t 7 j cents; cotton, 191 cents; s pices, 35f cents; indigo, 34| cents; tobacco, 26^ cents; gum damar j^d gum copal, 20 cents; kapok. 37£ cents ; hides, 30J cents; cocoa beans, 21-& cents; cinchona bark, 30& cents. 90 WAREHOUSES LN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, THE BLAAUWHOEDENVEEM. The following information about the Naamlooze Vennootschap Blaauwhoedenveem is taken from one of its trade circulars and from other publications issued by it : 0 The company, which was established in 1616, acts as forwarding agents, sworn city weighers, lightermen, wharfingers, and stevedores. It has a capital ­ of 2,710,000 florins ($1,089,420), and does business in Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Rotterdam. Besides conducting a storage warehouse, the company insures goods stored and issues warants on which advances may be obtained. At Amsterdam there are two capital warehouses situated on the principal quay (de Handelkade). These establishments are divided into five separate premises, called by the names of the continents, Europa, Azië, Afrika, Amerika, Australie; they contain 323,000 square feet of floor space, and are equipped with all modern facilities, such as hydraulic cranes, lifts, etc., and electric lights. The company’s piers are connected directly with the Dutch railroads. At Rotterdam are three spacious warehouses. One is situated on the Wilhelminakade and comprises three separate premises, called Scheepvaart (navigation), ­ Ilandel (commerce), and Nyverlieid (industry) ; these are also provided ­ with electric elevators and lighted by electricity, and contain 56,000 square feet of floor space. Beneath the buildings are three fire and water proof cellars capable of containing 6,000 barrels each. The second building is called Santos, and stands between the Rhine and Maas harbors, and is specially constructed for handling and storing coffee, with cool cellars for margarine, oil, wines, etc. The third building is called Nederlands Indie, is located in the center of the town, next to the company’s coffee-shelling works, and is used for local goods. The company also has a bonded warehouse called the Westelyk-Handelsterrein, which is composed of 36 buildings half underground; these provide accommodations for storing fruit at low temperatures the year round. The following is from a publication received at this office from the Naamlooze Vennootschap Blaauwhoedenveem: The history of this company dates back to the early days of the seventeenth century ; but judging from the monopoly it possessed even then in connection with the weighing of goods at the public scales it may safely be accepted that Blaauwhoedenveem existed years before the time from which its records date. For a couple of centuries no alteration worth mentioning took place in the general aspect of the undertaking, and until the middle of the nineteenth century ­ it existed on a comparatively small scale. In 1857, however, Blaauwhoedenveem ­ introduced the system of warrants, depositing the necessary security with the States Bank, and this important movement resulted in a rapid development ­ of the corporation, which still further increased when, two years later, in 1859, it was intrusted by one of the biggest Dutch trading companies, De Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappy, with the storing and manipulation of the East Indian coffees for the Dutch Government. The prosperity of the corporation steadily grew until increasing trade brought about its reconstruction as a joint stock company, with a capital of 750,000 florins, under the name of Naamlooze Vennootschap Blaauwhoedenveem. This was in 1886. Before the nineteenth century drew to a close still more expansions ­ were witnessed. Scarcely five years after the formation of the joint stock company, Blaauwhoedenveem acquired the control over the Handelskade Company (Limited), of Amsterdam, owners of a big modern warehouse at the Handelskade. The success secured with this new type of warehouse soon induced the company to construct another warehouse exactly similar to the first. It was completed in 1893. These splendid buildings, with large rooms for the sorting and sampling of all kinds of merchandise, enable Blaauwhoedenveem ­ to offer its clients all facilities they may require. « Illustrations of various buildings of this and other warehouse companies at Amsterdam, with diagrams of the port and financial reports of the corporations, ­ are on file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, where they may be consulted by persons interested. NETHERLANDS: AMSTERDAM. 91 At present the company own several warehouses of the most modern type and provided with all facilities for the necessary dealing with coffee, gum, tobacco, honey, and indigo. The famous Banda nutmegs are warehoused and manipulated ­ by Blaauwhoedenveem at Amsterdam, this city being still the world’s emporium for these spices. It is of course needless to add that the company’s capital has gradually been increased and that its warehouses are at present provided ­ with all modern machinery and railway accommodation. Furthermore, the depth of water alongside the quays is such as to permit ocean steamers of any kind to moor directly in front of the warehouses. COMMUNAL WAREHOUSES. ^ Four kinds of dock magazines are distinguished in the Netherlands: Free public entrepôts owned by the State or the municipality, private ­ free entrepôts, fictive entrepôts, and particular entrepôts. They do not differ much, however, as to the regulations. The first two are under continuous observation by the custom-house authorities. Both dutiable and free merchandise may be stored in them, but articles like sugar, wines, spirits, etc., which are subject to duties on a higher scale, can only be received in the second class. In the third and fourth classes the control by the customs officials is occasional ; the stores of the third class, including the municipal petroleum stores and tobacco warehouses, are generally confined to one article. Storehouses ­ of the fourth class accept all kinds of goods against negotiable ­ documents. The respective companies, which are known as u veems,” charge themselves with storage and transport. These magazines are all buildings of five or six stories. On the Water side room is left in front for a crane path and for a platform 2.50 meters (8.2 feet) in width at the level of the first floor. Two tracks are not, as a rule, required in front at Amsterdam, because much of the merchandise arrives and leaves by boat, while at the back at least three tracks and a roadway 8 meters (26.2 feet) in width are necessary. There are four tracks at some warehouses. In the new communal warehouses the iron skeleton of the building in embedded m about an inch of cement, and the long warehouses are divided by fireproof walls in bulkhead fashion, without any doors, in order to reduce the dangers from fire. The lifts and stairways are outside the fcal house walls and connect the balconies. The width of the buildings ­ is 30 meters (98.4 feet). Larger buildings would be too dark, filie warehouses are, like the sheds, illuminated by electric incandescent ­ lamps. Each floor of the building can support a load of 2 tons per square meter (lOf square feet). At the back of these warehouses are, first, the tracks and roadway we have spoken of, then a public street jind cattle market and slaughterhouses. These latter buildings have their fronts on the quay of the new canal (Nieuwe Vaart). The new communal entrepôt was opened on January 1. 1900, and the old entrepôt closed for general commercial purposes on December of the same year. The transfer of the merchandise from the old the new entrepôt having for the most part been made when operations ­ were begun in the new, on November 1, 1900, an area of 30,000 square meters (35,880 square yards) was let, while about 23,000 meters (27,500 square yards) remained under the administration of the hardens. 92 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The following, from the report of the chamber of commerce for 1902, shows the present situation : As mentioned in our last report, the town council resolved on September 19, 1900, to build some additional vaults and ground rooms at the communal entrepôt. These were completed in the first half of December. As the winter season is not suitable to the transport of wine, the operation of already contracted leases was postponed until May 1. Some new ground rooms, destined for wine and arrack, were used during the winter tor the storage ­ of sugar. In December a resolution was passed for the building of a new warehouse, to be let to the wardens of the tea establishment for the storage of tea, with ground rooms destined for spirits. The bearing capacity of the floors of this warehouse is projected at 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds) per square meter (10.76 square feet). (In the entrepôt dock they have a capacity of 2,000 kilograms ­ per square meter.) Spaces for the erection of goods sheds were let to the Holland Iron Railway Company and the company for the administration of State railways. A new shed was placed behind the eastern iron shed for the storage of molasses. The town council resolved to build near the entrance to the entrepôt a police station and a dining and waiting room, and also a coffeehouse, ­ to be operated by the company. So much regarding the extension of the entrepôt buildings. Of sundry improvements introduced in the course of last year we notice the following: To meet complaints about leakage from sugar a first floor was covered with asphalt. The boom closing the access by water was improved by making it slide lengthwise. The necessary mooring buoys and stopping posts were placed. It was resolved to apply a lining of iron cement to the walls of the room let to the Government in order to cut off the smell of the methyl alcohol ­ stored there. Sundry necessary- items were supplied—some boxes for custom-house men, protection for electric wires, repeated digging out of water pipes to repair breaks caused by the sinking of the soil, renewals of pavement, etc. The “ Blaauwhoedenveem ” (a warehousing company) obtained permission for placing an automatic weighing machine to serve in packing tea. The rent received amounted to 103,579 florins ($41,639) and the storage and wages under wardens to 80,856 florins ($32,504). Frank D. Hill, Consul. Amsterdam, Netherlands, July #0,190J h PORTUGAL. LISBON. (From United States Vice and Deputy Consul Klnchant, Liston, Portugal.) The dimensions of the principal warehouse at Lisbon are 75 meters by 26 meters (246 by 85 feet). The original cost can not be given. The warehouses are conducted under a concession from the Government ­ by Messrs. Hersent & Co., whose official address is New Harbor Works, 10 Travessa do Corpo Santo, Lisbon. The services rendered include loading and unloading of steamers or sailing vessels either anchored in river or berthed at quayside; storage of merchandise generally; ­ removal of merchandise by rail, along quays, communicating with main lines for distribution to all parts of the country; receiving merchandise for export, and, in short, acting for importers and exporters as required. The rates charged for the various services performed at the harbor PORTUGAL: AZORES. ü3 works are shown in the inclosed booklet.® The following table shows the storage charges for goods stowed in sheds or warehouses: Warehouse charges in Lisbon. Kind of goods. Goods in bigs, per ton Goods in bulk, per cubic meter Goods in cases, per ton Valuable articles, i>er milreis ($1.08 United States). Petroleum, per ton Gangerous goods, per ton First month. Portuguese. ­ Milreis. 0.20 .18 .27 .05 .33 .54 United States. $0.216 .194 .292 .5 .356 .583 Each subsequent month. Portuguese. ­ Milreis. 0.18 .15 .22 .05 .25 .35 United States. $0.194 .162 .238 .5 .270 .378 Information as to the receipts and expenditures on account of service is not furnished by the liarbor-works board. Merchandise of all kinds is stored pending dispatch to destination, especially colonial products and coal. There is no fixed time for £oods to remain in bond. No reliable data can be furnished as to the extent Americans make use of these warehouses. All nationalities ­ are treated exactly alike. The cost of removal of goods from boat to warehouse and vice versa, in the case of vessels anchored in the river, depends upon distance of anchorage from quays, but if they come alongside a saving °f 40 per cent can be effected in the matter of lighterage. The booklet ­ above referred to gives details of quay sides and depth of water. The warehouses where the goods are stored are under the care of Messrs. Hersent & Co. The bonded warehouses are under the care of die customs officials. R. H. Kinchant, Vice and Deputy Consul. Lisbon, Portugal, August 13, AZORES. (From. United States Consul Pickerill, St. Michaels, Azores.) . As this is not a regular transshipping port, we seldom have necessity ­ for warehouses for the storage of merchandise in transit or in bond. Occasionally, because of accidents or wrecks, it is necessary to store goods, and for that purpose the Government permits their being placed in properly sealed private warehouses, access to which is permitted ­ only when the owner or his agent is accompanied by a duly authorized ­ person. As the service is limited, there has been no necessity to erect special warehouses; the authorities, therefore, permit the use of any building that possesses sufficient strength and means for safeguarding ­ its contents. The service is very unsatisfactory and expensive ­ to the patrons, nothing being permitted without due authority and the presence of the guard. Subject to the ordinary regulations, small On üle in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. * 94 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. amounts of merchandise may be carried in the custom-house proper for about one year, but each withdrawal necessitates a new dispatch and additional expense. Geo. H. Pickerill, Consul. St. Michaels, Azores, September 24,1904. RUSSIA. ST. PETERSBURG. (From United States Consul-General Watts, St. Petersburg, Russia.) Several buildings are used by the Government customs authorities and by others for the storage of merchandise in transit or in bond in this city. It has been impossible to secure the dimensions and original ­ cost of warehouses, even approximately. They are owned and conducted by the Government, by corporations, and by individual merchants, generally tea and tobacco merchants, all under the surveillance ­ of the Government customs officials. The principal warehouse in this city, second only to the Government customs warehouse, is one conducted by a corporation of workmen known as the Bourse Artel, who rent their building, containing thirty-five rooms, from the Bourse Corporation. There are also warehouses owned and conducted ­ by the Government on an island near the city for the storage of inflammable or combustible goods. Receipts and expenditures on account of service are not obtainable. Service is very slow from the American standpoint, but otherwise satisfactory. Careful inspection ­ of goods is made on arrival and on departure and reasonable security is given for goods stored. The scale of charges for storage in the Government customs warehouses is as follows: Under cover, onesixth of 1 kopeck (one-twelfth of 1 cent) per pood (36 pounds) per day ; and outside, one forty-fifth of 1 kopeck per pood per day. In the Bourse Artel warehouse the charge for a room 14 by 21 feet is 500 rubles ($250) per year or 50 rubles ($25) per month. The principal goods stored in transit or in bond are tea, tobacco, wines, machinery, and dry goods. Goods remain in bond on an average of about three months. They are sometimes promptly removed; sometimes they remain for the full term of one year, which is the limit of time; if not removed by that time they are sold at public auction. Americans make little or no use of these warehouses, but all nationalities are supposed ­ to be treated exactly alike by the administrators. The Government customs warehouses and that of the Bourse Artel are situated close to the river Neva and very convenient for the handling ­ of goods, but they are a great distance from the railroads, requiring ­ long hauls by wagons. The other warehouses are in various parts of the city. The care and supervision exercised over the warehouses by customhouse ­ officials are very rigid, and smugglers are severely dealt with when found. Etiielbert Watts, Consul-General. St. Petersburg, Russia, July 21,1904• Spain: Barcelona. 95 ODESSA. (From United States Consul Hcenan, Odessa, Russia.) The only warehouses here are the customs stores at the port and elsewhere in the town in which goods arriving from abroad are placed or stored for examination on which to base the amount of customs duties to be paid. Goods may remain in these stores as long as the storage charges are paid. Goods in transit from Odessa to some point in the interior, such as cotton or tea, are simply loaded into cars on the quay by the customs authorities and forwarded to their destination. ­ When the destination is Kiev, Moscow, etc., the duties are paid at these large centers, otherwise at Odessa. There are no private bonded warehouses at this port, but the customs regulations here permit the storage of such articles as tea in the private storehouse of the importer, said storehouse being in charge of customs officials. Tea is imported largely at Odessa from China, Japan, and India, and it is tested and mixed here to suit the Russian taste. . Tea is also exported ­ from this port to the United States, and the trade is growing. The large addition to the population of New York and elsewhere from Russia accounts for this new trade. Tea which remains in the •storehouse above mentioned is not required to pay duty until such time as it is removed. Tea exported from these stores is not required to pay duty. Thos. E. Heenan, Consul. Odessa, Russia, June 29,190J. SPAIN. BARCELONA. V (From United States Vice-Cunsul-Ocncral Rider, Barcelona, Spain.) The port of Barcelona is now provided with a number of small Warehouses where goods can be stored on payment of a monthly rent, f he only large warehouses, however, are those known by the names \Crédito y Docks de Barcelona,” “Almacenes Generales de Comercio," ­ and “ Vda. de A. Nelma.” The two former have refused to furnish me with any information whatever, in spite of repeated requests, ­ and I am therefore compelled to confine my report to the ‘ Vda. de A. Xelma ” warehouses. These cover an area of about 05,000 square feet, and the cost of the site and building was 250,000 pesetas ($35,714). They are owned by the widow of A. Xelma, and urc under the management of José M. Serra. These warehouses are extensively used by merchants who have no stores of their own or whose warehouses are too small. The following is the scale of charges per 100 kilos (220.46 pounds) : f or entering and storing, 5 centavos (0.7 cent) ; rent and fire insurance ­ for one month, 6 centavos (0.85 cent) ; clearing goods from warehouse, ­ 5 centavos; weighing, 5 centavos; measuring, when required, ] u sacks of 70 liters (7.9457 pecks), costs 5 centavos (0.7 cent) per cuartera, a dry measure containing about 15 pecks. 96 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The receipts vary considerably, and I have been unable to obtain even an approximate estimate. The expenditures, including taxes, gas, water, etc., amount to about 10,000 pesetas ($1,429) per annum. The goods chiefly stored are cereals and flour. It is difficult to state to what extent American firms or others make use of the warehouses, ­ as nearly all foreign firms have their representatives in this city and the goods are stored in the name of the agent. No distinctions ­ whatever are made by the administrators of the warehouses between different nationalities. The only warehouses enjoying the privilege of storing goods in bond are those known as the “ Crédito y Docks de Barcelona.” The removal of goods from boat to warehouse or vice versa is effected in carts at a cost of 12 pesetas ($1.78) per 10,000 kilos (22,040 pounds), or roughly, 18 cents per ton. IT. Henderson Rider, Vice-Consul-General. Barcelona, Spain, November 9,1904-. SWEDEN AND NORWAY. CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY. (From United States Consul-General Bordewich, Christiania, Norway.) The Christiania bonded warehouse was completed in March, 1903. It is a solid stone structure, eight stories high, having a ground space of 1,080 square meters (1,292 square yards). Sufficient adjacent ground, with sheds and river front, is attached to the premises. The original cost of the building was $188,000; it is owned and conducted by a stock company with $400,000 capital. The Christiania free warehouse, as it is commonly termed, serves as a substitute for a free port, and it serves its purpose well. The custom-house officers have supervision over the management of the institution ; they determine rates of charges for rent of space and act as arbitrators between the public and the management. The warehouse company is compelled to furnish and maintain on the premises, for use of the custom-house officers, all necessary weights and measures, also to furnish and maintain ­ suitable offices for their use in the building, to have telephones placed in such offices, and to reimburse the custom-house for all expenditures ­ caused by the establishment. Arriving uncleared merchandise is, on application, moved by the warehouse company under custom-house control from ship or depot to the warehouse. The merchandise is stored without payment of duty and may be withdrawn at any time, in whole or in part, and the duty paid on the day of removal to the custom-house officers located in the building. Domestic merchandise on which drawback is allowed, as well as domestic or customs cleared merchandise which may be wanted for admixtures with goods stored at the warehouse may, with certain restrictions, also be admitted, but all combustibles, explosives, and other objectionable goods are excluded. Goods in transit may also be stored at the warehouse. No stored goods can be Norway: christiania. 97 sold at retail from the warehouse, and no goods can there be manufactored, except as above indicated. The warehouse is divided into rooms of different sizes. Some of the larger importing firms rent a whole room, to which they are allowed one key, while the custom-house officers hold the other. With the merchandise stored in this manner the warehouse company has no concern or responsibility, except as a guard against burglary. Merchandise stored in the common storeroom, where several lots of goods belonging to different owners are stored, remains under the control of the custom-house officers and the warehouse company, each °f them holding a key and both parties having free access. The custom-house people have free access to all parts of the premises at all times. The warehouse is open to the public during regular office hours. The facilities for transportation of goods by the warehouse company ­ are good. The charges for transportation of uncleared merchandise ­ from ship to warehouse are 16 cents per ton for heavy goods and 7 cents per cubic meter (35.314 cubic feet) for light goods. The charges for storage are : Charges for every square meter (10.16^ square feet) space occupied in Christiania ­ warehouses. Space occupied (in square meters). Ill: !te-For twelve months. $2.68 2. «5 3.22 3.48 3.75 4.00 For six months. $1.61 1.88 2.01 2.14 2.27 2.41 For less time per month. $0.33 .37 .89 .42 .46 For cleaning and lighting there is an additional charge of $1 for twelve months, 50 cents for six months, or for less time 10 cents a month. Hie transportation of uncleared merchandise from ship or depot 1° the warehouse is done by the warehouse company’s laborers, under ( ‘Ustom-house control, at the stipulated fir ice. As the warehouse has a river front, barges are often used. All work in connection with the moving of merchandise on the premises is also done by the company I °r a stipulation. The transportation of merchandise from customhouse, ­ or from private warehouses, to the company’s warehouse, as w dl as the removal of withdrawn merchandise from the company’s Warehouse, may be done by the owner at his own expense. Phe receipts and expenditures on account of service can not at present ­ be ascertained, but the management informs me that the institution ­ is well patronized and gains in favor with the public as time Passes. The principal classes of goods stored are wines, liquors, tobaccos, hour, oleomargarine, canned goods, dried fruits, notions, and furs. Ino length of time goods remain in bond, either at custom-house or at firehouse, depends entirely on their capacity for withstanding the fleets of long storage without being damaged or suffering decrease m Value. Goods generally remain three to six months. 18762—05 M 7 98 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. A large portion of the American goods imported are stored in this warehouse. No discrimination is made by the administrators of the warehouse between the different countries. Henry Bordewich, Consul-General. Christiania, Norway, August 15,190If.. GOTTENBORG, SWEDEN. (From United States Consul Bergh, Gottcnborg, Sweden.) Here in Gottenborg are no proper warehouse buildings for storing merchandise in transit or in bond. There are only sheds or rooms in the custom-house building for temporary storage of merchandise until it can be cleared at the custom-house. The merchants who have goods on hand for which they do not desire to pay the import duty immediately ­ own or rent cellars or warehouse rooms in any part of the city, and such warehouse rooms become bonded (after application and inspection) by the fact that the customs officials hold the key to one of the locks of the door (which must have two, the merchant holding the key to the other). The customs officers may also put a seal on the door if it is considered necessary. Whenever the merchant desires to take out, clear at the customhouse, ­ or dispose of any part of the bonded goods, or (itpon special permission) to repack the goods, or handle them in any way, a customs ­ officer must be present and make a record of what is done, so that there will be no confusing change of marks or the like. According ­ to law the customs authorities have a lien on the goods until the import duty or other dues are paid. Spirituous liquors, alcohol, potatoes or other root crops, and explosive ­ goods may not be stored in bond. In transit warehouse spirituous ­ liquors or explosive goods may not be stored, nor may potatoes or any other root crops unless intended for reexport. Only piece goods—-that is, merchandise arriving boxed or wrapped up, or uncovered goods in pieces or bundles—may be stored in transit warehouses. For merchandise under bond there are charged “ bond dues ’ amounting to 1 per cent of the import duty. The customs dues for goods in transit warehouses are' for the first three months TO öre (about 19 cents) per each 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds), and for each succeeding period of three months 35 öre (about 9 cents) per 100 kilograms. Further relations between the merchant and the customs ­ officials as to time for paying the dues, security, transport under bond, etc., are minutely specified in the customs regulations in paragraphs ­ too lengthy to be quoted here. All handling or transportation of the goods must be done by the owner or at his expense. When goods to be cleared are handled, weighed, repacked, etc., inside the custom-house by the customs warehousemen, the merchant must pay them for the work. A private company (Göteborgs Magasinsaktiebolag) has severa warehouse rooms for the purpose of storing goods for merchants, and the company also furnishes loans on goods stored in its warehouses-This company charges a rent varying from 75 öre (20 cents) to 6 öre (1.6 cents) a month per 100 kilograms for lots of at least 5,000 kilo s SWITZERLAND: GENEVA. 99 (11,023 pounds), the difference in rent depending on the bulk or apparent value of the merchandise. For lots of less than 5,000 kilos the rent is paid according to special agreement. The highest rent is charged for cotton wadding and for feathers in bales and the lowest for grain in bags and for certain metals. For receiving or delivering ­ the merchandise the company charges from 8 ore (2.14 cents) to 30 ere (8 cents) per 100 kilos. The highest labor charges are demanded ­ for cinnamon in boxes and the lowest for flour in bags and for pig iron. For weighing the goods a fee is charged of 3 ore (0.8 cent) for each 100 kilos, but not less than 10 ore (2.08 cents) for each parcel weighed. The cost of handling the merchandise outside of the warehouses can not be stated, because it varies so greatly. If the goods arrive by a steamer small enough to enter the harbor and moor at the quay or wharf, and if the goods are to be stored in a warehouse located close to the wharf, the cost will be small. If the vessel is too large to enter the harbor proper, the goods will have to be loaded into barges for transportation into the city, which will increase the costs, and if the warehouse to be used is located far from the wharf they will be heavier. 'For transportation of goods within the city the average charge is about 1 crown ($0,268) per one-horse load, it being more or less according to distance it is to oe transported. As the arrangements in the above respects do not seem to be modern, ­ I do not consider it necessary to go more into details. Robert S. S. Bergh, Consul. Gottenborg, Sweden, September 16, 190If. SWITZERLAND. GENEVA. (From United States Consul Washington, Geneva, Switzerland.) In a preceding report concerning stored goods as collateral for loans,« I stated that there was in Geneva an association called the Society charged with running the warehouses of the State of Geneva,” organized in 1888, under the control of State authorities a nd the Federal custom-house, and that this association put at the disposition ­ of Geneva tradespeople its two warehouses, where goods could ho stored on their arrival from foreign countries, and left there without paying customs duties until taken out or reshipped. This association has two bonded warehouses in Geneva—one in the town and the other in the railway station. The first is practically S( luare in shape and measures about 100 yards on each side, while the ( 'Oe in the railroad station (Cornavin) is quite three times as large. Ihe company was founded in 1888, in accordance with a Genevese 1&W, and its capital now amounts to 1,700,000 francs ($328,100). The Warehouses are, as stated before, operated under the supervision of the Geneva authorities, by a board of directors. There are also a Manager and a submanager. I’lie net profits for the calendar year 1903 amounted to 94,000 « Published in Special Consular Reports, vol. xxv, page 70. 100 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. francs ($18,142). The "ross receipts were 202,000 francs ($38,980), and the gross expenses 108,000 francs ($20,844). All sorts of goods are stored, but chiefly wheat, coffee, sugar, wine, oil, and china. I give the principal charges per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds), and per month: Wheat, corn, maize, etc., 1.5 cents; coffee, in sacks, 2.9 cents ; sugar, in sacks, 1.9 cents ; in boxes, 2.9 cents ; wine, spirits, oil, in casks, 2.9 cents; in bottles, 5.8 cents; stoves, 5.8 cents; mineral waters, 3.9 cents; china, packed, 3.9 cents; unpacked, 5.8 cents; hardware, 5.8 cents; fruits, in sacks, 2.9 cents; in boxes, 3.9 cents; machines, packed, 3.9 cents; unpacked, 5.8 cents; food preserves, ­ 5.8 cents; furniture, packed, 3.9 cents; unpacked, 5.8 cents. Persons of all nations are entitled to the use of these warehouses, and the same tariff is applied uniformly. Of course, no merchandise entered can be taken out without paying customs duties, save for transshipment beyond the country or to another custom-house. There is in both places only one exit for goods, and at all other doors customs officials are placed to prevent fraudulent passage of merchandise. (From United States Vice and Deputy Consul-General Smith-Lyte, Constantinople, Turkey.) Warehouses for the storage of merchandise in transit or in bond and from which goods may be withdrawn for shipment elsewhere without paying the customs dues do not exist in this capital. There are spacious warehouses in connection with and forming part of the custom-houses in this city. Dimensions can not be obtained. Those of the Galata custom-house are of a very temporary ­ character. When the Constantinople quays (Galata side) were completed in 1897 the custom-house was given accommodation, and sheds and galvanized zinc buildings were erected temporarily. These have remained in use to this day. There are, however, two large stone warehouses in the Stamboul custom-house. In these warehouses goods may be left for a whole year, but after that, unless cleared, they are sold by public auction and the proceeds used to pay accumulated storage. Merchandise intended for the city may remain eight days without paying storage, from the ninth day storage commences, at the following rates per day: Daily storage rates per package at Constantinople warehouses. Horace Lee Washington, Consul. Geneva, Switzerland, July 35,190J+. TURKEY IN EUROPE CONSTANTINOPLE. Six-After twentysecond day. Maximum weight of package in kilograms. Ninth to teenth fifteenth to twen day. ty-second day. Over 5(15 113 226 339 460 ENGLAND: LONDON. 101 Goods manifested and entered at the custom-house as being in transit ­ are allowed to stay for one month without paying any storage. After this the rates are the same as given above, the first day’s storage being charged from the thirty-first instead of the ninth day. Every class of goods is stored. As a rule, goods remain in bond a very limited time, perhaps quite 90 per cent of the goods imported being cleared within the eight days allowed imports for local use and the thirty days for transit goods. It is quite impossible to state to what extent Americans make use of these warehouses, no statistics being obtainable, and there being no relationship ­ between the proportion of a country’ exports and the peculiar ­ circumstances which lead to goods being allowed to remain in Warehouse beyond the eight days’ grace. For instance, a large consignment ­ of a cheap line of goods which will not support double cartage ­ (to the importer’s store and again to the buyer) may be left for a few days at a nominal storage until the entire parcel is disposed of, Perhaps part for transshipment to the interior and the remainder locally. All nationalities are treated exactly alike in regard to warehousing. ­ As regards facilities for and the cost of removing goods from boat to warehouse, the larger steamship companies bring their ships alongside ­ the wharf and discharge directly onto the quay. Other companies ­ discharge in the harbor into lighters at their own expense and the lighters are then brought alongside the custom-house. Anyway, the importer’s charges commence only on the quay, for which dues vary from 2 piasters (8.8 cents) per ton on clay to 55|piasters ($2.44) per ton on silks, paintings, feathers, opium, typewriters, surgical and musical instruments, artificial flowers, gloves, essences, etc. On packages ­ weighing from to 3 tons the quay dues are at double these rates. Eor packages weighing over 3 tons special arrangements have to be made with the quay company. The custom-house carries the goods Hito warehouse at its own expense. The warehouses being part and parcel of the custom-house, they are entirely under the care and supervision of the customs administration, which guards them with its own watchmen. Wm. S.mtth-Lyte, Vice and Deputy Consul-General. Constantinople, Turkey, September 12,1904. UNITED KINGDOM. ENGLAND. LONDON. (From United States Consul-General Evans, London, England.) I regret that in spite of inquiry among warehouse owners, dock proprietors, ­ and shipping companies, I have been unable to secure details °u the points enumerated. The persons interested either can not answer the questions put forth, will not take the trouble involved, or prefer to keep the information within their own knowledge. From 102 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. the London and India Docks Company, however, I have received a copy of its table of rates, charges, and regulations, and I transmit same for such use as it may serve. H. Clay Evans, Consul-General. London,, England, October 13,1901±. The above-mentioned table of rates, charges, and regulations of the London and India Docks Company is on file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, where it may be consulted ­ by persons interested. The following is a summary of the principal regulations respecting imported merchandise, as shown in that pamphlet: The docks of this company are known as the London Docks, St. Katherine Docks, West India Docks, Southwest India Dock, East India Docks, Royal Victoria Dock, Royal Albert Dock. Tilbury Docks, and Town Warehouses. Certain goods which are considered dangerous or hazardous are only allowed to pass over the quays direct from ship to conveyance. In order to prevent loss of time in landing, sampling, etc., consignees should give directions for the entry at the custom-house, as soon as the ship is reported, of goods intended for warehousing with the Docks Company. When goods are ordered to be entered for or removed to another of the company’s docks for housing or where the Docks Company is unable to warehouse the goods where the vessel discharges, a charge for “ quay accommodations at the dock of discharge” ­ will be made of from 2 shillings (48 cents) to 3 shillings (72 cents) per ton, according to the nature of the goods (in addition to the rates payable at the dock where the goods are stored), unless the orders to land are lodged at the dock where the vessel discharges before the goods are discharged, so that the company can obtain them direct overside from the vessel into craft. Lighterage or removal expenses (will be. chargeable in addition when the rates on the goods are not sufficient to cover the expense. Bills of lading should be specially indorsed, so as to designate clearly the party to whose order the contents are to be delivered, and will be required to be produced in the following cases: Goods entered by the Docks Company, goods from places to the east of the Cape of Good Hope, goods from the West Indies or United States of America, unless the master of the import ship or the owner’s representative sanctions the delivery to the consignees named in the manifest. They will also be required for other goods and in other cases, unless the Docks Company is satisfied that the bills of lading have been produced or are not required as evidence of ownership. Particular attention is necessary to the regularity of the indorsement of bills of lading, as the officers of the Docks Company will not pass any bill on which the authority from the shipper to the holder is not deduced by a complete ­ and accurate chain of indorsement. In cases of informality in or loss of bills of lading provision is made for indemnifying the Docks Company. Orders lodged for the delivery or transfer of goods before the goods to which they relate have been landed will be received and held for the convenience of the persons lodging them only, but without liability. Previous to the transfer or issue of any warrants (except prime warrants), and before the delivery of any goods can take place, the rates and charges on the whole mark or parcel must be paid. When goods placed in the custody of the Docks Company have been stopped for freight or charges, or for both, the owner may liberate them by making a deposit with the Docks Company of the amount claimed, in accordance with the provisions of the merchant shipping act. 1894. A warrant is the only document issued by the Docks Company entitled to be considered a legal symbol of the goods therein described, and the goods may be transferred by indorsement thereon without the warrant being produced at the dock office. Warrants for goods are issued on written application in favor of such person as the owner may direct (subject to the conditions specified on the documents), and when lodged, duly indorsed, entitle the holder to transfer or obtain delivery ENGLAND: BRISTOL. 103 the goods. No warrant will be issued until the stop for freight (if any) has |>eeu removed, or a deposit equal to the amount claimed on account of such stop ls made with the Docks Company, nor until the landing and other charges are Paid, except a “ prime warrant,” which carries landing as well as other charges. Certain charges are made for these warrants, and the contents of one warrant toay be divided into others for smaller quantities, at the will of the holder. If More than one warrant should he required for a pile of goods in bulk, the goods wull be unpiled and repiled in accordance with the contents of each warrant, an d charges made for all operations consequent thereon must be paid before new warrants can be issued. In the evènt of warrants being lost, they must be advertised in such public newspapers as may be directed by the Docks Company, and seven days must elapse subsequently to the advertisement, and the Docks Company be indemnified, ­ before any delivery can be effected, but whenever the delivery of the goods * s pressing the parties may obtain it immediately upon depositing the estimated Va lue. Under no circumstances will duplicate warrants be issued. Forms of authority to sign orders, etc., for merchants or brokers may be obtained at the general olfice. dock house. Brokers possessing general authorises ­ in writing from merchants to inspect or sample goods must produce them :° r the purpose of being recorded. The inspection or samplings of goods will take place upon orders signed by the owners ; but when warrants have been issued the numbers of the warrants must be stated on the orders. Fbe customary marking for sale of all goods will be proceeded with Immediately ­ on their being landed, unless notice to the contrary be given by the owner 0l ' consignor. Goods withdrawn from a sale after being shown will be subject to an extra charge on being shown again. As regards merchandise, other than wines and spirits, the Docks Company *ill not be answerable for any losses or deficiencies which may be due to natural pauses or to vermin, and they will not be answerable for any losses or deficientes ­ on goods of any description (including wines and spirits) unless the extent af such losses or deficiencies is agreed prior to the removal of the goods from the premises of the Docks Company. Empty casks, mats, and packages of every description not removed within mi'ee months from the date of the landing account of the goods shall become the property of the Docks Company. No person not being a servant of the Docks Company Is permitted to be employed ­ in any work or labor to be performed within the dock premises or town Warehouses, whether on ship, vessel, lighter, jetty, quay, or shore, without the Previous permission of the superintendent or other qualified officer, with the following exceptions: (o) Persons employed by shipowners in discharging cargo; (b) stevedores aiul their men employed in stowing cargoes for export; (c) lightermen and carhien delivering or receiving goods and lightermen navigating their craft ; (d) bien employed in removing, mooring, or rigging vessels. The Docks Company fakes no responsibility with respect to goods delivered overside. lient on merchandise commences on the day the import ship breaks bulk, in the case of goods by craft or by land from the receipt of the first por f>°n of the goods. When the charge is by weight, it is levied on the gross Weight. A week’s rent is charged for a fraction of a week. When the rent is reckoned from the first landing, the first day is counted as a day, but when the rent is from or after the final day of landing or weighing, the final day is not counted as a day. No allowance will be made by the company in respect of any payment made i y merchants or others to shipowners under the London clause in the American mils of lading, or bills of lading containing the Havre clause, or any other clauses in bills of lading which entitle shipowners to land goods at the expense of the consignees. BRISTOL. (From United. States Cônsul Lathrop, Bristol, England.) The docks of Bristol, which have a very extended quay line, are °W T hed by the city, and are governed by a committee of the elected city council. It is believed that these conditions are unique, and that 104 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. useful hints may be gleaned from the experience of a municipality which is in sole control of a water front involving a capital expenditure ­ of millions, and an annual turnover of large sums. WAREHOUSES FOR FREE GOODS. The city has its own transit sheds and its warehouses for the storage of free goods. I send inclosed a list 0 of these sheds and warehouses with their area and cost of construction in perhaps unnecessary detail; but it is intended to show that the city has found it desirable to split up this warehouse accommodation. It has carried out the principle that its storage buildings should be so placed as to receive goods direct from ship. The saving of one handling thus effected has been the principal reason no doubt that warehouses in private ownership for nondurable goods have been to a large extent superseded. Grain and general merchandise are stored in these warehouses. At them the city is, in fact, prepared to handle almost any sort of a cargo from the moment that the ship breaks bulk up to the time of its final disappearance from the docks. Charges on unbonded general goods vary widely. 6 The quay rate, which comprises charges for landing from ship’s rail, sorting on quay when required, and delivering to railway trucks, including landing accounts, varies from 44 cents to $1.33 per ton, delivery to craft alongside ­ costing 6 cents per ton extra. The warehouse rate comprises landing from ship’s rail, sorting when required, housing, unpiling, and delivery to trucks, including landing accounts, and varies from 61 cents to $1.39 per ton, delivery from warehouse to craft alongside, 12 cents per ton extra. For the storage of goods in the warehouses the rent per week varies from 3 to 12 cents per ton. Weighing on delivery, ­ when required, 14 cents per ton. These charges must be paid by the person giving the order for the work or clearing the goods. The charges and rent on barley, oats, durra, and millet in bulk per 100 bushels are: From ship to craft, 70 cents; from ship to truck, 80 cents; warehouse rate, $1.50; rent per week, G cents ; on wheat, maize, beans, peas, and rye the charges are: From ship to craft, 74 cents; from ship to truck, 84 cents; warehouse rate, $1.64; rent per week, 8 cents; the charge for turning in warehouse is 14 cents per 100 bushels; for screening, 68 cents per 100 bushels ; for weighing over, 54 cents per 100 bushels; for cutting and starting bags (merchant’s proportion of work) in ship’s hold (including bundling and delivering), 24 cents per 100 bushels. The ship to craft rate includes metering, filling sacks in the hold of vessel, weighing, and delivery to rail of craft alongside vessel ­ discharging. The ship to truck rate includes metering, filling «This list is on file in the Bureau of Statistics. It shows 4G different sheds with an area of 104.133 square yards, erected at an approximate cost of $1,125,000, which cost includes that of 30,994 square yards of covered way, not included in the area of the sheds. Some of these sheds are built three stories high, and many have two floors. There are, besides, one six-story warehouse of 0,414 square yards area and costing $65,000, and three granaries with an aggregate ­ area of over 51,000 square yards and costing over $800,000. & Table of charges on general goods is on file in Bureau of Statistics, Department ­ of Commerce and Labor. ENGLAND: BRISTOL. 105 sacks in the hold of vessel, weighing and loading into railway trucks or wagons. The warehouse rate includes metering, filling sacks in the hold of vessel, weighing, housing, and redelivery to railway trucks or to craft alongside. The rates per 100 bushels for wheat and linseed worked throughout in original bags are: Ship to craft, 62 cents; ship to truck, 73 cents; warehouse rate, $1.16; rent per week, 8 cents. When extra men have to be employed or extra expenses incurred ­ in consequence of the high temperature of cargo or other causes, an extra charge will be made. For grain out of condition, which requires a lower storage than 4 feet 6 inches, 2 cents per 100 bushels per week extra will be charged for each foot less in height. The above rates apply only to labor operations during the ordinary Working hours. Overtime will be charged according to expense incurred. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses, both free and bonded. Local warehouses are not nsed by Americans, simply because there are no local importers of our nationality, but the bulk of the grain and provisions stored is doubtless of American and Canadian origin. The facilities for the removal of free goods to warehouse are complete ­ and up to date in Bristol. The grain warehouses are supplied with every modem appliance for handling grain, either in bulk or sacked. The contiguity of the transit sheds—which are really warehouses ­ for storing for a limited time—and of the larger warehouses to the quay side, and the complete equipment of modern traveling cranes, insure the maximum dispatch and the minimum cost for shifting cargo from ship to warehouse. BONDED WAREHOUSES. There exists in Bristol immense accommodation for bonded goods, the result of the great tobacco manufacturing industry and of the supremacy of Bristol for centuries as an importer of wines from the Continent. Storage places for bonded goods are not owned by the municipality, nor are they in such close proximity to the docks as are the free warehouses. The limited number of dutiable articles in the English tariff renders it unnecessary to provide extended bonded accommodation close to the ship. The accommodations provided for the two classes of bonded goods are quite distinct. In olden times it seems to have been easy for anybody ­ to secure authority to bond a wine cellar, hence certain parts of the foundations of the older portion of the city are honeycombed with cellars, many of which are bonded. These cellars are to be found in the most unlikely places—under old and decaying houses and amid surroundings which indicate a once prosperous neighborhood fallen upon evil times. However dilapidated the house may be, fhe cellar must be kept in good condition to retain its bond, and is subject to the same regulations, the same careful custom-house oversight, as if it were a new structure. I have examined into the conditions under which these cellars for the storing of alcoholic liquors are maintained and controlled. I find nothing, however, to learn from their management, except in one respect, and I am not certain that this point will be new to the administrators of our 106 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. bonded system. In discussing with a local banker the system which he pursued in making advances upon wine or liquors in bond he told me of his plan of making certain always that his security was intact. el If my debtor’s stock,” he said, “ rested in the ordinary way among other people’s in the cellar it would be easy for him to obtain access to it without my knowledge. The custom-house can not be expected to take note of my lien on his goods. A dishonest man might leave me a row of empty barrels. It is my practice therefore to put a simple fence of wire netting about my debtor’s barrels, supplied with a wire door, of which I have the key. When I have done this, I rest secure that no undue evaporation will take place.” I should have been glad to send particulars of the control and management ­ of the bonded warehouses for tobacco, from the point of view of both owners and users. These warehouses, however, are in a few strong hands, and the proprietors have courteously declined to extend any information whatever, nor have their customers— the great local manufacturers—proved more communicative. With these warehouses, as with the bonded cellars, the procedure of the custom-house officials, the oversight of the authorities, the technical details governing the incoming and the outgoing of the commodity, are similar in essentials to our own practice. IjORiN A. Lathrop, Consul. Bristol, England, September 24-, 1904. HULL. (From United States Consul Hamm, Hull, England.) The Northeastern Railway Company at its Hull docks has provided ­ lock-up sheds for transit purposes. I send herewith a pamphlet“ ­ issued by that company which shows the charges for use of these sheds and other information about the warehousing facilities of this port. Particulars of the dimensions and original cost of warehouses are not available. They are owned by the Northeastern Railway Company, ­ which alone does the work in connection with goods brought to the warehouse. The services rendered by the company in connection with the warehousing ­ are shown in the accompanying rate book, the charges being the same as on goods of the same description passing over the company’s ­ quays and not using the transit sheds. The chief classes of goods stored are wines, tea, coffee, sugar, cocoa, tobacco, etc. Usually goods are left only a few days. All nationalities ­ are treated alike by the administrators of the warehouses, but 1 am unable to state to what extent Americans make use of the sheds. The transit sheds are in the care and supervision of the customs officials. ­ The goods are brought to and removed from the warehouse usually by the shipowner. Walter C. Hamm, Consul. Hull, England, August 4,1904.. »Ou file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. England: Liverpool. 107 LIVERPOOL. (From United States Consul Boyle, Liverpool, Encjland.) Warehouses for storage of merchandise in transit or in bond in Liverpool are of two classes, (1) warehouses in general and (2) warehouses ­ owned and operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbor Board. WAREHOUSES IN GENERAL. The dimensions of the warehouses here vary, but the inside measurements ­ of the largest are about 400 yards. The Liverpool Warehousing ­ Company is the largest owner of the warehouses under discussion. The bonded warehouses are owned by private firms and public companies. Reference should be made here to the warehouses owned by the Mersey Docks and Harbor Board, discussed below. All Warehouses used for bonding purposes must be approved by the customs ­ authorities, and the owner of the warehouse has to give a bond in accordance with the customs regulations before the warehouse is approved. When goods arrive at this port the warehouse companies collect them from the dock, quay, or wharf, and cart them to the Warehouse for storage. The proper entry of the goods (whether dutiable or not) is made by the importers at the custom-house, and the examination and warehousing of the goods follow in the ordinary course, if they come under the customs duties. The “ administrators ­ ” are the warehouse owners or keepers, who are responsible for the safe custody of all goods placed in bonded warehouses. The °wners of the warehouses let the whole establishment, or a part thereof, as may be required, or a storage charge is made for each Package. Spirits are gauged by the regular port gauger, appointed by the customs authorities. “ Wet goods ” (wines, spirits, etc.) have to remain in bonded ware-, house at least twelve months. The charge for storage on a puncheon cf wine or spirits is 3 shillings (72 cents) per annum ; on a hogshead, 2 shillings (48 cents), and on a barrel, 1 shilling (24 cents). The charges on “ dry goods” (that is, all goods not of a liquid or moist character) vary considerably, according to the class of goods; as, for example, the charge on sugar is lj pence (about 2^ cents) per ton per ^cek, for one month at least. The charge on dry fruits runs to 5 ai *d G pence (10 to 12 cents) per week, for one month at least. The only expenditures made by the customs authorities are for the oncers stationed at the bonded warehouses for supervising. The customs ­ authorities do not receive anything from, or on account of, these bonded warehouses. In addition to the charge for rent, the owners of the warehouses make a charge for carting, housing, etc.—removing L'om the cart to the warehouse, piling or packing in the store, and delivery to the carts on removal from the warehouse. The charge for carting from the warehouse is borne by the buyers. All imaginable classes of goods, both dry and wet, are stored in these warehouses, with the exception, of course, of certain prohibited ai ’ticles, such as dynamite, gunpowder, explosive oils, etc., for which there is special provision. The length of time goods remain in bond yepends upon the kind of goods. “ Dry ” goods remain in bond at jeast a month, as a rule, and sometimes longer. “ Wet ” goods remain 111 bond a long time to mature—generally twelve months, and some- 108 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. times much longer. Tobacco deteriorates if left in bond longer than one year, but the length of time in which it does remain in bond varies according to the class of tobacco, the kind of leaf, etc. Two years may be said to be the maximum period during which any kind of tobacco remains in bond. Americans make very little use on their own account of Liverpool warehouses, whether for dutiable or nondurable goods, as most of the importations from the United States into Liverpool are either owned by or are under the control of British merchants. While this is the largest foreign market in the world for American tobacco, on which there is a high rate of duty, the tobacco is owned by British subjects. Some years ago Americans used to send American whisky here to be stored, but this is not done now, as there is little or no market in this country for American whisky. All nationalities are treated alike in Liverpool by the customs authorities and by those owning the warehouses, including the Mersey ­ Docks and Harbor Board. All merchandise is removed from the ship to the warehouse by means of carts or lorries drawn by horses, as a rule, although recently steam automobile wagons have been coming into use. The carriage of goods in Liverpool is a serious item of expense. The horses used are claimed to be the strongest draft horses used anywhere—certainly ­ the loads they haul are immense. There are ample cartage facilities. The cost of haulage varies so much that no approximate ­ figures can be given. Some of the warehouses are in close proximity to the docks, and the cost of transportation is comparatively ­ small. Others are at a considerable distance from the docks, and then the cost is materially increased. There is a railroad running ­ the length of the docks, and quite close to them, which does considerable ­ haulding of goods in transit from one dock to another. Negotiations are now pending between the dock board and the railroad ­ companies with the view of having tracks run right to the docks to facilitate the transfer of goods. In the large bonded warehouses customs officers are Continually stationed during official business hours. At the smaller warehouses customs officers attend only when their services are required or at times they deem advisable. Tn all cases bonded warehouses or rooms, as the case may be, are fitted with what is known as a " Crown lock,” to which the key is held by the customs officer in charge. The warehouses ­ or rooms are also fitted with a duplicate lock, the key of which is held by the ow ner. Thus the owner of the warehouse or room can not gain admittance during unofficial hours without the attendance of a customs officer. Occasionally the customs officers challenge the stock in a bonded warehouse. The customs officials’ record contains entry of all goods stored and removed from a bonded warehouse. If the customs officer has any doubt about the quantity , say of wines or spirits contained in a particular cask, the contents are measured. The quantity found therein is then compared with the official record. A warehouse owner or keeper must, before the warehouse is approved by the customs authorities, give a bond, and this, together with the fact that his license will be forfeited if any pilfering is found out or any infraction of the law takes place, makes him very careful. The result is that there is very little pilfering from bonded warehouses in Liverpool. ENGLAND! LIVERPOOL. 109 DOCK BOARD WAREHOUSES. I am able to give more specific information in regard to the dock Warehouses and transit sheds owned and controlled bv the Mersey Docks and Harbor Board (that is, the dock board of Liverpool). The Mersey Docks and Harbor Board is not a Government board, neither is it a private corporation. Its organization is, I believe, peculiar to Liverpool. It is what is known in this country as a “ public ­ trust.” It exists by special act of Parliament. Most of the members ­ of the board are elected by the shipowners using the port and those who pay dock rates. The British Government, however, has a certain representation on the board, as also has the Government bureau ­ controlling the river navigation. The board exists for the good °f the port and not for the purpose of making profit. Speaking generally, ­ it may be said that whatever profits are made go to improvements, ­ after the ordinary working expenditures have been met, interests ­ on loans paid, and a certain amount set aside for the liquidation °f the principal of the indebtedness. BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT. The dimensions, etc., of the Albert, Stanley, and Wapping Dock Warehouses are as follows: Albert Doch warehouses.—These warehouses are in five blocks, with a connecting building between two of them. They vary in length and are not of uniform width throughout, as there is a series °f embayments, or yards, and the width of the warehouses at the points where the yards are situated is considerably less than il t the other parts. The following are particulars of the outside measurements: North block (let off to a company for a special business). ­ Northeast block (No. 9), length, 263 feet; width, wide portion ­ (191 feet long), 96 feet; narrow portion (72 feet long), 56 feet, ^outheast block (No. 1), length, 271 feet; width, wide portion (199 |eet long), 96 feet; narrow portion (72 feet long), 56 feet. South block (Nos. 2 and 3), length, 405 feet; width, wide portion. (312 feet mug), 133 feet; narrow portion (93 feet long), 59 feet. Building connecting south and west blocks, length, 62 feet; width, 88 feet. West block (Nos. 4 to 7), length 824 feet; width, wide portion (548 met long), 114 feet; narrow portion (276 feet long), 61 feet. The Warehouses are fireproof, and consist of vaults, quays, and half-decks, a ml four upper floors. The cost of construction, excluding the value °f the land, was $1,751,035. Stanley Dock.—There are three blocks, the north block, length 630 feet, width 90 feet; the south block, length 630 feet, width 90 feet; a ud the new warehouse, length 730 feet, width 165 feet. The north ;'ml south stacks each consist of a vault, quay, and four upper floors. |he new warehouse consists of a basement, quay, and twelve upper hoors. The three blocks are fireproof, and the upper floors thereof ar e devoted exclusively to the storage of tobacco. The cost of conduction ­ of these warehouses, exclusive of the value of the land upon which the north and south blocks stand, but including the filling up °f the portion of the Stanley dock upon which the new block has been erected, was nearly $2,500,000. 1V a vying Dock.—Length, 766 feet; width, 75| feet. This is also 110 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. a fireproof warehouse, and consists of a vault, quay, and four upper floors. The cost of construction of this warehouse, exclusive of the value of the land, was $484,840. The warehouses in question are owned and conducted by the Mersey Docks and Harbor Board. Small portions of some of the warehouses have, however, been let to private firms and companies, who are allowed to perform their own work in the portions let to them. SERVICE. The patron, or merchant, furnishes full particulars of the marks, etc., of the goods to be stored on a receiving order, and also instructs the board, in writing (generally on the receiving order), as to how he wishes the produce to be worked—that is, weighed, sampled, tared, gauged, etc. Any subsequent work done to the goods while in store, as sampling, inspecting, etc., is done only by the merchant’s written authority. When delivery is required a delivery order, bearing full particulars of the goods, is given by the merchant, and, after being passed through the ledgers at the office of the chief warehouse manager, ­ it is presented at the warehouse and duly honored. It is essential that the delivery order bear the merchant’s own signature, or that of some person who has been authorized to the board to sign delivery orders, etc., on his account. The merchant sees to the conveyance of the goods to the board’s warehouses, and attends to their insurance against fire. In the case of tobacco from America the shipowner, under the terms of the bill of lading, conveys the produce to the warehouses. ­ The receiver or party taking delivery looks after the removal of the goods from the warehouses, but they are delivered to his carts or crafts by the board’s employees. The goods indicated in the receiving order are received by the board’s employees, and after being dealt with as directed by the merchant—that ­ is, weighed, sampled, tared, etc.—they are stored away in the warehouse and held to the merchant’s order. When delivery is required,it is given on the merchant’s delivery order, the goods being broken out of pile, taken to the delivery door, and lowered onto cart or taken to craft by the board’s servants, the work of stowing the produce ­ on the carts or in the craft being done by the carter or by the crew. Weighing, taring, and gauging accounts are rendered to the merchants on completion of the work. Acknowledgments, bearing a 3-pence (G-cont) stamp and certifying that the goods are in store to the order of the merchant, are issued by the board when required, and full particulars of the produce are given therein. This document ­ is of no value to obtain delivery or transfer of the goods, which is only given on a properly signed delivery or transfer order. If the merchant requests it warrants are issued in his name or in that of any other person or firm whom he may elect. These also contain ­ full details of the produce and are negotiable. Delivery can be obtained thereon, provided they are properly indorsed, and have been passed through the board’s books, just as on a delivery order. When goods are transferred all charges are collected to the date of transfer, or to the seller’s prompt date, as given on the order, except in the case of tobacco, the rent charges on which are usually paid by ENGLAND: LIVERPOOL. Ill the buyer, and consequently payment is not insisted upon at the time of transfer. If warrants are issued the charges on all goods (including tobacco) ­ are collected up to the date of the issue of the documents. All charges have to be paid, or provided for, prior to goods being delivered. CHARGES. The rates for storage, etc., of goods at the board’s warehouses are shown in the inclosed copy of the schedule of warehouses, rates, etc. 0 At the Stanley Dock warehouses all operations are performed by the board, including the discharging of cargoes from vessels, the quay porterage thereon and the housing thereof, and the rates chargeable for the several operations are shown in the warehouse schedule mentioned. At the Albert and Wapping Dock warehouses the operations of discharging and quay porterage are usually performed ­ by master lumpers and master porters, respectively, who are licensed but not employed by the board. The master lumper’s price for discharging a cargo is subject to special arrangement, there being no fixed rates tor such operations ; but the rates chargeable by master porters for the quay porterage operations are fixed by the board, and are shown in the inclosed copy of the master porterage by-laws, etc.® The housing operations at the Albert and Wapping Dock warehouses, as in the case of the Stanley Dock warehouses, are performed by the board, at rates shown in the warehouse schedule mentioned above. Particulars of the receipts and expenditures at the board’s warehouses ­ for the year ending July 1, 1903, are shown in the inclosed copy of the warehouses account. 6 The accounts for the present year have not yet been made up. The dutiable goods usually stored at the board’s warehouses are tobacco and sugar at each of the three warehouses named, and wines and spirits, tea, coffee, and cocoa at the Albert Dock warehouses. The average period during which dutiable goods remain in store at the board’s warehouses may be said to be, approximately, as follows: ­ Tobacco, two and one-fourth years; sugar, five months; wines and spirits, sixteen months; tea, five months; coffee and cocoa, twenty-one months. It is impossible to say to what extent Americans make use of the board’s warehouses, but it may be mentioned that nearly all the American tobacco imported into Liverpool is conveyed to and dealt with at these warehouses. All the board’s customers are treated exactly alike, irrespective of nationality. 0 On file in the Bureau of Statistics, where it may be consulted by persons Interested. 6 The detailed statement is on file in the Bureau of Statistics. From it the following summary is taken : For the eleven warehouses specified the total receipts were £211,240 18s. 3d. ($1,028,003.90), of which £116,000 ($564,514) "ere for rates and nearly £95.241 ($463,490) for rents. The expenditure, exclusive of interest on cost of land and buildings and general management charges, was £101,822 ($495,517) for rates account, £14,902 ($72,520) on rent, and £280 ($1,363) miscellaneous expenditures on the structures; the surplus receipts thus amounted to £94,237 ($458,604), from which, deducting £18,895 ($91,952), the amount of local rates for 1903, leaves £75,342 ($366,652) total bet earnings for the year. 112 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. HANDLING. The bulk of the goods mentioned are brought to the board’s warehouses ­ by carts and are taken away in the same manner. Tobacco is almost invariably landed at the open docks and carted to the warehouses, ­ as are also tea, coffee, and cocoa. Most of the sugar housed is discharged from the importing vessel at the Albert, Stanley, or Wapping quays, and either taken direct from the vessel into store or stored after having been stowed on the quays. The board does not undertake either the cartage of goods landed at the open docks and intended for storage at their warehouses, or the cartage of goods from the said warehouses to the open docks for shipment, but from inquiries ­ made the following appear to be the rates usually charged for such services: Tobacco, about Is. 6d. (3G cents) per ton into store, and Is. 8d. (40 cents) out; sugar, about Is. 3d. (30 cents) per ton; tea, coffee, and cocoa, about Is. 6d. (36 cents) per ton; wines and spirits, about Is. 3d. (30 cents) per puncheon, 9d. (18 cents) per hogshead, 5d. (10 cents) per barrel, and Id. (2 cents) per case. All bonded goods are under the Crown locks, as well as the board’s, and customs officers are constantly in attendance at the warehouses to overlook the operations performed. At the sugar storehouses the customs officer is not always present, but he pays periodical visits to satisfy himself that everything is going on all right. No bonded goods can be delivered by the board without the authority of the customs, ­ which is given on a form provided for the purpose. The dock board has several other large warehouses, but they are chiefly used for the storage of free goods. Transit sheds have also been provided by the board at most of the open docks for the temporary ­ storage of dutiable goods prior to their being passed by the customs authorities. The rate books inclosed are as last printed bv the dock board, the alterations which have been made from time to time in certain of the rates since the books were issued not being shown in the inclosed copies. James Boyle, Consul. Liverpool, England, July 1°¿, WOJ^. MANCHESTER. (From United States Consul Bradley, Manchester, England.) The principal warehouses located at the Manchester docks are 13, situated on the north side of No. 8 dock, with a gross inside area of 291,473 square feet, or 32,386 square yards; and 4 situated on land adjoining Trafford Wharf road, with an inside area of 114,642 square feet, or 12,738 square yards. These warehouses are owned by the Manchester Docks and Warehouse Extension Company, from whom they are leased by the Manchester Ship Canal Company, which handles and controls all merchandise stored therein. The Manchester Ship Canal Company also owns and controls a transit shed for bonded traffic, situate at the end of No. 7 dock, Salford, ­ having an inside area of about 10,000 square feet, or about 1,110 square yards. The original cost of the buildings can not be ascertained. ­ The warehouses are used principally for the storage of free ENGLAND: NEWC A8TLE-ÍIN-TYNE. 113 goods—i. e., goods that are allowed to enter this country without the payment of customs duties. A small portion of the block situated °n the north side of No. .8 dock is certified for the storage of dutiable traffic under bond. Rates for storage at the Manchester docks on the principal commodities imported from North America are shown on the list inclosed. 0 Charges, including one month’s storage, vary from 36 cents to $1.22 per ton. Rent is from to 12 cents per ton per Week. Figures of receipts and expenditures on account of service can not he ascertained. All sorts of goods are stored—tobacco, glucose, sugar, tea, rum, wines and spirits, etc. A large portion of the import trade to Manchester ­ consists of traffic from America, and in specifying the principal ­ American dutiable articles imported I would include tobacco in berces, glucose, and grape sugar. All nationalities are treated exactly ­ alike as regards storage and charges. . With the exception of tobacco dealers, I find it is the rule for ^porters to pay duty on dutiable goods at time of import. This is u °t done, however, with tobacco, which is imported in the closing months of the year and remains in store for perhaps twelve months. Goods are removed by steam crane from steamer to the store by Fail alongside the docks, and also by wagons ; merchandise is reshipped 111 the same manner. Wm. Harrison Bradley, Consul. Manchester, England, September 13,1901^. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. (From United States Vico and Deputy Consul Eixon, Netccastle-on-Tyne, England.) Bonded warehouses in this city are owned and managed by priv ate firms. A merchant can either have a bonded warehouse of his °Wn, or he can take part in a general bond with other merchants who have goods stored. The dimensions and original cost of warehouses ­ can not be given. Some warehouses are owned by capitalists mid leased to public warehousemen, and they are conducted under bie supervision of the customs officers. Both the merchants and the customs officers have separate keys, so that one can not enter without bie other. .The inclosed rate book 6 shows the various charges in connection ' Vl th goods in the Hartlepool ports, either warehoused by the Northeastern ­ Railway Company, which owns bonds, or passing over the h°ek quays and not using the warehouses in any way. No charges a J e made by the customs authorities, who provide their officers free °f charge. Fhe principal classes of goods stored are: Spirits—rum, brandy, Boueva, whisky, gin, other spirits not sweetened, British spirits not sweetened, foreign spirits not sweetened; wine; beer, foreign; beer 0 On file in the Bureau of Statistics. Circulars regarding the special customs emulations are also on file. On file In the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 18762—05 M 8 114 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. (for drawback); lemon juice, tea; coffee, roasted (for drawback); cocoa, cocoa paste; chicory, roasted and ground; tobacco (for drawback), ­ tobacco, negro head; tobacco, roll; cigars; raisins, currants, figs, prunes, plums, sugar, molasses, condensed milk, preserves (marmalade, ­ etc.), American canned meats, and lard. These stores are also used largely for canned meats imported from America, and occasional ­ cargoes of grain arrive from America, but on arrival here they are generally the property of the English receiver. American ships can draw from these warehouses for their supplies free of duty. All nationalities are treated alike, without distinction of any kind. I can not state the length of time goods generally remain in bond-In transit sheds goods are left only two or three days and in warehouses ­ from one week to twelve months. Goods may remain in bond until unfit for use, when the customs officers may order them to be destroyed, in which case the merchant is not called upon to pay duty-The rate book previously referred to tells the facilities foy and the cost of the removal of the goods from boat to warehouse, and vice 'versa! The,Customs officials are stationed on the premises, and the bonding business;is conducted under their supervision. They are required to see finit the regulations are carried out and keep records of the gooefs as they come into the warehouse, and issue permits as they are delivered out. H. Nixon, Vice and Deputy Consul. Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, August 31,190 NOTTINGHAM. (From United States Consul Maliin, Nottingham, England.) There is but one bonded warehouse in this district, so far as I can learn, that of the Midland Railway Company, in this city. The of#' cial of the company in charge prefers not to attempt giving any fig' ures as to dimensions and original cost of the warehouse, it being part of a building used for other purposes also. The warehouse is used chiefly for the storage of wines and spiritsand occasionally of tea and tobacco. The following is the officia» scale of charges per week: Wines and spirits, per pipe or puncheon, 3d. (6 cents) ; per hogshead, 2d. (4 cents) ; per barrel, l^d. (3 cents) j per quarter cask, Id. (2 cents) ; per case. 1 dozen, jd. (one-half cent) í per case, 3 dozen, 4d. (1 cent). Part of a week will be charged as a week. Merchants or traders storing wines and spirits in this warehouse may have the use of the vat for blending purposes, etc., at the charge, including labor, of Id. (2 cents) per gallon. Labor is charged for at the rate of Is. 6d. (36 cents) per ton; this includes taking in the goods, weighing when necessary, and deliver ing out again to the vehicle. This charge will not, however, be mad 0 upon goods which have previously arrived by the Midland Railway? and are reconsigned for further conveyance over the company’s lines-Cartage of goods from the bonded warehouse will be 2s. (48 cents) per ton to any place within the ordinary limits of delivery, except oß ENGLAND: SOUTHAMPTON. 115 goods which have previously arrived in Nottingham by the Midland Hailway charged at carted rates. Charges for cooperage, repairs, sampling, etc., will be made in addition to those above mentioned, according to the cost incurred. For other articles than wine and spirits no tariff is published, the storage thereof being so rare that charges are made to apply to each particular case. A statement of receipts and expenditures is not procurable. No Americans use this warehouse, but all nationalities are treated alike. Goods remain in bond sometimes for months, sometimes for .Years. An excise officer has a lock and key to the warehouse, so that he can inspect it at his pleasure. Nottingham, England, July #0,190J. Frank W. Maiiin, C\ PLYMOUTH. (From United States Consul Stephens, Plymouth, England.) BibWoth® There are at this port 23 bonded warehouses. These va size according to the purposes for which the premises have be? bonded. Some of the warehouses approved for wines and spirits are ^ory large. In addition to the above there are 33 excise general warehouses ­ located in different parts of the district. All these warehouses ure owned and conducted by private companies and individuals. Any person or company, by providing suitable premises and furnishing ­ the requisite bonds, may establish a bonded warehouse. The goods chiefly stored are wines and spirits, tobacco, ship’s stores, a nd dry goods. Some goods remain in bond for years. The great majority of the warehouses are owned by large spirit and wine merchants, ­ who use them for storing their goods which are covered in ^ond. Very little general merchandise is placed in bond at this port await delivery or reshipment. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses. Americans seldom make use of these buildings. , The facilities for the removal of goods from ship to bonded warehouse ­ are abundant. The cost depends wholly upon contract, there being no scale of charges for either storage or removal of goods. The care and supervision exercised over the warehouses by the customs ­ officials is very strict. Double locks are placed on all doors and n o owner nor any person whatsoever is allowed to enter without the company of a customs officer. Jos. G. Stephens, Consul. Plymouth, England, August 11, 1901¡.. SOUTHAMPTON. (From United States Consul Swalm, Southampton, England.) While Southampton is a great port in the amount of tonnage ending ­ from the sea, it may be termed merely a port of landing and 116 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. not one of general distribution. The only docks here are owned and operated by the London and Southwestern Railway, and are equipped with all modern dock appliances known to the shipping world. That company maintains shore warehouses inside the dockyards ­ for the storage of grain and flour, which generally come consigned ­ to the company. It also maintains bonded stores for wines and spirits only, which are in the charge of the customs. The International Cold Storage Company, also a railway-company concern, has a very extensive and complete plant in Ehe dock section with deep-water frontage, making it possible for anything afloat in commerce to discharge alongside. This department will handle meat products, fish, game, poultry, and fruits. An illustrated pamphlet regarding it is sent herewith.' 1 The company is prepared to slaughter and care for the product of 600 cattle a day, which capacity can be largely increased. The net cold-storage capacity is about 2,000,000 cubic feet, sufficient for the care of 4,800 quarters of beef and 155,000 mutton carcases, with* 1,300,000 cubic feet of miscellaneous space for butter, fish, game, eggs, fruit, etc. Slaughtering has not yet commenced, but arrangements are being made for the direct importation of American and Canadian cattle, official authorization for the same having been granted. Albert W. Swalm, Consul. Southampton, England, August 18, 1901/.. SCOTLAND. DUNDEE. (From United States Consul Higgins, Dundee, Scotland.) There is practically no importation of dutiable goods at this port. A considerable quantity of sugar is imported, but not warehoused, the goods being examined on the quay, the duty paid, and the goods removed the same day. Occasional small shipments of tea are brought by the jute-carrying vessels. The tea, if duty is not paid on it at once, is deposited in one of the four bonded warehouses iu this port. Of these four warehouses three are owned or occupied by private concerns engaged in the spirit trade, who use them exclusively ­ for the storage of their own liquors. The fourth is a comparatively ­ small affair, also privately occupied. It is used for general purposes, but the amount of merchandise passing through it is by n° means important. The owners or lessees are under bond to the Government for the safekeeping of the goods entering the warehouses, which are under the surveillance of the customs officials. In three, two examining officers and one assistant are stationed, and in the fourth are four examining officers and two assistants; one surveyor supervising the whole, immediately under the collector of customs, who also makes periodical visits. John C. Higgins, Consul. Dundee, Scotland, July 29, 1901^. a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. Scotland: dunfermline. 117 DUNFERMLINE. (From United States Consul McCunn, Dunfermline, Scotland.) There is but one warehouse in Dunfermline for the storage of merchandise ­ in transit or in bond, from which goods may be withdrawn for shipment elsewhere without paying the customs dues. It is termed a general duty-free warehouse and is owned by private traders who conduct it jointly with the excise officers appointed by the Government. ­ It is a substantially built stone structure of 120 by 40 feet, and cost £2,100 ($10,220). Patrons have access at any time for inspection of goods and have privileges of blending, racking, exporting, and importing. The warehouse ­ owners do all the manual work under supervision of the excise. The excise officers see that all goods are according to transfer and dispatch notes. The warehouseman represents the trader and provides guarantees to cover all transactions in bond. The charges are as follows: The charge for racking is 12 cents for each cask marked “Racked;” for blending, 1 cent per imperial bulk gallon (labor by trader) ; for storing in vat, per day, 36 cents ; sampling and dipping are free on Arrival ; at other times 6 cents, besides other charges. Clerk’s fees il re charged according to time and (rouble. A discount from rent of per cent is allowed on goods over twelve months in bond. Special terms are made for traders’ accounts amounting to £10 ($48.67) per ar Rnim. The classes of goods stored are wines and spirits only. Up to date there have been no transactions with Americans. Brandies remain 111 bond from one to twenty-one years, whiskies from one to five years. !l 'id wines from one to three years. All nationalities are treated exactly alike without exception by the administrators of the warehouse.' ­ Dunfermline is not a seaport ; therefore I can give no information °R facilities for and cost of the removal of the goods from boat to Warehouse. Dunfermline is connected by rail with the ports which Charges at duty-free icarehouse, Dunfermline. Service. luar- Hogsers. heads. Punch- Cases per eons and dozen butts, bottles. Rent. TK*T’ nroat ni» nnv nnrt nf n V Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Rearing attendance, porterage, delivering fe 1 mg -»lujuuwice, porterage, ue Constructive warehousing per cask. 2 8 8 24 3 4 12 16 12 16 27 24 I 2 1 hrst receive the goods. J. N. McCunn, Consul. Dunfermline, Scotland, September 7,1901^, 118 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. GLASGOW. (From United States Consul Taylor, Glasgow, Scotland.) There are 56 customs and excise warehouses in Glasgow for the storage of dutiable merchandise. As the buildings are nearly all very old and vary considerably in size, it is not possible to get even approximate information regarding dimensions and original cost. All the warehouses are under the control of the Government. Before any building can be used as a warehouse it must be approved by the commissioners of customs, who are located in London. The consent of these commissioners must also be obtained before a warehouse ­ is erected or extended. Any party may apply for the approval of a building to be used as a warehouse, and an orcler of approval will be issued to such party, provided the said commissioners are satisfied that the building is properly constructed for use as a warehouse, that the size is sufficient for the trade of the place, and that it is desired and considered suitable ­ by persons requiring warehouse accommodation, and provided also that the applicant files a bond, with one or more sufficient sureties, ­ for $15,000 at least for a general warehouse or vault, or for $5,000 for a bottling or repacking warehouse when separate from a general warehouse. The object of this bond is to secure to the Government ­ payment of duties. There is no maximum limit as to dimensions, but, except under special ­ circumstances, no warehouse is approved in which there are less than 5,000 superficial feet of available storage room. The warehouses in Glasgow are owned and conducted by merchants ­ and public storekeepers. Formerly the Government owned some of the warehouses here, but now it does not own a single one. The Government does not directly control the relations between the owners of the warehouses and their patrons by fixing charges for storage or the like. Their control, exercised through the customs and excise officials, is directed to the securing of the duties payable on the merchandise. The services rendered by the owners of the warehouses consist in receiving and caring for the goods, attending on the customs and excise officers during any examination, sampling, or other operation in connection with the goods and delivering the goods up when their removal from bond is desired. They are answerable to the owners of any goods that may be deposited in their warehouses for their safe custody and for their proper delivery. They are also responsible to the Government for the duties on the goods. The owners of warehouses are not restricted in the charges to patrons, but while each owner draws up his own scale, competition renders the charges fairly uniform. Scales of charges for storage at (1) a tobacco warehouse and (2) a general warehouse are inclosed " and may be taken as representative of the charges prevailing at all the warehouses. All goods subject to duty are stored, but chiefly wines, spirits, tea, tobacco, sugar, and dried fruits. The length of time the goods a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. Scotland: leith. 119 lernain in bond varies considerably, but the average time is estimated to be from two or three years. Americans make little or no use of the warehouses. A lot of dutiable goods are, of course, received from America, but these are imported by local brokers and merchants who attend to the storage. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the Warehouses. The warehouses in Glasgow are in close proximity to the harbor a iid convenient to the various railway stations. Goods are carted to a nd from the warehouses commonly by the carting contractors in the city. The cost depends on the class, bulk, and weight of the goods carried. Every warehouse must be provided with suitable accommodation for customs and excise officers. Every warehouse of any importance has a small office set apart specially for the use of one of these officers, whose duty is confined to the supervision of the warehouse. The outer doors of a warehouse are secured by two locks or sets of locks, one of which is controlled by the owners of the warehouse and the other by fhe Government officers. The doors are locked by each of the parties a t the same time, and the warehouse can not be entered unless both Parties are present. It is illegal for the owner of the goods or the Warehouse to open or gain access to a warehouse except in the presence ­ of an officer or to abstract goods from any warehouse. The Sa me principle applies to warehouses too small to warrant the constant ­ attendance of an officer, and when the owner desires to have goods admitted or withdrawn he gives notice to the custom house, so tliat an officer may be in attendance. It is the duty of the officers to Record the condition of the goods on receipt and delivery. They are a Eo required to examine the goods from time to time by testing, sampling, and otherwise, in order to ascertain their condition. Any operation such as vatting, racking, and the like, must be done in their presence and under their supervision. These officers are salaried ­ by the Government, no charge being made to the owners of the Warehouses or others for their attendance. Samuel M. Taylor, Consul. Glasgow, Scotland, July 8, 1904. LEITH. (From United States Consul Fleming, Edinburgh, Scotland.) . There are no warehouses in this district where goods in transit or ln bond are stored without charge or at a nominal rental for a longer Period than two weeks. Dutiable or nondurable goods in transit Olay lie in the substantially built warehouses or sheds of the commissioners ­ for the harbor and docks of Leith, on the docks, for a week or two weeks, according to circumstances, free of cost to the consignee. "here are 15 acres or these sheds, or 640,000 square feet, erected at a total cost of about £125,000 ($608,312.50). A comparatively small Portion of the sheds is used for goods in bond. The charges of stevedores for removing merchandise from vessels 120 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. to the sheds alongside are from 6d. (12 cents) to 8d. (16 cents) per ton. Of course all goods entering the port, whether in transit or in bond or going immediately into consumption, pay the inward dock rates, which range from 2d. (4 cents) per ton on coal to Is. 6d. (36 cents) on fresh fish and also on furniture and other bulky articles light in weight. Taking all classes of merchandise, the average of these shore dues or dock rates is about 8d. (16 cents) per ton. Goods entering the port for reshipment to another port pay only the inward dock rates. Thus, if a cargo of cotton from America is landed for reshipment to a Russian port it may remain ten days or two weeks in the shed and then be reshipped, paying only the inward dock rates. The same rule applies to transit goods in bond. The commissioners for the harbor and docks of Leith are a trust, constituted by act of Parliament and vested by Parliament with the whole property and revenues of the harbor and docks. The members are appointed by the town council of Edinburgh, the town council of Leith, the Edinburgh Merchant Company, and other public or quasi-public bodies. They receive nothing for their services and incur no personal responsibility for any official acts. As a body they are like a private corporation, receiving no public support of any kind, and dependent altogether on the revenues from shipping* Unlike a private corporation, however, the commissioners are not liable for any damage to goods or loss of goods in the dock sheds by fire or theft. But they are responsible to the owner of merchandise damaged by water coming through a defective roof, if the bad condition ­ of the roof resulted from their negligence. They emplov no one to take care of goods in the sheds. The consignee is supposed to look after his own merchandise. Customs officers have entire charge of the sections of the sheds in which dutiable goods are temporarily stored. Merchandise remaining in the dock sheds after the owner has been notified to remove it is assessed as a penalty (not for storage) Is. (24 cents) per ton per day. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the dock commissioners ­ and by private warehouse men. Practically no American goods go into bond at Leith, for either short or long periods. Almost without ­ exception they are non dutiable and as a rule are delivered to customers from the dock sheds. For storage in warehouses owned by companies or firms remunerative ­ rates are charged. For example, the Leith Dock Warehouse Company (having bonded warehouses) makes the following charges per week on goods: Whiskies, wines, etc., in bulk, butts, pipes (90 to 120 gallons), 2d. (4 cents); hogsheads (50 to GO gallons), Id. (2 cents) ; quarter casks (about 30 gallons), Id. (2 cents). These rates are subject to discount up to about 25 per cent on large parcels* Whiskies, wines, etc., in cases, one-fourth penny (one-half cent) pe( case. Tea in boxes (about 20 pounds), one-fourth penny (one-hau cent) per bo%; in larger packages (40 to 100 pounds), one-half penny (1 cent) per package. Other goods (coffee, etc.), about lOd. (2d cents) per ton. Rufus Fleming, Consul-Edinburgh, Scotland, -July 9, 1904. WALES: CARDIFF AND NEWPORT. 121 WALES. CARDIFF AND NEWPORT. (From United States Consul Phillips, Cardiff, M ales.) DOCKS. The Cardiff docks are four in number. They cover altogether an area of 111 acres, and are accessible to vessels of 12,000 tons. The following is the area and depth of water in each dock: Area and depth of water of Cardiff docks. Dock. West dock... East dock... Eoath basin Roath dock. Area in acres. 33 Depth of water on sill. Spring Neap tides. tides. Ft. in. 38 9 31 9 35 9 35 9 Ft. in. 18 9 31 9 35 9 25 9 A new dock is in course of construction, with a water area of 50 acres. It will have 40 feet of water on sill at ordinary spring tides and 32 feet at ordinary neap tides. There are twelve graving docks in Cardiff, one having a length of *00 feet, and several capable of accommodating vessels of over 500 feet. The London and Northwestern, Great Western, Midland, Taff Vale, Rhymney, Brecon and Merthyr, and Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway companies have direct communication with all the four docks, thus making Cardiff the center of Wales for shipping ­ and a convenient port for the Midland district of England. TIMBER PONDS. The Cardiff timber floats have an area of 28 acres, and a large provision is made for the floating of timber at a reasonable rental. These ponds are capable of storing nearly 30,000 loads; they have 51 waterway to all the timber yards, the Glamorganshire Canal, and the railroads. Railways are placed alongside the ponds, having a competitive communication with all parts of the United Kingdom. WAREHOUSE AND TRANSIT ACCOMMODATION. Extensive bonded warehouses are provided for every kind of merchandise, ­ including tea, tobacco, cigars, etc., with vaults for wines a nd spirits. The cellarage for provisions and perishable goods is extensive, cool, and specially constructed for the purpose. There re also sheds approved by His Majesty’s customs for cargoes in transit. All warehouses are close to the dock quays, with railways alongside and around the entire system of the docks. Goods can be i 22 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. expeditiously discharged either to warehouse or railways, ready foi transportation to all parts of Great Britain. The grain, provision, and fruit warehouses are commodious, and fitted with the most improved machinery for quick dispatch. Warehouses arc provided for storage of large quantities of hay. straw, moss, litter, and esparto in close proximity to the docks and connected with all the leading railways. Here are the only cattle lairs and slaughterhouses in South Wales for lairage and slaughtering of foreign cattle. Excellent refrigerating ­ and cold-storage accommodation is found adjacent to the slaughterhouses. There is good accommodation for deal boards, which can be either dispatched to destination or stacked on the quays; also convenience for loading on rail, at ship’s side, mining timber, etc., intended for the Midlands. Timber is discharged from vessels by hydraulic power. The most recent appliances are used in the discharging and shipping of goods at the Cardiff docks. TRANSSHIPMENT OF GOODS. The customs transshipment regulations are now in force at the Cardiff docks. This places Cardiff on the same footing as the older ports of the Kingdom, such as London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Bristol, etc., as regards the shipment of general cargoes and the transfer of foreign goods, either from vessel to vessel or from vessel to warehouse ­ and afterwards to export vessel, without the expense and annoyance of an examination by custom-house officials. DOCKS AT NEWPORT. The docks of the Alexandra Docks and Railway Company, at Newport, England, comprise the South, North, and Town docks, each with separate entrances from the river Usk. The South and North docks are the most important and are connected by a short waterway. These two are large and modern and possess every facility for shipment ­ of coal and dealing with general cargo. The lock of the South dock is 500 feet long and 72 feet wide; the company is about to lengthen it by 70 feet, enlarge the water area, and add to the existing appliances of the dock itself. The Town dock, situated higher up the river and in the town, is the smallest and oldest of the three docks. Coal is shipped and a large amount of pithwood and timber is imported at this dock. Owing t<> extended warehousing and its favorable position in the town, it is well adapted for a general import trade. It was from this dock that the largest amount of iron rails for the construction of the first American railways was shipped, and so congested was the traffic at this period that it was possible, occasionally, to cross the 500 feet of the dock by stepping from ship to ship. • Newport is naturally the great port for the shipment of the bituminous ­ coals of the Monmouthshire valleys; from these valleys some of the best steam coal is obtained. Its suitability for manufacturing purposes is proved by the presence of the large works established in the vicinity of these coal fields. A large general export is carried on WALES! CARDIFF AND NEWPORT. 123 at the Alexandra docks from the products of these works, which consist ­ of tin plates, rails, and general railway materials. Newport offers sites on very generous terms for the establishment of various industries. This will meet the present agitation among manufacturers who contemplate moving nearer the seaboard and thus minimizing the cost of freight. Several works have already been transferred from inland districts to Newport and its environs. The demand for cheap or " dumped ” steel by these and other works is so heavy that Newport holds the record among English ports for its import. In 1903 207,405 tons were received, this being 230,000 tons more than at Cardiff, and nearly 155,000 tons more than at Swansea. ­ Consequently the import of iron ore, once very large, has temporarily ­ suffered. It is now, however, increasing, though a large quantity of steel is still being imported. The dock dues and charges are the same as in other South Wales ports. Daniel T. Phillips, Consul. Cardiff, Wales, October SI, 1901^. » 124 NORTH AMERICA. DOMINION OF CANADA. (From United States Consul-General Foster, Ottaica, Canada.) Through the courtesy of Mr. John McDougald, Canadian commissioner ­ of customs, I have received the following answers to the questions ­ submitted by the Department of State in circular dated May 19, 1904 : The size and original cost of warehouses in Canada vary widely, according to class and location—the size from 100 square feet to 100,000 square feet floor space, and the cost from $100 to $100,000 or more. Warehouses are owned by railway companies, steamship companies, ­ or other corporations, firms, or persons applying for warehousing ­ privileges; the King’s warehouses or stores, occupied by the government, ­ being used only for storage pending sale for nonpayment of customs duties. An importer by warehousing his goods is enabled to defer payment ­ of duty until the goods are required for consumption, but not longer than two years, except in respect of spirituous liquors. Warehouses ­ (except sufferance warehouses) are secured under customs locks, and an officer of customs is in attendance when required for receiving or delivering goods. The " proprietor ” of the warehouse keeps an account of goods received into and delivered from the warehouse. The warehouse fees received by the government at present are $40 per annum for bonded warehouses of class 2 and from $40 to $100 per annum for bonded warehouses of class 3. The scale of charges is not uniform in different places. The statement® hereto appended shows the scale of storage charges at one of the principal ­ bonded warehouses in the city of Montreal. The customs department has no information as to receipts and expenditures on account of the storage of bonded goods in warehouses. ­ The classes of goods stored in bond are shown in the following statement, which exhibits the value of goods in warehouses June 30, 1903: «On file in tlie Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, where it may be consulted by persons interested. DOMINION OF CANADA. 125 Goods remaining in warehouses in Canada June 30, 1003, and their value. Articles. Wheat Other breadstuff« Ooal, bituminous botton and manufactures of gruKs i aney goods *)%h tlax and manufactures of... fruits and nuts yi&ss and manufactures of., iron and steel Mr“":::-.:::'.:::::::::::::: Pagers and manufactures of Bmñav; i:;;:;::;;::::::;:;;:: Value. $939,318 150,425 547,234 103,736 182,830 12,072 46,678 22,282 157,714 15,081 253,044 6,456 206,827 25,849 49,048 277,848 107,990 Articles. Rum Whisky Wines and all other kinds except sparkling Wines, sparkling Sugar above No. 16 Dutch standard.. Sugar not above No. 16 Dutch standard ­ Molasses Tobacco, manufactures of: Cigars Cigarettes ... All other Woolens All other articles Total-Value. $30,440 373,732 196,151 102,915 89,441 1,731,602 207,154 60,919 8,474 39,844 128,201 1,160,247 7,244,052 The extent to which Americans make use of these bonds can not be definitely stated. They are open, however, to Americans, and arc made use of by them to a considerable extent. There are no distinctions ­ made between nationalities in regard to warehousing privileges in Canada. Wine and spirituous liquors may remain two years in bond, with the privilege of an extension for three years more on payment of duty mi any deficiency found at the end of the first two years. All other floods are required to be taken out of warehouse within two years from the date of entry for warehouse. The facilities for and cost of transfer of goods between boat (or railway) and warehouse depend on the locality and the situation of fhe warehouse. There is a customs locker in charge of every general bonding warehouse, ­ who keeps a record of packages received and delivered, and sees that the building is closed and secured with customs locks in his absence. The orders in council ° hereto appended contain the regulations regarding customs bonded warehouses in Canada. John G. Foster, Consul-General. Ottawa, Canada, June 25,1005. ORDERS IN COUNCIL—CUSTOMS WAREHOUSES. GOVERNMENT IIoUSE. OTTAWA, July 23, 1888. On the recommendation of the minister of customs and under the provisions °f chapter :12 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, entitled “The customs act.” 11 is excellency in council has been pleased to make the following regulations respecting the bonding warehouses in Canada : REGULATIONS, GENERAL. Section 1 Warehouses for the storage of imported goods shall be known as customs warehouses and he designated as follows: Class 1.—Stores occupied by the government of Canada. « Reside the orders here printed pertaining to customs warehouses, certain regulations concerning slaughtering in bond, etc., were inclosed in Consul-General Foster’s report, and are on Üle in the Bureau of Statistics. 126 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Class 2.—Warehouses occupied by importers exclusively for the storage of goods subject to duty, imported by, or consigned to them, or purchased by them. Class 3.—Warehouses occupied for the general storage of such imported goods. Class 4.—Yards, sheds, and other buildings used for the storing and slaughtering ­ of dutiable animals. Class 5.—Warehouses exclusively for the manufacture or refining of sugar. Class 6.—Sufferance warehouses. Warehouses of class 1. Sec. 2. At all ports where there are government stores they shall be used for the examination and appraisement of imported goods, and the storage of unclaimed and seized goods, and where there are no such stores the collector may, under the direction of the minister of customs, make temporary arrangements for suitable premises for those purposes, or may deposit such unclaimed or seized goods in any warehouse of class 3. Warehouses of class 2. Sec. 3. A warehouse of class 2 shall consist of an entire building, or not less than one whole flat of such building, and in the latter case there must be a separate entrance to such flat, and the warehouse must be so arranged as that the customs locks will prevent all access to the floor set apart and established as a warehouse, within the meaning of the term as above, and no partitions of slats shall in any case be allowed, but all divisions between the part of a building occupied as a warehouse, whether door or partition, shall be of the most solid and secure description possible in each case. Warehouses of class S. Sec. 4. A warehouse of class 3 shall in every case consist of an entire building ­ and shall be used solely for the storage of merchandise subject to duty, or of unclaimed and seized goods ordered thereto by the collector of customs. The rate of storage and compensation for labor in the handling of goods in warehouses of this class shall be subject to agreement between the owner or importer of the goods and the proprietor of the warehouse, who will collect all amounts due for storage and labor, the duty of the collector or proper officer of customs being to look after the safe custody of the goods for the security of the revenue only. Should the collector of customs require to deposit in any such warehouse unclaimed and seized goods, the charges for storage and labor thereupon shall not exceed the regular rates, and the proprietor shall be liable as in other cases for their safe keeping. Applications for establishment of warehouses. Sec. 5. For a warehouse of the second or third class, the owner shall make application in writing to the collector of the port, describing the premises, the location, and capacity of the same, and stating the purpose for which the building ­ is to be used, whether for the storage of merchandise imported by, or consigned ­ to himself exclusively, or for the general storage of merchandise in bond. The collector will thereupon examine or direct the surveyor or other proper officer of customs, in whom he can repose confidence, to examine and inspect the premises and to report to him in writing the particulars of the location, construction, ­ and dimensions of the building, its capabilities for the safe keeping of merchandise, and all other facts bearing upon the subject. When the examination has been made, the collector will transmit the report, together with the proprietor’s application, with his own report as to the necessity ­ of granting the application to the commissioner of customs. Sec. 0. If on examination of the foregoing documents the minister of customs is satisfied that the public interest will be subserved thereby, the application will be granted, whereupon the owner or occupant will be notified by the colleclector, and on fulfillment of the conditions hereinafter provided, the collector will assign a number for the warehouse and add the same to his register, placing ­ a warehouse locker in charge thereof. Sec. 7. All warehouses of either class 2 or class 3 shall be secured by customs DOMINION OF CANADA. 127 locks, provided by the department of customs ; but this will not prevent the proprietors ­ or occupants of the building from having their own locks on the same doors in addition thereto, subject, however, to the provisions of “ the customs act,” as amended. Sec. 8. No free or duty paid goods shall be stored in any such warehouse ; and all goods, when entered for consumption, removal, or exportation, shall immediately ­ be removed therefrom, unless permission to the contrary be first obtained from the collector upon an application made to him in writing, specifying the goods and the time for which it is desired they should remain, and in such case the goods shall be legibly and conspicuously marked and set apart from those remaining dutiable; but no such privilege shall be granted in any case except for good and urgent reasons. Warehouses of class 4-Sec. 0. Application for the establishment of a warehouse of this class shall be made in the same manner as for classes 2 and 3, and shall be subject to the “ regulations for slaughtering and curing swine in bond.” Class 5.—Warehouses for refining sugar. Sec. 10. Applications for the establishment of warehouses of class 5 shall be made in accordance with the terms of the regulations respecting the refining of sugar and molasses in bond, except that the application and description shall be submitted for approval of the minister of customs before acceptance, as in the case of warehouses of classes 2 and 3. * Class 6.—Sufferance warehouses and wharves. Sec. 11. Warehouses of this class for the accommodation of steamers and Çther vessels may be established in accordance with the regulations contained io sections 9 and 10 of chapter 13. Sufferance warehouses at railway stations and »depots shall be established in accordance with section 18 of chapter 22 under “Regulations respecting transporting, ­ manifesting, and reporting dutiable goods by railway in or through Canada,” and shall he subject to all the rules for safekeeping of mercandise stored therein provided in the case of warehouses of any other class. June 14, 1875. Sec. 12. On application to the minister of customs by the owner or master of any packet steamer, or other vessel being a regular trader, specifying the name and tonnage of the said steamer or other vessel, the general time of her arrival and departure, and the ports between which she is accustomed to sail, also designating the wharf at which she is accustomed to land and the building in which it is proposed to store her cargo, it shall be lawful for the said minister °f customs to declare the said wharf and building to be a sufferance wharf and warehouse for the purposes of the act, and to authorize the collector of the port to grant a warrant or license, for a specified time, to the master of such steamer or other vessel to land his cargo and store the same at the wharf, and in the building so declared to be a sufferance wharf and warehouse, without previous entry, the said master having previously executed a bond to the Crown in Ruch penal sum as the said minister of customs may consider equitable, but not 'css than one thousand dollars, providing that the said master will not fail to 'cave in the hands of the landing waiter or other officer of customs, appointed 'nr the purpose, a report of the contents of his vessel for each voyage, and that be will in all other respects conform to the requirements of the law In such case, end will use his utmost diligence to prevent any infraction thereof by any person ­ or persons arriving at such port in his vessel. October 28, 1868. Fees for warehousing privilege. Sec. 13. The proprietor of every warehouse of class 2 and class 4 shall pay, for the privileges granted him in the use of such warehouse, the sum of $40 Her annum, in half-yearly payments, in advance, to the collector of customs. The proprietor of every warehouse of class 3 and class 5 shall pay In like manner not less than $40 nor more than $100 per annum, according to the capac- 128 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. ity of tlio building and the nature and amount of business—the exact sum to be determined by the minister of customs at the time of accepting the proprietor’s ­ application. All the foregoing payments shall date from the establishment of each warehouse, ­ and no warehouse of either of the classes named in this article shall be recognized by the collector of customs as an established warehouse until or unless the said half-yearly payments are made within not over ten days after the proper date. General provisions. Sec. 14. (a) No alteration can be made in any bonded warehouse without permission ­ of the collector of customs; and if any material change in the premises is contemplated, it must be submitted for approval of the minister of customs. (ö) The collector of customs shall advise the commissioner of customs of any changes in the surroundings of bonded premises likely to affect the general security, and if burned or plundered immediate notice must be given to the commisioner, with full particulars.of all facts connected therewith. (c) Proprietors of bonded warehouses may relinquish the business at any time, on giving timely notice to the owners of merchandise deposited therein, but no part of any half-yearly payment made by them shall be refunded for any portion of a term unexpired. (d) The minister of customs may, at any time, for reasonable cause, order the discontinuance of the right to store bonded goods in any premises established as a bonded warehouse ; and when thus discontinued such warehouse can only be reestablished after renewed application as at first. (e) All moneys received from proprietors of warehouses, as provided in section ­ 13, shall be paid over by the collector of customs to the receiver-general, and shall form part of the consolidated revenue fund of Canada. Sec. 15. The collector of customs will cause the proprietor or occupant to place over the gate or door leading into or on some conspicuous place on every customs warehouse, a board or sign with the following painted thereon : “ V. R. Customs Warehouse.” June 14, 1875. GRAIN. Regulations respecting the grinding and packing of wheat, maize, and other grain in bond. Sec. 10. His excellency, in viriue of the powers vested in him by “the customs ­ act,” chapter 32 of the Revised Statutes, and by and with the advice of the Queen’s privy council for Canada, is pleased to order that the regulations respecting the grinding and packing of wheat, maize, and other grain in bond established by the order in council of the 21st day of April, 1880, and reenacted by sections 16 and 17 of the consolidated order in council of the 25th day of July, 1888, chapter 8 of the consolidated orders in council of Canada, shall be, and the same are hereby, rescinded and the following regulations substituted in lieu thereof : The minister of customs may authorize the collector of customs of any warehousing ­ port or outport of entry to license any mill properly constructed for the purpose of grinding grain, and recognize the same as a bonding warehouse to be used for the storage, grinding, and packing of foreign wheat, maize, and other grain in bond, under and subject to the following regulations: The proprietor of any such mill may make application to the collector of customs ­ for a license to receive into, and grind and pack therein, foreign wheat, maize, and other grain in bond, and in such application shall clearly describe the construction and grinding capacity of such mill and its exact locality,* giving the distance thereof from the nearest custom-house, also stating whether it is operated by steam or water power or other motor, and such other particulars ­ as the latter may from time to time order or direct, and shall state in said application his willingness and determination to he In all respects guided and governed in the prosecution of the said business by the laws and regulations which then are, or may be thereafter in force, respecting bonding warehouses. The collector of customs shall then transmit the said application to the commissioner ­ of customs, who shall present the same to the minister, and if approved ­ by him, the required license may be granted, and such mill shall then be known and classed as a bonding warehouse, class 7. DOMINION OF CANADA. 129 The wheat, maize, or other grain shall be delivered and forwarded to such dill or warehouse under the same conditions as those governing other dutiable goods after the entry thereof for warehouse has been duly made and competed, ­ to be there ground and packed in bond as by law provided, and such mill shall be at all times open to inspection and examination of the stock contained ­ therein by any officer of customs to whom the duty of such inspection or ( examination may be assigned. All wheat, maize, and other grain, entered for warehouse, as hereinbefore Provided, or the quantity of flour and meal representing and being the product °f such wheat, maize, or other grain, shall be entered ex-warehouse as follows: 1. When intended for consumption in Canada a dutiable entry shall be made, representing on its face the quantity of grain ground and the quantity of its Product in flour or meal, and the duty thereon shall be forthwith collected and Paid accordingly. 2. When for removal to another warehouse, or to another warehousing port, a removal entry on the prescribed form shall be made, with the same particulars thereon as if entered for consumption. 1 3. When intended for exportation, the prescribed form of export entry exwarehouse shall be used, and the quantities of grain ground and the product thereof shall be correctly stated on the face of such entry in the same form and manner as if the same was entered for removal or consumption in Canadif. 4. No grain or products thereof shall be in any case removed from the mill or warehouse until entry is duly made and the collector of customs’ permit has been obtained for that purpose. 5. Any violation of the requirements of these regulations, or any of them, shall subject the goods and the offending party to the forfeitures and penalties Provided by the customs act for offenses against and violations thereof in respect °£ dutiable goods entered in bond for and ex warehouse. April 27, 1891. Regulations as to grinding Canadian grain in United States mills. Sec. 17. His excellency in council, in pursuance of the powers vested in him y subsection (f) of section 245 of chapter 32 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, j'Ptitled “An act respecting the customs,” has been pleased to order, and it is hereby ordered that when wheat or grain grown in Canada is taken to the pbited States to be ground and the produce thereof in flour or meal returned to Canada, such produce may be returned free of customs duty, provided the mvner thereof resides near the frontier and more than 5 miles from any Canaan ­ gristmill at which such wheat or grain could be ground, and that he observes and complies with the following rules : First. He shall report to the nearest customs officer the exact quantity of "meat or grain which he is taking out, and such officer shall enter in a book to o® kept for that purpose the name of the owner, the date of the transaction, me quantity in bushels and fractions of bushels so to he taken out, and the pme and location of the mill and the proprietor thereof where the grinding & to be performed. Second. He shall report inwards in like manner the exact quantity of flour p meal and other product of said wheat or grain when he returns the same to Roñada, and make a solemn declaration to the effect that such flour or meal p d other product is the actual produce of the wheat or grain taken from Canada and no other. .. Third. The officer receiving such reports shall verify the truth thereof to be best of his ability and enter the particulars in the aforesaid book, and JUI require the owner to append his signature to such entries in attestation 1 the correctness of the same. Fourth. If it be found that any additional quantity of product has been eturned more than that which the quantity of wheat or grain should properly [induce, or if it he ascertained that any change has been made therein by the hbstitution in whole or in part of foreign wheat or grain or the product thereof ° r the Canadian wheat or grain represented to have been taken out to be ,° ground, or if any other fraudulent act has been done in reference thereto, len the product or the alleged product so returned shall be seized and forfeited. January 12, 1889. 187(52—05 M 9 130 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. COAL. Regulations providing for the warehousing of coal imported into Canada*. Sec. 18. The yards, sheds or other buildings in which importers of coal, for the purposes of sale, desire to store the same for the purpose of sale, may be accepted as warehouses, and coal may be entered for warehouse and stored therein without payment of duty in the same manner and under like conditions for ex-warehousing for consumption, removal, or exportation, as is provided by law for the warehousing of any other goods, except as hereinafter provided. Sec. 19. The importer of coal, desiring to warehouse the same, as above provided, ­ shall make due entry of the same for warehouse, giving full particulars, as required by the established form of such entries, and shall also give bonds for double the amount of the duty accruing upon the same, according to the terms of the tariff then in force, such bonds to be duly executed by himself as principal and two persons of good standing acceptable to the collector or the minister of customs, as sureties, and conditioned for the due payment of duty or export of the whole quantity so warehoused prior to the 1st day of May then next ensuing. Sec. 20. The proprietor of coal so warehoused shall make due entry once a week "of the quantity removed, sold, or exported, and the whole quantity warehoused ­ must be so entered prior to the 1st day of May then next ensuing the date of the warehousing, as aforesaid, subject to all penalties, fines and forfeitures ­ provided by “ the customs act ” for frauds connected with warehousing and warehoused goods. December 22, 1SS1. BRITISH COLUMBIA. VANCOUVER. (From United States Consul Dudley, Vancouver, British Columbia.) It is not easy to secure particulars about warehouses in this consular district. There seem, however, to be sufficient accommodations for all the trade of this port. The Canadian Pacific Railroad Company and Messrs. Evans, Coleman & Evans of this city have general warehouses ­ for storage here. The following is an extract of a letter received by me from the general freight agent of the railway company, ­ which has the largest warehouses here : This company has no storage warehouses proper, but we have five transfer warehouses, each measuring 250 feet by 00 feet ; through these sheds are transferred ­ all the steamboat freight handled in connection with our rail and steamship ­ line. Our route is much used by Americans and we handle large quantities ­ of freight to and from the States. Under our contract with the United States Government for carrying interstate freight, we are not allowed to store it for any length of time in our warehouse; all interstate freight in transit must be forwarded from Vancouver as soon as means of transportation are available. All shippers are treated exactly alike. L. Edwin Dudley, Consul. Vancouver, British Columbia, July 1901^. VICTORIA. (From United States Consul Smith, Victoria, British Columbia.) The warehouses in Victoria for storage of merchandise in transit or in bond are of various sizes and cost from $500 to $3,000. Severa’ NEW BRUNSWICK: ST. JOHN. 131 warehouses are located in blocks, and consist really of suites of rooms. Generally, however, they are in separate buildings, used wholly as warehouses. The warehouses are in all cases owned by private individuals ­ or firms who pay the Canadian customs a license fee of $40 per annum for each warehouse. These firms charge their own rates for storage, and the business is conducted wholly by the owners. The patron deals directly with the owner of warehouse. There are two separate locks to each warehouse, the key of one lock remaining in possession of owner; the other key is kept by the customs “ locker.” who must always be present when the warehouse is opened and goods removed. Duties due on goods in bond must be paid at time of removal. Charges for storage are generally 50 cents per ton per month, but owners sometimes make discounts to large or regular patrons. The customs authorities have nothing to do with receipts and expenditures ­ of the service. The customs locker, who is paid by the Dominion government, sees that the warehouse is safe and can not be opened or goods removed unless he is present and unlocks the door, but charges no fee for the service. The goods in bond are mostly liquors and other goods on which a high rate of duty is imposed. Frequently, however, wholesale dealers ­ in teas, dry goods, cloths, etc., use warehouses for a few weeks or months. Goods are not allowed to remain in bond over two years, except liquors, which may remain five years. Occasionally Americans avail themselves of these warehouses. In & number of instances Americans who have kept goods in bond in San Francisco as long as the law allowed have brought them to Victoria, ­ kept them here in bond two years, and then taken them back to San Francisco. This is not done very frequently, however. All nationalities are treated exactly as are residents of Canada. Most of the warehouses are on or adjacent to wharves, and the cost of removal of goods to or from boat and warehouse is nominal. The cusoms locker keeps careful record of all goods placed in Warehouses in a book kept specially for that purpose; and all goods removed from warehouses are also carefully noted therein, with the (fate. Care is taken that warehouses arc properly secured. Goods not claimed in thirty days after removal from warehouse are escheated ­ to the government. All customs regulations in regard to bonded warehouses are the same here as in all other ports of the Dominion of Canada. Abraham E. Smith, Consul. NEW BRUNSWICK. ST. JOHN. (From United States Consul Myers, St. John, New Brunswick.) The customs department of Canada recognizes several classes of Warehouses, two of which may be used for storage of goods in transit °r landing here to be afterwards returned or forwarded. 132 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. SUFFERANCE WAREHOUSES. Sufferance warehouses are for the landing of cargoes of vessels to be disposed of by entry for bond, consumption, or export, and are in many cases temporary and are protected by bond of the company using them, or by bond of the special vessel. These are not all under special customs locks, as the vessel, as well as the customs, is interested ­ in the care of the cargo. The Canadian Pacific Railway, the Intercolonial Railway, and the Eastern Steamship Company all have commodious bonded warehouses ­ at St. John for storage of goods in transit, and have ample facilities for loading and discharging from or into vessels at the wharves. All these are under the supervision of the Canadian customs ­ officers. The warehouse of the Eastern Steamship Company is on the landing wharf at St. John, measures 75 by 300 feet, and cost about $2,000. Here general merchandise in transit to and from the United States over the company’s lines is stored for from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, or until shipped, at no cost to the shipper for storage or loading ­ and discharging. Rates on goods in sufferance bonded warehouses are a matter of agreement between the owner of the goods and the warehouse men. Each transportation line has large sufferance bonded warehouses, which, as a rule, make no special charges for storing, loading, or discharging, ­ those expenses being generally included in the freight charges. Warehouses for unclaimed goods are used also for the purposes above referred to. These are strictly under government locks, and the scale of fees leviable on goods stored therein is as follows per month or part of month: Tea per half chest, or other small package, 10 cents; per package of 3 feet square, 20 cents; per larger case or package, 25 cents; spirits or other liquors, per hogshead. 15 cents ; per cask, 10 cents; per case, 5 cents; goods by the barrel, 10 cents; iron and oakum, per ton, 80 cents; pianos, each, $1; organs, 50 cents; cook stoves, 25 cents; and all other goods in proportion. There are no discriminations against any nation. There are no warehouses here that were specially built for the storage of merchandise in transit or in bond, but as many as twelve warehouses with a capacity of from 2,000 to 3,000 barrels are set aside for that purpose by the payment of an annual fee of $40 each-These buildings each have a sign " Customs House,” and are under the control of the collector of customs; they are securely locked until it is desired to withdraw goods, when they are opened, and the owner WAREHOUSES FOR UNCLAIMED GOODS. Ira B. Myers, Consul. St. John, New Brunswick, June 9, 190^. NOVA SCOTIA HALIFAX. (From United States Consul-General Holloway, Halifax, Nova Scotia.) ONTARIO: ORILLIA. 133 pays the duty as well as such storage dues as the owner of the building ­ and the owner of the goods may have agreed upon—usually so much per package or barrel. The owner has access only when goods are received or delivered in the presence of a customs officer. At present the appraisers occupy a separate building, but as soon as the new custom-house, now in course of construction, is completed they will be assigned rooms in that building. All classes of goods which pay duties are stored in these warehouses ­ ; they are used exclusively by persons to whom goods are consigned. ­ Goods are stored on an average about six months. All customers ­ are treated alike. The facilities for handling merchandise are good and the cost is as per agreement. The care takers are employees of the collector of customs, and are changed as the necessities of the service require. The keys to the warehouses are under the control of the collector. W. R. Holloway, Consul-General. Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 10,190^. ONTARIO. LONDON. (From United States Consul Culver, London, Ontario.) In this city, and in all cities of Canada where a custom-house is located, the railways maintain warehouses where goods may be stored. They are termed “ bonded warehouses,” and some officer of the customs carries the key, and at certain hours is present at the warehouse ­ prepared to serve the public in the matter of the removal of goods. He also attends to the checking of goods as they are unloaded and checks them off when reshipped, or when properly cleared through the custom-house. These houses are owned and managed by the railways, and generally are a part of freight sheds, partitioned off so that they may be securely closed and locked. The goods may be in transit and awaiting transshipment, or they may have reached their destination in bond. These warehouses are equally convenient for consignor and consignee, ­ for the goods may be inspected in the presence of the customs officer and if not acceptable to the purchaser may be remanifested and reshipped without the payment of duty. While the railways have and maintain a rate of charges for storage, varying according to the nature of the goods, yet they seldom demand payment unless they are put to some special trouble in regard to the consignment, and then the usual rate is charged, about 2 cents per hundred pounds per week, the first seven days always being free. Henry S. Culver, Consul. London, Ontario, June 13, 190 1^. ORILLIA. (From United States Consul Wakefield, Orillia, Ontario.) There is only one bonded warehouse in the district—a grain elevator ­ at Midland, on the Georgian Bay, owned by parties in Chicago, 134 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. who export grain to Europe by this route. The height of this elevator ­ is 75 feet; width, 85 feet; length, 225 feet; capacity, 1,200.000 bushels ; and original cost, $200,000. The elevator is owned and conducted ­ by a Chicago grain firm which uses it exclusively. The use of the elevator makes possible the shipment of grain by this route without the delay and expense which would be incurred if the grain were transferred directly from vessel to cars. Grain is removed from vessel to elevator by means of what is known as a “ ships leg.” Inside this leg is an endless chain to which are attached small buckets at close intervals. In loading on cars the grain descends from elevators by means of a spout to the interior of the car. The cost of both transfers is less than one-half cent per bushel. Services of both American and Canadian customs officials are required. ­ The duty of the American official is to break the seals on vessels previous to unloading and to seal cars after transshipment. The Canadian official attends to the enforcement of Canadian marine regulations and allows no grain to leave.unless properly sealed. For the purpose of facilitating foreign trade the Grand Trunk Railway has a small bonded wareroom in freight sheds at points where a collector of customs or deputy is located. There are such rooms at Orillia, Midland, North Bay, and Sudbury, in this district There is no storage or other charge in connection with these, and they answer all purposes admirably. The privileges are extended to all exporters without regard to nationality. E. A. Wakefield, Consul. Orillia, Ontario, July 11, 190 TORONTO. (From United States Consul Ounsaulus, Toronto, Ontario.) There are in Toronto no warehouses established exclusively for the storage of merchandise in bond. The owners of warehouses, either public or private, may, by the payment of an annual fee of $40, have one or more rooms set apart for the storage of goods in bond. There are at present five public warehouses and 22 private firms having rooms for the storage of bonded goods. The surveyor of customs is the principal customs officer in charge of the bonded warehouses. Under him are officers called lockers whose duties are to see that goods sent to the bonded warehouse are properly locked into the rooms set apart for that purpose, and also when goods are taken from bond, upon an entry being passed for that purpose and a warrant issued by the surveyor, the locker allows the proper amount of goods to be removed from warehouse. The charges for storage in bond are the same as those for ordinary storage, and vary widely, according to the character of the goods, the size of the packages, and the length of time they remain in storage. For ordinary goods in small packages or boxes about 1 by 2 by 3 feet the charge is 3 cents per month or part thereof. For dry goods in larger cases 15 to 30 cents per month per case, depending on the size of cases. Whisky is stored at the rate of 2 cents per month per case. QUEBBC : MONTREAL. 135 Goods in great variety are stored in bond, such as dry goods, groceries, ­ etc., out the principal articles are spirits, such as alcohol, whisky, etc., and tobacco. Goods may remain in bonded warehouses for two years, but as a rule they are removed in about six months. At present Americans make use of the bonded warehouses to a very large extent. All nationalities are treated alike by administrators of warehouses. The facilities for the removal of goods from wharf or freight sheds to warehouses and vice versa are very good. Several large cartage companies are in business as agents for the railway companies. The owners of warehouses also have their own drays for hauling goods as occasion requires. The cost of hauling goods lrom wharves and freight sheds is from to 2 cents per 100 pounds. Beyond locking goods in the bonded rooms and delivering them from warehouse as required, the customs officials do not exercise any supervision over the warehouses. Stock is taken of their contents about once every three months under the direction of the customs officials. E. N. Gunsaulus, Consul. Toronto, Ontario, July 26, 190 If. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. CHARLOTTETOWN. (From United States Consul Vail, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.) The general bonded warehouse at this port is estimated to be 34 by GO feet; it is privately owned and rented to the Dominion government. ­ Goods go in without the payment of duties, under the regular warehouse entries, and are taken out as required for home consumption, ­ for removing to other parts, or for exportation. The appraiser’s warehouse for unclaimed goods is also privately owned and rented by the government. Goods stored in this warehouse ­ are held until entered or otherwise disposed of. Storage charges are 3 cents per barrel, bulk. Goods stored consist mainly of liquors and dry goods. Americans make use of this warehouse ­ 'to a small extent, and all nationalities are treated exactly alike. Goods are removed from boat to warehouses and vice versa by drays at an expense of 25 cents per load. Delmar J. Vail, Consul. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, June 16, 190If. QUEBEC. MONTREAL. (From United States Consul-General Edwards, Montreal, Quebec.) There are no government bonded warehouses in Canada. Any firm or person may make application for the privilege of establishing warehouses, and a permit may be issued to the proprietor of the build- 136 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. ing or a lessor. A copy of the government regulations governing these bonded warehouses is transmitted herewith.“ There is no special scale of charges for storage, but the average of such charges is about as follows : Dry goods, 25 cents per package for the first month, and 20 cents per package for each succeeding month; oils, 6 and 4 cents per barrel, or 4 and 3 cents for half barrels ; tobacco, 10 and 7 cents on small bales, 15 and 10 cents on large bales ; tea, 2 and 1 cent per package: pickles, 7 and 5 cents per case; rope, 15 and 10 cents per coil; cheese, 3 cents per package; molasses, 12 and 10 cents per barrel; and sirups, 6 and 5 cents per case. The receipts and expenditures ­ on account of services depend largely upon the staff employed in the warehouses. All persons are treated exactly alike by the administrators of warehouses. ­ Americans use them to a small extent, chiefly for the storage of tobacco. All classes of goods may be warehoused. According to the regulations, ­ goods may not remain in bond for a longer period than two years, but this does not seem to be insisted on; it has been known that goods have remained in bond for a period of fifteen years. The collector ­ of customs at the port of Montreal, however, at the beginning of each calendar year, prepares a list of all articles in bond for five years and over, and advertises them for sale at public auction to the highest bidder. Goods are usually removed from boat or rail to warehouses and vice versa by teams, which are ample for the demand. The two principal railways in Canada, the Grand Trunk and the Canadian Pacific, have, in connection with the removal of goods, a cartage company, which does the greater part of the cartage from the railways and boats. The cost of removing from boat would be about 60 cents per ton of 2,000 pounds, and from rail 2£ cents per 100 pounds for carload ­ lots, and 2{- cents for less than carload lots. The bonded warehouses are under the care and supervision of a customs officer, who is in attendance when goods are received or delivered ­ from the warehouse. During his absence the bonded warehouses ­ are locked and the keys are retained by the customs officer in charge. He, of course, receives his salary from the government, but for service after hours—before 8 a. m., or after C p. m.—the owners of the goods in the warehouse must pay to him a fee of 50 cents for the first hour and 25 cents for each succeeding hour. A. W. Edwards, Consul-General. Montreal, Quebec, September 86,1901¡.. GASPÉ. (From United States Consul DicJcson, Gaspó, Quebec.) The collector of customs of this port (Gaspé) informs me that there are no warehouses for the storage of merchandise in transit in this port or consular district, as there is no merchandise of any kind passing through this district in transit. Bonded warehouses are used here only for local purposes, each large firm having its own wareo On file in Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. The principal rules are printed above under dispatch from Ottawa. QUEBEC: THREE RIVERS. 137 house, for which it pays a license of $20 per annum to the customhouse. ­ Sugar and molasses are the goods chiefly stored, and can remain in bond for one year. The bonded warehouses cost from $500 to $000 each, and are about 25 feet long and 18 feet wide. There are six such warehouses in this district. Almas F. Dickson, Consul. Gaseé, Quebec, June 15,1901¡.. QUEBEC. (From United Stales Consul Henry, Quebec, Quebec.) There are two public bonded warehouses in this city, one owned by D. Rattray & Sons, which cost about $10,000, and one conducted by the harbor commissioners that cost about $5,000. I can not obtain the dimensions of either, but they are large enough to accommodate all who send goods here in bond. There are several private bonded warehouses ­ run by firms for their own use. The storage charges on goods bonded is about 14 cents per square foot per month. Further charges are made for customs entries, carting, ­ and shipping. All alcoholic preparations in barrels and bottles, crockery, furs, teas, sugar, jewelry, hardware, and other manufactured ­ goods are stored here. Goods remain in bond as a rule from one to six months. Americans make very little use of these warehouses, though all nationalities are treated alike by the administrators. As there are railway connections on one side and steamboat docks on the other, the cost of transporting goods from boats to warehouses is very light. The customs officials exercise supervision over the warehouses and control the keys. Wm. W. Henry, Consul. Quebec, Quebec, June 9,1904. THREE RIVERS. (From United States Vice-Consul Braman, Three Rivers, Quebec.) There are no warehouses at this port owned by the government in which merchandise can be stored in bond. The only articles held in bond here are liquors, and they are put in rooms owned by private parties and sealed by a government inspector. There is a well-built storage shed at this port owned by the harbor commissioners (size 220 by GO by 15 feet, cost, $7,000) which is used to store wood pulp that is shipped from this port to Europe. The cost of storage in this shed is 10 cents' per ton. As this shed is only about 200 feet from the wharf the shipping can be done at a small cost. There is a narrowgauge track that runs from shed to side of ocean steamer. This storehouse is not used at all by Americans, though all nationalities Would be treated alike by the administrators. Goods in transit could he stored in this shed. This is the only port in this dictrict where an °cean steamer can load at a wharf. W. W. Braman, Vice-Consul. Three Rivers, Quebec, July 11,190If. i 138 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. NEWFOUNDLAND. ST. JOHNS. (From United States Consul Cornelius, St. Johns, Newfoundland.) In Newfoundland the facilities for the storage, at a nominal rental, of merchandise in transit or in bond, are very complete and simple. The agents of steamship lines can have their wharves and sheds declared by official proclamation to be sufferance warehouses by paying ­ an annual fee of $120 to $240, according to the area embraced. Goods can be landed from shipboard into these sheus and held there indefinitely until permits are issued for their removal either on payment ­ of duty, for transfer into bonded warehouses, or for transportation ­ elsewhere. Any importer can have a suitable store along the water front recognized by the customs department as a bonded warehouse, ­ provided the proper officer approves of it. Government locks and seals are then affixed to its doors and windows, and it is only opened by a customs locker, who allows only such goods to be removed from it as a bonded warehouse permit specifies. Goods may not be bonded for a longer period than two years, but after the expiration of that term they can be rebonded for a similar period of time. The bonded warehouses are open only during custom-house hours—from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m.—and no fees are exacted from owners or lessees of such warehouses for any service performed by customs officers for them. For the convenience of small importers the customs department ­ maintains a special bonded warehouse, known as the King’s warehouse, in which space can be secured as desired. For transshipment of goods in bond all that is necessary is a permit allowing the goods to be removed, and the party who applies for this becomes liable for the duty, it becoming a first lien on his estate. When the goods are landed at their destination and pay duty there, the collector of customs certifies to the necessary papers to release the first party from his obligation under his bond. Charges for the removal of goods from boat or train to warehouse and vice versa are merely the truckman’s rates and a nominal fee for the permit. George 0. Cornelius, Consul. St. Johns, Newfoundland, August 89,190J. MEXICO. MEXICO CITY. (From United States Consul-General Parsons, Mexico City. Mexico.) I inclose herewith a report on warehouses for the storage of merchandise ­ in transit or in bond, written by Edward M. Conley, formerly vice and deputy consul-general in this office. The delay i» transmitting this report is explained in the report itself. The law governing bonded warehouses in Mexico went into effect July 1 last, and since that time only has there been a bonded warehouse in this country. It was therefore necessary to hold the report pending the Mexico: Mexico city. 139 publication of the law, customs regulations, and warehouse regulations. ­ I inclose also a translation, by L. C. Simonds, associate editor of the Mexican Herald of this city, and published serially in that newspaper, ­ of the essential changes in the custom-house rules of Mexico which went into eifect July 1 last. The publication of the translation ­ of these amendments has not been finished, but since the matter inclosed herewith covers the most important features I have deemed it wise to transmit such part of it now. James Russell Parsons, Jr. City of Mexico, January 9, 1905. WAREHOUSES IN MEXICO. (From former United States Vice and Deputy Consul Conley, Mexico City, Mexico.) Warehouses for the storage of merchandise on which the customs dues have not been paid have only recently been established in Mexico by the Mexico and Veracruz General Storage Warehouses (Incorporated), ­ a company in which American capital is largely interested ­ and which was organized principally through the efforts of Americans. The law governing such institutions went into effect July 1 last, and the company is therefore just now getting under way in this class of business. Inasmuch as the passage of this law marks an epoch in the mercantile development of Mexico some account of it will be interesting. Under date of June 29, 1901, the Central Bank of this city, the Mercantile Bank of Veracruz, and the Anglo-Mexican Banking Company ­ obtained a concession from the Mexican Government for the establishment of general-storage warehouses in Mexico under the general banking law of March 19, 1897, such institutions being considered ­ institutions of credit. This concession, which is for forty - years from March 19, 1897, was turned over to a company styled the “ Almacenes Generales de Depósito de México y Veracruz, S. A.” (The Mexico and Veracruz General Storage Warehouses, Incorporated), ­ with a capital of $2,000,000 Mexican currency (January 1, 1905, one Mexican dollar is equivalent to 46.8 cents United States currency). This company acquired by purchase a warehouse from the Droguería Belga in this city, another property from the Compañía ­ Linder, and by lease warehouses which had been used before by the Hidalgo, the National, and the Mexican railroad companies, and part of a building which had been used by the custom-house in this city, and is to acquire by lease a warehouse now used by the Mexican Central Railroad in this city. These properties are all in the vicinity of the custom-house in this city, and have been or are being remodeled for the use of the company. The company has at present something over 20,000 square meters (23,920 square yards) of storage room in this city, which will shortly be increased by about 5,000 square meters (5,980 square yards)'. Extensive improvements are being made by the Mexican Government ­ at the port of Veracruz, and the railroads entering that port contemplate the construction of extensive terminal facilities there in . 140 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. the near future. The company is waiting for the completion of the Government work and the railroad terminals, to select a site for the construction of a large bonded warehouse at Veracruz. The warehouses ­ in this city are fully connected with the railroads centering here. MEXICAN WAREHOUSE LAW. Following is a translation of the law under which bonded warehouses ­ may operate in Mexico : Article 1. The name “ almacenes generales de depósito " (general storage warehouses) shall apply to those establishments which have for their principal object the storage, conservation, and custody of merchandise and effects, national or foreign, and which are authorized to issue documents of credit, transferable by indorsement, and destined to cover deposits of merchandise or loans guaranteed by the same. Art. 2. General storage warehouses shall be considered as institutions of credit, and the law of March 19, 1897, shall apply to them in regard to their creation, privileges, and to the common safeguards which apply to all institutions ­ of credit, save those provided in this decree. Art. 3. General storage warehouses shall be divided into two classes: (1) Those which receive national merchandise or merchandise on which the customs ­ duties have been paid, and (2) those which are authorized to receive such merchandise and also to receive foreign merchandise on which the customs dues have not been paid. Art. 4. Warehouses destined exclusively for the storage of merchandise on which no customs duties are due may be established in all parts of the country. Warehouses intended for the storage of merchandise on which the customs dues have not been paid may only be established in the City of Mexico or seaports or frontier ports where custom-houses exist. The Executive has absolute power to select or approve the places where warehouses may be established, and to extend the corresponding concessions. Art. 5. The capital for the establishment of general warehouses for the storage ­ of national merchandise or merchandise on which the customs dues have been paid shall not be less than $500,000 Mexican currencey. When the warehouses ­ are authorized to receive in storage foreign merchandise on which the customs dues have not been paid the capital shall be fixed by the secretary of the treasury in the respective concessions, taking for a base a minimum of $500,000, and taking into account the amount of importation through the custom-houses in the places where the warehouses are to be located or the amount of merchandise whose final destination is in those places, and the probable ­ amount of the responsibility which the warehouses will assume for unpaid customs duties on the merchandise which they will receive in storage. Art. 6. The duration of the concession for the establishment of general warehouses ­ shall in no case exceed forty years from the date of the general banking ­ law (March 19, 1897). Art. 7. The emission of certificates of deposit and hypothecary bonds, as all other operations of general warehouses, shall be subject to the provisions of the commercial code and to the general laws now in force or which may be enacted. Art. 8. The warehouses shall be responsible to the treasury for the payment of all duties on merchandise which they receive, if not paid by the owners or consignees, and for all fines in connection therewith. They shall also be directly responsible to the depositors of merchandise for the deterioration or the value of the effects deposited in storage, according to law. For the purpose ­ of this article warehouses will not receive merchandise on which the customs duties have not already been assessed by the respective custom-houses. Art. 9. The storage of foreign merchandise on which the customs duties have not been paid shall not exceed one year, unless before the expiration of that time said duties have been paid or it is proved that the merchandise is intended for reexportation. Art. 10. General warehouses may have suitable places for the display of samples of merchandise, and such samples, if subject to the payment of customs duties, may remain there without payment of duties for a period of two years. Art. 11. General warehouses shall be obliged to insure merchandise which they receive against fire. MEXICO: MEXICO CITY. 141 Art. 12. Independently of the vigilance spoken of in the following article, warehouses which are permitted to receive foreign merchandise on which the customs duties have not been paid shall be subject to the vigilance of the custom-houses ­ in the ports where they are established. Likewise relevant provisions ­ of the general tariff law are applicable in so far as they do not conflict with this law, and also regulations of a general character which may in the future be enacted on this subject, provided they do not conflict with the contracts ­ of concession. Art. 13. The concessions shall specify (or establish the bases upon which shall be determined later) the number of interventions, warehouse guards, and inspectors which the treasury department shall name for perfect vigilance over the operations of the warehouses, and shall also fix the amount which the owners of the warehouses shall pay into the general treasury of the nation annually to cover the expenses of Government intervention and vigilance. Warehouse guards and inspectors shall be named by the Government only to supervise the operations of the warehouses referred to in the last paragraph of the preceding article. Art. 14. The franchises which the general law on the subject authorizes for institutions of credit in the matter of taxes shall be extended to general warehouses, ­ as also shall the certificates of deposit and hypothecary bonds issued hy them be included among the documents mentioned in article 124 of said law. Art. 15. In addition to the franchises mentioned in the preceding article, general warehouses shall be exempt from the payment of customs dues on all construction material and machinery required for their establishment and for the railroad tracks in the interior of the warehouses. This exemption shall only he in force until January 1, 1905, and shall be used in accordance with the regulations ­ issued or to be issued by the treasury department. Art. 16. General warehouses may establish rail connections with the railroad stations or docks in the places where they exist, but on the condition that their owners shall be subject, in the construction and use of said tracks, to the general law and regulations governing railroads and to the department of communications ­ and public works. Art. 17. The tariffs for storage and all other charges to the owners of the merchandise for its care and sale, as also the regulations fixing the relations of the company with the public, shall be submitted for approval to the treasury department, and without its approval can not be effective. Art. 18. A regulation shall fix the conditions which the buildings and annexes must have for the perfect conservation of the effects stored, as also to facilitate ­ the diverse operations in connection with the handling of the merchandise, hliis regulation shall prescribe the interior arrangement of the buildings and the obligation of the concessionaires to construct habitations and an office for the employees of the custom-house, when the warehouses are intended for the storage of merchandise on which the customs dues have not been paid. In every case the plans for construction shall he submitted for the approval of the treasury department. Art. 19. At the expiration of the term of the contractor in case it lapses the Government shall have the right to buy the buildings, lands, machinery, and °ther property of the warehouses, and the price which it shall pay shall he fixed by experts in the manner provided by the law of expropriation for public Use, but taking into account not the estimated value of the business but the Actual value of the properties in their existing state, and on the understanding that if the Government has ceded gratuitously any lands or buildings for the establishment of said warehouses they shall not be computed in fixing the v !ilue of same, and that if the cession was made in the form of sale or by other binding title only the actual amount which the Government received therefor, Provided the lands and buildings have not deteriorated in value, shall be computed. ­ Art. 20. In the concessions shall he stipulated the capacity of the warehouses ­ which must he constructed and in actual use in two, five, and ten years, Counting from the date of the concession, and failure to comply with the obligations ­ which this article places upon the concessionaires will cause the forfeiture ­ of the concession. In case of forfeiture the company shall he responsible to the Government for fi>e payment of the customs dues on the effects which have been imported free °f dues by virtue of the franchises of this law, and shall forfeit the amount fixed as a penalty in the concession, which amount shall he not less than 5 per cent of the nominal capital of the company. This amount, in bonds of the public 142 WAREHOUSES TN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. debt at par, shall be held by the Government, to be returned to the concessionaires ­ as provided by the law of March 19, 1897. Art. 21. Debts due the federal treasury for responsibilities of any sort of the company which exploits the warehouses shall have the preference mentioned in article 106 of the general law governing institutions of credit for the debts due on account of contribution taxes on credits of whatever sort, real or personal, ­ which the company may have. CONCESSION OF THE MEXICO AND VERACRUZ WAREHOUSES. Following is a translation of the concession under which the Mexico and Veracruz Warehouses (Incorporated) is acting: Article 1. The Mexican Bank, the Mercantile Bank of Veracruz, and the Anglo-Mexican Banking Company (Incorporated), in conformity with the law of February 16, 1900, are authorized: I. To establish in this capital and in the port of Veracruz general bonded warehouses to receive foreign merchandise on which the import and additional ­ duties or port dues have not been paid. II. To establish in said points and in any others which may be deemed convenient, ­ within a radius of 50 kilometers of the City of Mexico, general commercial warehouses to receive national merchandise or foreign merchandise on which the customs and other dues have been paid. III. To set aside in its buildings suitable places for the display of samples, in storage, on which the duties have not been paid and which may be reexported. Art. 2. The general warehouses established in accordance with this concession ­ shall be subject to the provisions of the laws on the subject and to the following bases : A. The name of the company shall be “ Almacenes Generales de Deposito de México y Veracruz, S. A. (Mexico and Veracruz General Storage Warehouses, Incorporated). B. The capital stock shall be 2,000,000 pesos ($2,000,000), with the privilege of increasing it with the previous authorization of the treasury department. C. The principal domicile of the company shall be the City of Mexico. D. To guarantee the establishment of the general bonded warehouses the company shall deposit in the general treasury of the nation the sum of 200,000 pesos ($200,000) in bonds of the 3 per cent consolidated debt, or 150,000 pesos ($150,000) in 5 per cent bonds of the interior amortizable debt. E. Of this deposit the Government will retain 100,000 pesos ($100,000) of the bonds of the 3 per cent, or 75,000 pesos ($75.000) of the 5 per cent debt, in conformity with article 20 of the law of February 16, 1900, and the rest of the bonds shall be returned to the company as soon as it has commenced its operations. During the entire time of the deposit the company shall have the right to collect the coupons of interest due. F. The transfer of the concession shall be null unless expressly approved by the treasury department, with the exception of that authorized by article 10 of the general law of institutions of credit of March 19, 1897. G. To compensate the Government for the amount of the expenses of supervision ­ the company shall pay into the general treasury of the nation, in quarterly ­ installments, the sum of 3,000 pesos ($3,000) per annum. The company is further obligated to pay the salaries of the employees who, in conformity with the regulations and dispositions relative thereto, are named by the Government for the inspection, vigilance, and guarding of the merchandise which may be received in its warehouses. H. The company shall enjoy for twenty-five years, counted from March 1& 1897, the franchises and exemptions from taxes authorized in section 6 of the law of said date relative to institutions of credit, and further, until January 1> 1905, the exemptions conceded by article 15 of the law of February 16, 1900. I. The term of this concession is forty years, counted from March 19, 1897. J. All controversies which may arise with the Government relative to this concession shall be submitted to the courts of the Republic, with the exception of those which should be decided administratively, in conformity with the laws. Art. 3. The company may make use of the right conceded in article 16 of the law of February 16, 1900, to construct in Veracruz tracks connecting its warehouses ­ with the docks and railroads constructed, or which may be constructed >» the future, referring to the department of communications and public works ¡ n Mexico: Mexico city. 143 everything relative to the construction and exploitation of the tracks, in conformity ­ with the general law and further dispositions relative to railroads ; and to the treasury department in everything relative to the laws and regulations of its -branch of the Government. When the construction is finished the Federal Government shall have the right to name an inspector to approve said works, to the end that the company may prove that they have been constructed in conformity ­ with the plans presented. Art. 4. All tariffs which the company may use for storage and compensation for other services in its warehouses, platforms, sheds, and patios shall be submitted ­ for approval to the treasury department The company is authorized to lower the established tariffs within the fixed maximum, but they shall not be again raised within a period of three months. Merchandise which enters under a fixed tariff shall enjoy it until it leaves the warehouses. All increases in the tariffs of charges must be announced at least two months in advance. The company shall not have the i>ower to establish special charges in favor of any person or company, and any reduction which it may make shall be applicable ­ to all its customers, except for the effects of the Government, which shall enjoy special rebates, which shall in no case he less than 25 per cent nor more than 50 per cent on the prices for the public. The company, save in cases of superior force, which must be proved to the satisfaction of the respective custom-house, shall make no concession favorable to the entrance or departure of merchandise. Art. 5. It is understood that the tariffs shall be fixed on a basis of gross weight and indivisible fractions of 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds). The treasury department may extend authority for using as a basis for the tariff of charges volume, number of pieces, or superficial dimensions. The prices of the tariffs shall not apply to indivisible masses of more than 3,000 kilograms weight, which shall be subject to special tariffs. Storage shall be charged by fifteen-day Periods, and merchandise which may leave before the completion of a fortnight shall pay for the entire fortnight. Storage on lots of merchandise shall be charged from the day of entrance of the first of the lot to the day of the departure ­ of the last of the lot. In order to effect the partial removal of merchandise which may have been deposited at one time, it may be divided into various lots hi accordance with the provisions of the respective regulations. Art. 6. The maximum tariffs of charges for storage shall be as follows: For foreign merchandise which has not paid the customs dues, per 100 kilograms, Per month—first class, 30 cents; second class, 20 cents; third class, 10 cents; fourth class, 6 cents ; for national merchandise or foreign merchandise on which the customs and other duties have been paid, per 100 kilograms, per month— first class, 15 cents; second class. 12 cents ; third class, 8 cents; fourth class, 5 cents. The classifications of merchandise shall be made with the approval of the treasury department. Art. 7. Storage and other charges of the warehouses shall be considered only :i fter the customs dues have been covered, these being preferred credits against the merchandise, but the merchandise shall not be delivered to the owner until the storage and other charges of the warehouses shall have been covered or guaranteed to the satisfaction of the company. Art. 8. The company is authorized to issue hypothecary bonds or obligations °f any other sort guaranteed by its buildings constructed on its own lands under the following conditions : I. Property equivalent in value to the capital stock fixed in this contract shall he left free of all incumbrance. II. The term of redemption of the bonds shall not exceed the duration of this contract. III. The incumbrance shall not exceed 50 per cent of the value of the property ­ incumbered, in the judgment of the Government. IV. The express declaration must be made that the incumbrance does not effect the right of the Government conceded by article 19 of the law of February ­ 16, 1900. Art. 9. The company shall he responsible to the treasury, in case of failure to buy them by the owners or consignees, for the payment of all duties on merchandise ­ received in storage, and also for all fines and other pecuniary responsibilities ­ which the owners or consignees may have incurred on said merchandise. For the purpose of this article merchandise shall not be admitted to the Warehouses without previous determination by the respective custom house of the amount due the treasury, and port dues for special services shall be coined ­ before the merchandise enters the warehouse. 144 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The company may refuse to receive merchandise when its value Is not sufficient ­ to cover the customs and other dues. The company shall be directly responsible to the depositors for deterioration of effects stored, provided the deterioration is caused by any fault of the company or lack of proper care, but it shall not be responsible for losses or damages proceeding ­ from the nature or condition of the merchandise nor for damage caused by superior force duly proved by the company, save only the obligation incumbent ­ upon it by article 11 of the law of February 16, 1900. Art. 10. The company is authorized to rent the buildings which may be necessary for storage purposes until it buys or constructs the buildings referred to in this concession, provided the buildings rented comply with the provisions of article 18 of the law of February 16, 1900. Art. 11. The warehouses are subject to the relevant prescriptions of the general ­ customs laws and also to the regulations and other dispositions of a general character which may be decreed in the future on the subject in conformity with the relevant prescriptions of the general law on general warehouses. Art. 12. The company is obliged to have in its possession bonded warehouses for the storage of merchandise subject to the payment of customs dues, of the following dimensions : Those in the city of Mexico—At the end of two years from the date of this contract, 5,000 square meters (1 square meter—10,764 square feet) ; at the end of five years from the date of this contract, 7,500 square meters ; at the end of ten years from the date of this contract, 10,000 square meters. Those at the port of Veracruz—At the end of two years from the date of this contract, 7,500 square meters ; at the end of five years from the date of this contract, 10,000 square meters ; at the end of ten years from the date of this contract, 15,000 square meters. Art. 13. In the case of war, merchandise deposited in the warehouses of the company shall be considered as belonging to neutral owners, whatever may be its origin and whatever the event which may happen. Art. 14. The company, at the request of the interested persons, shall have the right to take samples from the merchandise stored in its warehouses, subject ­ to the supervision of the customs officials. Art. 15. The owner of merchandise shall have the right to visit it and, with the supervision of employees of the warehouse and custom-house, to open and repair the packages as he may desire. Art. 16. The company shall have the right to carry on the following operations ­ : I. The storage of national merchandise, foreign merchandise on which the customs and other dues have been paid, and foreign merchandise on which the customs and other dues have not been paid. II. All customs operations relative to the receipt, clearing, and entry of the merchandise. III. Insurance of the merchandise stored against fire in conformity with rates and conditions previously approved by the treasury department. IV. Arrangement of freights between the consignees and the railroads or maritime companies. V. The sale in commission or at public auction of merchandise stored in the warehouses or which merchants may remit to it for that purpose, and VI. In fine, all operations on commission which the commercial code permits for commission merchants and factors. Art. 17. The company shall be obliged to issue to the depositors of merchandise ­ certificates of deposit and hypothecary bonds, both on one blank, extended in a stub book, which are subject to the requirements of the commercial code; and the operatons in which they may be used are subject to the provisions of the same code. Art. 18. The company shall have the right to verify the correctness of the declarations of the depositors of merchandise at the time it is deposited and in case it discovers any errors it shall report them immediately to the respective custom-house, in case of foreign merchandise on which the customs and other dues have not been paid. Art. 19. If during the fixed term of duration of this contract the Federai Government shall make another analogous contract with any person or company, ­ conceding rights or franchises not stipulated in this, the company herein named shall also enjoy said rights and franchises, complying at the same time with the corresponding obligations. , Art. 20. The Mexican Central Bank, the Mercantile Bank of Veracruz, ana Mexico: Mexico city. 145 the Anglo-Mexiean Banking Company (Incorporated) accept this concession for the establishment of said warehouses, subject to the terms and conditions of the preceding articles and subject to the laws and regulations on the subject. The company has issued a set of rules and regulations governing its operations, in conformity with the above concession, which have been approved by the treasury department. 0 CUSTOMS REGULATIONS. A translation of the amendments to the custom-house rules of Mexico, ­ made by L. C. Simonds and published serially in the Mexican Herald, of this city, accompanies this report. 6 These amendments became operative July 1 last. The publication of this translation has not yet been completed, but the most pertinent amendments are included in what is sent herewith, and it is sent in this form in order not to delay this report longer. Articles 393 to 442, c the last published ­ of the translated custom-house rules, apply to bonded warehouses. ­ The bonded warehouses are also subject to the provisions of articles 360 to 379 of said amendments, relating to common carriers. OPERATIONS OF THE WAREHOUSE COMPANY. The Mexico and Veracruz General Storage Warehouse (Incorporated) ­ began operations January 1, 1902. During the year 1902 it had only one warehouse and stored only national merchandise. During the year 1903 and the first half of 1904 it continually added to its storage capacity, but was able to handle only national merchandise. ­ Notwithstanding this it was able to make a fair profit. The returns from the business for the year 1903 were as follows: Storage, $29,570.69; handling charges, $4,836.78; fire insurance, $6,222.28; cartage, $452.36; interest on warrants, $27,804.45; profit on interest, $9,485.45 ; sundries, $225.66; total, $78,597.67. Deducting $50,662.03, general expenses, leaves a profit of $27,935.64. The balance from 1902 was $17,987.52, or a total for two years of $45,923.16. Following is a statement of the company’s affairs at the close of business August 31,1904 : Financial statement of the Mexico and Veracruz General Storage Warehouses, Incorporated. ASSETS. Fixtures and properties Debtor accounts Doans on collaterals Investments Sight deposits in National Bank of Mexico Sight deposits In Mercantile Bank, Veracruz Cash holdings, specie, and notes Total assets $2,149, 061. 23 o a copy of these rules, including tariff of charges, is on file in the Bureau of Statistics* where it may be consulted by interested persons. & On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, Where it may be consulted by persons interested. c See the report from Veracruz following. 18762—05 M 10 $681, 508. 4$ 187,100. 18 468, 463. 89 65, 500. 00 545, 80S. 45 189, 106. 01 11, 514. 22 146 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. LIABILITIES. Capital $2, 000, 000. 00 Creditor accounts 149, 061. 23 Total liabilities $2,149, 061. 23 All nationalities are treated exactly alike by this company. Edward M. Conley. Vice and Deputy Consul-General. City of Mexico, January 9,1905. VERACRUZ. (From United States Consul Canada, Veracruz, Mexico.) Veracruz has no -bonded warehouses. A company was organized several years ago for the express purpose of erecting and operating bonded warehouses at this port, and this company is now doing business ­ at Mexico City. It is more than likely that it will inaugurate the system at Veracruz in the near future. All merchandise imported into this country must enter the customs warehouses and, if after the expiration of ten days the goods have not been removed by the consignee, storage will be charged. Goods may remain in storage for a period not exceeding six months; if at the expiration of that time they have not been removed, they are sold at public auction to the highest bidder. The charges for storage are as follows: For each 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds) in weight, per day, for the first month, 2 cents; for the second month, 3 cents; for the third month, 4 cents; and for the fourth, fifth, and sixth months, 5 cents, Mexican currency.“ The usual charges for unloading vessels, either at the pier or at anchor in the harbor, are from $2.25 to $2.75, Mexican currency, per 1,000 kilograms ­ (2,204.6 pounds). When a vessel is discharged at either one of the several railroad wharves the charges are from 50 cents to $20, Mexican, per piece or package of freight, according to the size and weight, at the option of the railroad companies. The appended extract from the new Mexican Customs Regulations is taken from a translation of the original that was published in the Mexican Herald from time to time, arid is the part of the aforesaid regulations in which special reference is made to bonded warehouses. Wm. W. Canada, Consul. Veracruz, Mexico, December 2%, 190V BONDED WAREHOUSES FOR FOREIGN MERCHANDISE. (Extract from new Mexican customs regulations.) Article 393. Foreign goods entering the Republic may be deposited, without being subject to the payment of import duties in advance, in bonded warehouses especially established either by the Federal Government or by concessionaires. a The Mexican dollar was worth, on January 1, 1905, 48.6 cents United States currency. MEXICO: VERACRUZ. 147 Bonded warehouses belonging to the government will he called “ almacenes federales de depósito;” those established by concessionaires will be called “ almacenes generales de depósito,” and goods stored therein will be known as “goods in fiscal deposit.” Akt. 394. Permission for the entry of foreign goods into bonded warehouses will be granted by the custom-houses, provided that the goods have not passed beyond fiscal control, that they have been examined, and the amount of duties Payable on them has been fixed. It will not be exacted as an indispensable condition that the invoices or petitions for clearance should contain a statement, ­ in advance, to the effect that the goods are intended to enter a bonded warehouse. When they are to enter a bonded warehouse situated away from fhe place at which the custom-house of entry is located, the permission will only be granted in case transportation can be had by rail, subject to the conditions laid down in Chapter XIII of these ordinances. Art. 395. The maximum time that goods may remain in a bonded warehouse is one year, during which they may be reexported without having paid import duties, or, subject to the payment of these duties and of other dues payable according to the settlement prepared upon their arrival at the custom-house, may be taken out for consumption within the country ; and the settlement alluded to ( ‘an not be modified save by reason of an arithmetical error, an erroneous application ­ of the law, or a misstatement as to the quantity or quality of the goods discovered subsequently to their examination by the custom house. The taking out of goods from the bonded warehouses, either for reexportation abroad or their consumption within the country, may be effected partially ; but >n this case no less a quantity of goods than the contents of a complete package ’nay be taken out, and then only when from the terms in which it was declared to the custom-house it is possible to determine exactly and without any need of a new examination the amount of duties payable on the package or packages Which it is desired to take out. When goods are stored in bulk, they can only be taken out in quantities of not less than a ton. Art. 396. The removal of goods in fiscal deposit from one warehouse to another can not take place without leave previously obtained from the department ­ of finance at the request of the interested parties. If the warehouses are directly connected by rail the removal will take place in accordance with the formalities set forth in Chapter XIII of these ordinances, and if they are not so connected tbe department of finance, when it sees fit to authorize the removal, Will lay down the conditions subject to which it is to be effected. Notwithstanding the removal of goods from one warehouse to another the I’oriod of one year granted for the warehousing of the goods will be counted from their admittance to the first of the warehouses in which they were deposited, and do allowance will be made for the interruption occurring through the removal ° r any other cause. Art. 397. At the expiration of the period of one year allowed for the warehousing ­ of the goods, said goods must be taken out for consumption, the payment °f duties and expenses incurred being enforced as provided by article 395. If, Within a fortnight following the expiration of the period above mentioned, the b'oods shall not have been taken out by the interested parties they will be I'Ggarded as derelict and the custom-house will proceed to sell them at public 'diction in the manner laid down by Chapter XX of these ordinances. If the goods have been warehoused at the federal bonded warehouses only il sufficient portion of the goods will be taken out to pay the bill for duties and ^bouses and the remainder of the goods will be removed to the ordinary cusbinis warehouses, where they will be kept for six months longer, at the expirah°n of which, if they are not taken away by the interested parties, they will be s °bl by the custom house at public auction. When the goods have been warehoused in general bonded warehouses the ^tom-houses may, if so requested by the concessionaires, authorize the latter '° take away the goods for consumption, after payment of duties and other ex Penses owed to the exchequer. , Art. 398. Samples destined for exhibition in the general Ixmded warehouses '¡bthorized to present such exhibits may, if they are dutiable on importation, Villain in bond for two years, during which they may be exported, wholly or in I l 't. without payment of duties, taken out for consumption or removed to other "aided warehouses. If. within a fortnight from the expiration of the period of ' v<) years the samples have not been taken away by the Interested parties the Ustom-house will act in accordance witli the provisions of the foregoing article. Art. 399. In case the department of finance declares the forfeiture of a con- 148 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. cession that had been granted to a company operating general bonded warehouses, ­ the goods deposited in same will be removed by their owners or consignees ­ within a period of time fixed by said department and subject to the supervision of the custom-house, to other bonded warehouses belonging to another concessionaire company. If, within the stipulated time, the goods are not removed they will he taken to the ordinary customs warehouses, where they will become subject to storage dues from the date of their entrance and as provided ­ by article 421 of these ordinances. Art. 400. The general bonded warehouses will be subject to the vigilance and inspection of the custom-house at the point at which they are established, and all their buildings and annexes will possess the requirements which the department ­ of finance may deem necessary to facilitate and render efficacious fiscal supervision, which will embrace all the operations to which merchandise deposited ­ therein is subject. The departments or storerooms in which goods held in fiscal deposit are kept must be devoted exclusively to that object and must be independent from those destined for other operations. Fiscal vigilance and inspection in the general bonded warehouses will be exercised by employees appointed by the executive, in such number as may be conducive, in the opinion of the department of finance, to the best discharge of their functions. Said employees will be called “ fiscal warehouse gaurds ” or “ fiscal vigilance employees ” and they will be subject to the orders of the custom-house of the point at which the warehouses are situated. The fiscal warehouse guards will keep an account of the entry and departure of merchandise from the warehouses quite independently of the account kept by the employees of the concessionaire company, and they will render every month a report to the custom-house to which they are attached, and said customhouse ­ will forward it to the general custom-house bureau. The custom-house collector may, when he sees fit, either in person or through a special delegate, effect, or cause to be effected, a visit of inspection to the general bonded warehouses ; and the company will at once place at the disposal of the collector, or his representative, the books showing the merchandise handled by its employees and other necessary data. Art. 401. The legal representatives of the general bonded warehouses may secure from the custom-houses such notes as they deem fit in regard to customhouse ­ declarations and the assessment of duties on merchandise that either has been deposited or which it is desired to deposit in the bonded warehouses. Art. 402. The custom-houses will keep with the general bonded warehouses situated in their jurisdiction a special account in which they will charge the amount of fiscal claims on merchandise deposited and will credit the amount of claims paid in any way, or canceled through the reexportation of the goods. The balance shown by this account at the end of each month will be communicated ­ by the custom-houses to the general custom-house bureau in the first fi ve days of the following month for the information of the department of finance. Art. 403. The general bonded warehouses will remain open and will do business ­ during the office hours of the custom-houses, but the custom-house collectors, ­ when they deem fit, may authorize the introduction of merchandise into tb e bonded warehouses at extra hours and on holidays, other than national holidays, ­ subject to the payment of a compensation equivalent to the daily pay °} the fiscal employees required to watch the extra operations and among whom n will be distributed. Art. 404. Each of the doors of the premises subject to fiscal supervision m the general bonded warehouses will have two locks, or padlocks, with different keys, one of which will be delivered to the custom-house collector after tl ,e daily closing of the warehouses. When the premises have several doors, only one of them may open on the outside and the others only on the inside. The federal bonded warehouses will be locked with three separate keys, one of which will be kept by the custom-house collector, a second by the accountant, and a third by the warehouse guard. If any department has more than outdoor, ­ only one can open on the outside, and the others only on the inside of tb e department. t Art. 405. The admittance of foreign merchandise into fiscal deposit does no exempt it from the custom-house procedure which is applicable to all import 8 ' tions; it continues subject to the payment of penalties that may have to b applied for infringements of these ordinances, even though said merchandise lS destined for reexportation. .. Art. 406. In order that foreign merchandise may be admitted to fiscal deposit Mexico: Veracruz. 149 the consignees will present to the custom-house, along with the ordinary petitions ­ for clearance, an application in triplicate, as shown by model No. 40. If the merchandise is destined for the general bonded warehouses, the application must bear at the foot thereof, or embodied in a document attached thereto, a properly attested statement to the effect that the concessionaire company is willing to have the goods deposited in its warehouses. The custom-house will compare the clearance petition with the manifest and with the consular invoices, as in cases of ordinary importation, and when the custom-house collector has granted permission for the warehousing of the goods, the inspector whom said collector may designate to examine same will effect said examination as usual, and when it has once been effected the methods of procedure indicated in the following articles will be pursued according ­ to the nature of the case. The permits for the admittance of goods to fiscal deposit will be numbered specially and progressively by fiscal years. Art. 407. When the application refers to all the goods declared in an ordinary clearance petition, it will suffice in said application to mention the latter document, ­ which will serve for effecting the operations of deposit, and the application ­ must be accompanied by a copy of the list of packages ; but when it is desired to warehouse only a portion of the goods covered by a clearance petition, ­ the application must contain, as shown by model 41, an exact copy of the several specifications of the petition, and must be presented along with three copies of the list of packages. Art. 408. In case of the former alternative mentioned in the foregoing article, the custom-house will attach to each copy of the application one copy of the clearance ­ petition, and when permission for the warehousing of the goods has been given, the collector will turn over the petition to the inspector that he may examine the goods, if he has not examined them already, and may transmit the permit to the warden of the customs warehouses, who will enter on the lists of packages the number and date of the permit for the warehousing of the goods. In the case of the second alternative the custom-house will compare the copies of the application for deposit with the copies of the clearance petition, according ­ to which the ordinary examination of the goods was effected, just as if the latter document were a consular invoice perfected through the result of clearance, ­ and will mark on the copies of the petition the goods that are to enter into fiscal deposit, stating, in addition to that circumstance, the number and date °f the warehousing permit. Art. 409. When the requirements mentioned in the foregoing article have once been complied with, the custom-house collector will designate in writing °n the application the inspector who first examined the goods to supervise the warehousing thereof, and to him will be delivered the application with the new lists of packages. If no incident calling for an amplification of the examination shall have occurred, the inspector will write on the application the words “ Reconocido con pedimento de importación No. —,” and in case there exists any reason for amplifying the examination of the goods he will mark on the application the packages as to which that operation is effected ; and on the new lists of packages, provided that he has no further observations to make, be will engross the words, “ Entregúese para el depósito.” He will then forward the lists of packages to the warden of the customs warehouses, in order that tin; goods may be delivered up, and he will return the permit to the accounting department. Art 410. Goods cleared for warehousing purposes must not undergo any change or alteration, but will be kept in the same state and condition in which they arrived. Only in the event of its being necessary, on account of the deterioration of the cases in which the goods are put up, to transfer them to °ther cases for their better preservation, can such an operation be authorized, subject to the vigilance of the custom-house, which will take care that the contents ­ of none of the packages undergoes modification, and that the new cases employed to put up the goods are marked and numbered the same as the former cues. When packages are without marks for their identification, the consignee will engross and number them in a special manner prior to their being warehoused, so that there may never be confusion among them. It will also be necessary to put a different number on each package when the packages contain different goods, or the same goods, but in varying quantities; and it will only be permissible ­ to put the same number on the packages constituting a lot when all said Packages contain exactly the same kind and quantity of goods. 150 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Whenever new marks are put upon packages, said marks will be described in the application for warehousing. Akt. 411. Interested parties may obviate a second examination of their packages upon their removal from the warehouses if in their application they ask the custom-house to tie up and seal the packages before their admittance into the warehouses, and provided that the packages so treated afford, in the opinion of the custom-house, a guaranty that the goods which they contain will remain intact. Art. 412. Upon the admittance of packages into the bonded warehouses, the fiscal superintendent receiving them will affix to each a label or card containing ­ the name of the consignee, the number of the permit, the custom-house from which the package comes, and the date of its entrance into the warehouses, and lie will at the same time inspect the fastenings of the packages to which fiscal seals have been attached. Art. 413. If the custom-house authorities see fit they may order the examination ­ of packages of goods in fiscal deposit at the time of their entry into the warehouses or of their departure therefrom either for consumption or reexportation, ­ as well as during the time that they may remain there, if the packages, ­ upon their admittance, have not been fastened and sealed, or when the seals are found to have been broken. If, upon being examined for admittance into the bonded warehouses, it is found that the packages contain goods that are subject to lesser duties, or that there is a smaller quantity of them than declared, a note to that effect will be entered on the permit and the custom-house will proceed in the form provided ­ by article 265 of these ordinances, duties being settled for on the basis of the result of the examination. If, on the contrary, the goods are found to weigli more or to belong to a higher tariff class than declared, a note to that effect will be made on the clearance petition, so that the assessment for duties may tally with the result of tlie examination, and there will be collected at once, by way of additional duties, the regulation percentage orr the difference shown by the liquidation. When the examination takes place upon the departure of the goods from the bonded warehouses for consumption, and it is found that they are subject to a less rate, or that there is less of them than declared, duties will nevertheless be assessed in accordance with the declaration ; but if the quantity of the goods or the rate to which they are subject is greater, the same course as when a similar case arises in ordinary clearances will be followed. If the examination takes place when the goods are leaving the bonded warehouses ­ for reexportation and they are found to be subject to a less duty than declared, the duties payable under the declaration will be forthwith collected, the interested party being entitled to introduce the goods for immediate consumption ­ upon payment of said duties, or to reexport them without refundment of duties. If the quantity of the goods is found to he less than declared, there will be collected on the difference, in addition to the tariff duties, the regulation additional duties, save in case that the curtailment in weight does not exceed 15 per cent of the weight declared, and arises from natural shrinkage ­ due either to the drying up or spilling of the article. Art. 414. The interested parties may, through an application in duplicate, « as shown by model 42, obtain permission from the custom-house collector to take samples of goods that are about to be warehoused or that have been warehoused. ­ The custom-house collector will grant the permission, and the sample* will be taken subject to the supervision of the inspector or employee whom he may designate for the purpose, and who will note down on the application the data necessary for the assessment of duties payable on the samples, attaching ­ to the packages from which the samples are taken a label with the following ­ inscription : “ Tomado muestra con permiso de fecha .” If the samples are taken from packages of goods which are destined for reexportation, ­ either the samples must be returned to the custom-house or the duties assessable on the samples must be paid when permission to ship t ,K> goods abroad again is requested ; and if the samples have been taken from goods that are to be entered for consumption, they will be considered as still belonging to the packages of which they formed part. Art. 415. For the removal of goods from the custom-house to bonded warehouses ­ situated in the same city or locality, the custom-house collector will designate ­ the route to be taken, the method of transportation which he considers most suitable, and the fiscal employees who are to supervise the operation. The warden of the custom-house will deliver the goods, for transportation to Mexico: veracruz. 151 the bonded warehouses, to the fiscal employee appointed to take charge of them, making out for each vehicle that is to be employed a duplicate form according to model No. 43. On one copy of the form, which the warden will retain, he will take the employee’s receipt and will hand to him the other copy to the end that, upon the introduction of the goods into the warehouses, he may secure the receipt of the superintendent of said warehouses and a certificate from the fiscal superintendent showing the part taken by him in the operation. Along with the first installment of each lot of goods there will be delivered to the superintendent of the warehouses two copies of the list of packages, and when the transportation of tlm entire lot of goods has been effected said superintendent ­ will return to the fiscal employee one of the copies, on which he will write out a receipt and affix the seal of the concessionaire company, obtaining also from the fiscal superintendent a certificate showing the share taken by him in the operation. The copy bearing these annotations will he returned to the warden of the custom house and will serve as a definite proof of the delivery of the goods; and thus the provisional forms will cease to be of value and may be handed to the superintendent of the warehouses. When the transportation of packages containing goods embraced by a warehousing ­ application takes more than one day, this fact will be recorded in the list of packages and, in addition, the date on which the transportation commenced, ­ the date on which it was completed, and the number of the entry on the books of the bonded warehouses will also be mentioned. Art. 410. For the admittance of goods into the general bonded warehouses of Mexico City the following rules will be observed : I. The persons entering the goods will present to the custom-house a petition according to model No. 40, with documentary evidences of the conformableness of the concessionaire company and the carrier company. In default of the latter ­ the bond referred to in article 303 will be presented with the petition. II. The entry of goods into the general bonded warehouses will be effected within tlie period of time fixed by the authorities of the custom-house where the goods are located for the time being; and said period will be computed on the basis of the distance separating the custom-house from the capital at the rate of 100 kilometers, or fraction thereof, per day, two days more being granted for the removal of the goods from the custom-house and still another two days for their introduction into the warehouses. III. If the ordinary clearance petition has already been presented to the custom-house, the procedure set forth in articles 407 and 400 will be followed and the delivery of the goods to the carrier company will be effected in the form set forth in article 415. IV. When the goods have been delivered to the carrier company (care being taken that the packages containing them possess the conditions required by Chapter XIII), and when the custom-house has in its possession the bill of lading ­ extended in its behalf by the company, it will forward same in a registered envelope to the custom-house of importation of Mexico City, along with three copies of the petition and one copy of the list of packages. In Its note sent along with the shipment the custom-house authorities will make such observations as they deem expedient. V. If, prior to the presentation of the ordinary clearance petition, the consignee ­ wishes that, without prior inspection of the custom-house of entry, the entire lot of packages included in a consignment of goods be entered into the general bonded warehouses of the capital, he will present to the custom-house a duplicate petition in the form indicated by model No. 44, with documentary evidences of conformableness on the part of the company holding the concession for the warehouses and the carrier company, also presenting, along with the petition, the consular invoice and three copies of the list of packages. In default of evidence of conformableness on the part of the carrier company, a bond, as referred to In article 31(3, will be presented. VI. As soon as the custom-house shall have compared the invoice with the manifest, shall have made a note on the latter to the effect that the goods are being forwarded in fiscal deposit, and shall have granted permission, steps will he taken to tie up and seal the packages susceptible thereof, and. in the form already indicated, the goods will be delivered to the carrier, while the consular invoice presented by the consignee, the original of the petition, a copy of the list of packages, and the bill of lading extended by the carrier company will be forwarded to the custom-house of importation of Mexico City. VII. If, after the ordinary clearance petition shall have been passed upon, / 152 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. the consignee shall desire to enter into the bonded warehouses a part only of the goods mentioned in that document, he will present to the custom-house a petition in triplicate, as per model 41, copying that part of the clearance petition which refers only to the goods destined to be warehoused ; but in this case no lot of goods can be broken up. The original clearance petition, after a note has been made upon it by the custom-house, will be available for ordinary importation purposes, but only with respect to the goods for which no warehousing ­ permit has been asked. VIII. If, prior to the presentation of the ordinary clearance petition, the consignee should decide to warehouse a part of the goods which have come consigned to him and which are embodied in a single consular invoice, he will present to the custom-house a set of ordinary clearance petitions for the goods which he desires to have cleared immediately and a set of warehousing petitions, ­ in which mention will be made only of the goods that are to be warehoused. ­ In this case the breaking up of lots declared in the consular invoice will be allowed, but not into quantities of less than one package. Art. 417. Upon the arrival of the goods at the capital, they will be received by the custom-house of importation of Mexico City in the form set forth in Chapter XIII of these ordinances. If the custom-house of entry has already examined the goods and assessed the duties, the custom-house of importation will deliver them to the general bonded warehouses, the rules of article 415 being observed. In case the custom-house of entry should forward with the goods nothing but the consular invoice, the custom-house of importation of Mexico City will notify the owner or consignee at the capital, so that he may present his warehousing ­ petition according to model No. 45, and all the rules laid down in these ordinances will be observed with regard to the presentation of clearance petitions, examination of the goods, assessment of duties at the maritime custom-houses, and other requisite formalities, until the packages shall be warehoused. Art. 418. The warehousing permit having been granted, the formalities having been complied with, and the goods having been placed at the disposal of the carriers, said carriers will at once proceed to convey them to their destination, after having been admonished that in the event of their failing to do so on the next available day, the goods will be subject to storage dues in accordance with article 153, until a beginning is made in hauling them away, and said operation may not be interrupted during the available days and hours that it may be found necessary to devote thereto. Art. 419. The year's time allowed by these ordinances for the warehousing of goods will begin to run from the day on which a beginning is made in entering ­ them into the warehouses. At the expiration of that period the customhouse ­ will act as provided by article 397. Art. 420. The custom-houses to whose jurisdiction are subject the Federal bonded warehouses will be liable for the value of each package as declared in the consular invoice, if, during the legal period allowed for the warehousing of the goods, the latter be lost; but they shall in no manner be made liable for the shrinkage or depreciation which goods may undergo, owing either to their nature or the nature of their packing or to the action of time, nor for internal breakages nor for damage wrought by insects or other noxious animals, nor for the absence from packages of effects of which the existence has not been proved before the same were warehoused, nor, in general, for damages or losses due to unforeseen causes or force majeure. Art. 421. Goods entered into the Federal bonded warehouses will be subject to storage dues at the following rates : During the first two months of the warehousing of the goods, 1 cent per day for every 100 kilograms or fraction thereof. During the third and fourth months, for the same quantity of kilograms or fraction thereof, 2 cents per diem. During the fifth and sixth months, on the same basis of weight, 3 cents per diem. From the seventh to the twelfth month, when the period allowed for the warehousing of the goods ends, on the same basis of weight, 4 cents per diem. This due will not apply isolatedly to each of the lots declared, but to the aggregate weight of the packages comprised in a single operation. Art. 422. Custom-houses will keep a special registry, according to model No. 46, in which they will enter all the operations which they may authorize or MEXICO: VERACRUZ, 153 with which they may have to do in connection with the warehousing of merchandise. ­ REMOVAL OF GOODS FROM THE BONDED WAREHOUSES FOR CONSUMPTION. Art. 423. The removal of warehoused goods for consumption will be authorized, ­ provided that all the packages comprised in a single permit are involved, or that, if the goods sought to be taken out are partial lots, they shall consist of at least one package of which the contents can be detailed with accuracy in view of the declaration figuring in the documents which were used for warehousing ­ the goods. When it is desired to remove all the packages comprised in a permit, the consignee will present a triplicate petition in accordance with model No. 48. When it is desired to remove only given lots the petition will be in accordance with model No. 51, and in it will be inserted the declaration of the goods, which will be copied carefully from the warehousing documents. In either case a list of packages in duplicate will be presented along with the petition. Art. 424. The custom-house will handle the petition in the same way as a case of ordinary importation, and after making a note thereon of the liquidation ­ of fiscal indebtedness on the goods, will turn it over to the inspector who may have been designated to effect the inspection, sdid inspection being limited to an external examination of the packages, unless, for exceptional reasons giving rise to express orders from the custom-house collector, it be necessary also to inspect the goods. The inspector, after completing his inspection and after having had presented to him documentary proof of the payment of the sums due to the exchequer on the goods, will authorize delivery of same to the person entitled to receive them. Art. 425. Warehoused articles removed for consumption will be delivered to the legal representative of the concessionaire^ company if deposited in general bonded warehouses ; but if they are deposited in Federal bonded warehouses the custom-house will deliver them directly to the interested parties. REEXPORTATION OF GOODS IN FISCAL DEPOSIT. Art. 426. The reexportation of goods in fiscal deposit may take place, whether they be all the goods comprised in a single warehousing permit or partial lots, satisfying the conditions required by article 395. The departure of goods abroad will be supervised by such maritime or frontier custom-house as the interested party may choose, provided that the transportation to the port or frontier point chosen can be effected by rail and that the carrier company conforms ­ to the rules laid down in Chapter XIII of these ordinances. The responsibility of general bonded warehouses, when goods are removed therefrom for reexportation, will not cease until the custom-house of exit shall have received them and found them as reported. Art. 427. For the reexportation of the goods in question, when the interested parties desire to remove in their entirety the number of packages comprised in a single warehousing permit, they will present to the custom-house having charge of the vigilance of the warehouse in which the goods are deposited a petition in triplicate, according to model No. 52. In case the interested parties desire to reexport only a portion of the total number of packages, they will present a petition also in triplicate, according to model 53 and in the form described by article 423. Along with the petitions will be presented the necessary copies of the list of packages and also documentary evidence on the part of the company holding the concession for the warehouses, in necessary cases, and on the part of the carrier company in all cases, to the effect that they agree to the reexportation of the goods. Art. 428. The custom-house will treat the petition in the same way as petitions for the removal of goods for consumption, and after noting thereon the assessment ­ of duties will fix a period of time within which the goods have to be hauled to the point of exit, computing it at the rate of one day for each 100 kilometers or fraction, constituting the distance to be traveled by rail, allowing two days for the receipt of the goods and two days more for their delivery. The petition will be handed to the inspector so that he may examine the packages externally, or their contents in case he has express orders from the custom-house collector to do so. Art. 429. The inspector, having completed the operation assigned to him and 154 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. ascertained that the money owing to the exchequer on the goods has been paid, will authorize their delivery by inditing a note to that effect at the foot of the lists of packages which were used by the warehouse guard for lhe removei of the goods, and said guard will turn the list over to the fiscal employee encharged with the custody of the goods. The fiscal employee will make out a receipt on the same lists and will accompany the goods until they are put on board the ship or train on which they are to be transported out of the country; hut if the reexportation takes place through another custom-house, the removal of the goods to the train which is to convey them will he effected with the formalities prescribed by article 415 in so far as they are applicable. In this ease one of the lists of packages will be made use of by the fiscal employee for the custody of the goods, and when the latter have been put on board the train and the box car or compartment containing them has been secured with fiscal padlocks, the employee will make a note on the list of the number of the box car, the number of the fiscal padlocks, the combination number marked by the latter on closing, also stating whether the packages are bound round and sealed, and the employee will then return the list to the warehouse ­ guard, while immediately reporting the aforesaid data to the customhouse. ­ Art. 430. The forwarding custom house will send by mail in a registered package ­ to the custom-house of the point through which the goods are to leave the country, a copy of the petition for reexportation adjusted and annotated, with all necessary data, as well as a copy pi the list of packages and the bill of lading which the carrier company may have extended to the first-named custom-house to the consignment of the second. In case the custom-house, considering it expedient, should send a fiscal employee to have charge of the goods during their transportation to the point of departure, said employee will take with him in a closed packet the aforementioned ­ documents, with the exception of the list of packages, which he will take in an open packet, in order to be able to make use of it, if necessary, during the trip. Art. 431. Upon the arrival of the goods at the custom-house of departure, if the box cars and fiscal padlocks are found to be in good condition, the marks and serial numbers of the packages will be revised, and if they are found to be all right the packages will be shipped under the supervision of the customhouse ­ guards; but if the train or ship by which they are to be taken out of the country is not ready to be loaded the goods will remain in the sealed box cars until the shipment can take place; only if the packages are bound round and sealed can they be deposited in the custom-house. The, custom-house receiving the goods will notify the forwarding customhouse ­ of the arrival and shipment of the goods ; also returning to it the copy of the petition of reexportation with the annotation “ Cumplido ” and other pertinent ­ data. Art. 432. If, from the examination made, it shall appear that the packages have been tampered with, the steps laid down by Chapter XIII of these ordinances ­ will be taken, and if the examination reveals differences in the kind of quantity of goods, said goods will be subject to the provisions of article 413, and the carrier company will be liable according to the facts. Art. 433. When the reexportation of goods sent to a custom-house for that purpose is not effected within thirty days following the expiration of the period of one year, fixed as the minimum duration of the fiscal deposit, and the department ­ of finance has not extended that period, the permit will be annulled and the steps taken in article 397 will be taken. Art. 434. If the reexportation of goods in fiscal deposit is to take place through a point other than that where they have been warehoused, and the consignee finds it impossible to designate in his application the train or ship by which they are to leave the country, the interested party will be allowed, after the arrival of the goods at the point of departure, there to present his request for permission to ship, with the understanding that, if after the lapse of a fortnight from the arrival of the goods they shall not have been shipped for purposes of reexportation, they will begin to be subject to the storage due provided by article 153, until they are shipped or until the period marked by article 433 shall have run. Art. 435. When, for the transportation of goods in fiscal deposit, it proves necessary to utilize various lines belonging to different companies, the company to which the goods are delivered will be the one to assume the responsibility provided by law for the entire route. If the transportation of the goods under MEXICO: VERACRUZ. 155 these circumstances necessarily requires their transshipment, the carrier company ­ will make a statement to that effect, in order that the packages may be tied up and sealed, if they are susceptible to that process, and that they may be watched during the route by a fiscal employee, who will supervise the transshipment ­ and remove the fiscal padlocks. REMOVAL OF GOODS IN FISCAL DEPOSIT FROM ONE WAREHOUSE TO ANOTHER. Art. 430. For the removal of goods from one bonded warehouse to another, the permission of the department of finance will previously be obtained, and when it has been secured the form of procedure will be the same as for the transportation of goods destined for reexportation. Art. 437. The request to be presented to the cusmom-house for permission to effect the removal will he drawn up in the form indicated by model No. 51 and in quadruplicate. The stamp called for by the stamp law will he attached to the original copy, and on it also will be inscribed notes signed by the representative ­ of tlie warehouse from which the goods are being taken and by the representative of the warehouse which is to receive them, to the effect that they are agreeable to the removal, as well as a statement on behalf of the carrier company expressing its willingness to take charge of their transportation. Art. 438. The custom-house will enter on the four copies of the request the assessment of duties and other fiscal charges due on the goods, and, moreover, will write down on them the date of their entry into the first bonded warehouse. ­ One of the copies will be used by the custom-house to fill in the note on the original request as to the departure of the goods, and the three other copies, including the stamped copy, will be forwarded to the custom-house of the place where is situated the bonded warehouse to which the goods are being removed. Art. 439. If, for any reason, the transfer of the goods, after their departure from the general bonded warehouses, is not consummated, and the interested party is unwilling to destine them for consumption, the custom-house will return them to said warehouses, which must admit them anew, unless the representative ­ of the concessionaire company, in expressing himself as agreeable to the removal also expressed his resolve not to receive them again in deposit. When a decision of this nature has been placed on record the custom-house will not permit the removal of the goods unless the interested party or the carrier company guarantee by means of a bond the amount of fiscal charges due on the goods. The bond will become effective if the transfer of the goods to the warehouse where they are to continue in deposit is not effected, and when the charges in question have once been paid the goods will he considered as having been removed for consumption, and will be delivered to the interested party. . Art. 440. Goods that are to be placed on exhibition as samples in general bonded warehouses will he covered by an invoice such as is provided by article 51 of these ordinances, the destination in question being set forth in said invoice. The warehousing petition will be adjusted to the form set forth in article 400, and will he presented apart from the petitions in regard to any other kinds of merchandise. The inspection, assignment of duties, and classification of samples will he effected by the inspector who may be designated by the custom-house collector, in accordance with the procedure followed in regard to tlie collections of samples brought with them by commercial travelers. Their transportation to the warehouses in which they are to be exhibited in deposit will be effected with the formalities prescribed for the conveyance of goods in fiscal deposit, and the provisions of these ordinances relative to warehousing will be applicable ­ to them in all operations of which they may be the object, such as removal for consumption, reexportation, and transfer to other warehouses. Art. 441. As a prerequisite for the removal of samples in fiscal deposit, they will he repacked in the presence of the fiscal warehouse guard. If it is desired to remove all the samples included in a warehousing request, the warehouse guard will take care that, in repacking them, the packages shall he put up in the same arrangement, as to separation of package from package, as that in which they entered the warehouses, so that their revision may be facilitated. All samples of goods in fiscal deposit will, on being removed from the warehouses. ­ necessarily undergo revision on the part of the custom-house. Art. 442. When the department of finance sees fit, it may extend the periods of time fixed for all operations to which goods in fiscal deposit are subject 156 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. CENTRAL AMERICA. BRITISH HONDURAS. BELIZE. (From United States Consul Avery, Belize, British Honduras.) The only warehouse for goods in bond or transit in this colony is the government warehouse in Belize. It is a frame building with roof and sides of corrugated iron (galvanized), and was erected at a cost of about $5,000. There is no upper story and the surface area is 1,454 square yards. It is under the charge of an official known as the keeper of the King's bonded warehouse, who is subject to the collector of customs, and the service and charges are very satisfactory. The tariff per month, or part thereof, is as follows: , Monthly warehouse rent at Belize, British Honduras. For every— Puncheon, pipe, butt, or tierce Hogshead, or half tierce 8 uarter cask ctave Barrel Half barrel Demijohn Charge. $0.50 .25 .15 .10 .10 .05 .05 For every package measuring— Less than 11 cubic feet U and less than 21 cubic feet. 21 and less than 5 cubic feet . 5 and less than 10 cubic fix t _ 10 and less than 20 cubic feet 20 and less than 30 cubic feet . 30 cubic feet and upward Charge. $0.02 .03 .05 .10 .15 .50 1.00 Goods may remain in storage for three years, and then be entered again for two years more, but if unclaimed at the expiration of the first-named period they are forfeited and sold. No distinction is made as to origin of goods, all nationalities being treated alike. The cost of removal from landing wharf to warehouse is a lien against the goods. This charge in Belize is 10 cents a one-mule cartload. The warehouse is well provided with light and ventilation, and I have never head complaint of loss caused by neglect or carelessness on the part of the management. The principal revenue is derived from storage of wines and liquors, this class of imports taking up most of the floor space. Heavy groceries come next in revenue and bulk. W. L. Avery, Consul. Belize, British Honduras, June 15, WOJj.. COSTA RICA. SAN JOSÉ. (From United States Consul Caldwell, San JosC, Costa Rica.) There are no bonded warehouses in this consular district. Goods entered at the custom-house at Punta renas may remain four months. After one month goods subject to duty must pay a storage charge of 0.60 colon ($0.28 United States currency) per 100 kilograms (220.40 GUATEMALA: GUATEMALA CITY. 157 pounds) per month. Heavy goods, such as iron, hardware, machinery, ­ etc., if over half a ton, pay storage after one month of 0.20 colon ($0.093 United States currency) per 100 kilograms per month. Explosives, after forty-eight hours, pay 0.10 colon ($0.0405 United States currency) per kilogram per day. Goods not subject to duty pay, after eight days, 0.10 colon per 40 kilograms per day. Goods may be reshipped at any time within four months, a shipping charge of i.20 colons ($0.558 United States currency) being collected on each 100 kilograms. The expense of handling these stored goods is not given separately, but is included in the general expense of maintaining the customhouse. ­ During the financial year closed March 31 last there was collected ­ for storage at Puntarenas 677.62 colons ($315.09 United States currency), and for reshipment only 466.59 colons ($216.96 United States currency). All nationalities are treated alike in regard to the storing and reshipping ­ of goods, and I am not aware of any complaint in regard to the service. John C. Caldwell, Consul. San José, Costa Pica, August 15,190i GUATEMALA/ GUATEMALA CITY. (From United States Vice and Deputy Consul-General Owen, Guatemala City, Guatemala.) There are no warehouses for the storage of merchandise in transit or in bond at any of the ports of this country. Goods may, however, be stored in custom-houses for transshipment. The custom-houses are owned and operated bv the Government. Shipment for reembarkation will always be attended with great difficulty, because suspicion is at once aroused that an effort is being made to avoid payment of customs duties. All merchandise is received ­ and weighed at door of custom-house immediately upon being landed ex ship. Delivery is also made at custom-house door. Permission ­ to reembark must be solicited in writing, giving marks, numbers, contents, and weight in kilos of each package. The charges are, first month, storage free; thereafter a charge of 2 cents per day for each 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds) or fraction thereof. The basis for all customs charges is Guatemala currency, worth now about 6.1 cents on the dollar, but 30 per cent is payable in United States gold. The privilege of shipping goods in transit is rarely if ever used. About all goods reembarked have been erroneous shipments or the like. There is no record of shipment in transit from the United States except for reasons mentioned above. All nations receive like treatment. Goods may remain in the custom-house so long as storage charges are regularly paid. The Port Agency Company takes charge of goods at the ship’s side and delivers them to the custom-house. Launches, for the most part large open boats, are used to disembark from ship to pier. Cost of unloading and pierage at Pacific ports is about an equivalent to 20 cents gold per 100 pounds. On the Atlantic coast charges are 158 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. lower, being at Livingston equivalent to 15 cents gold per 100 pounds, and at Puerto Barrios, 10 cents gold per 100 pounds. At Puerto Barrios there is a pier. Goods are under the vigilance of customs officers from alongside of the ship until they are returned thereto. Bobbery, however, is frequent. William Owen, Vice and Deputy G omul-General. Guatemala City, Guatemala, August 8, 1904. NICARAGUA. MANAGUA. (From United 'States Vice-Consul Wallace, Managua, Nicaragua.) The warehouse at this place is not a regular bonded warehouse, but in exceptional. cases it renders services as such a warehouse. It is owned by the Government and is about 900 feet long by 30 feet wide. All kinds of goods may be stored there. The charges are 2 centavos (0.80 cent) per 100 kilograms (220.40 pounds) for the first two months; for the third month, 3 centavos (1.29 cents); for the fourth month and for subsequent months, 0 centavos (2.58 cents). The receipts and expenditures are not known. Goods remain in storage for a short time only, being generally removed within two months. Americans use the warehouses to a very small extent. No distinctions are made on account of nationality. Corinto is well situated, and the facilities for discharge from steamer are good. The warehouse stands on the water’s edge, and to it goods are conveyed from ship by lighters at a charge of about $1.20 gold per ton. Arthur O. Wallace, Vice-Consul. Managua, Nicaragua, July 15,1904. WEST INDIES. CUBA. HABANA. (From United States Vice and Deputy Consul-General Springer, TTabana, Cuba.) The two principal warehouses of this port are those known as Almacenes de Depósito de San José and Almacenes de Regia. The San José warehouse covers a surface of 16,848 square feet and lias a capacity of 28,000 barrels, which can be increased if required. These warehouses are also known as “No. 6.” They are insured at a valuation ­ of $400,000, but their estimated value is nearly $3,000,000. The Regia warehouses cover a surface of 20,930 square meters (23,440 square yards). The part used for storage measures about 117 meters (384 feet) long by 27 meters (89 feet) in width. The original cost is not stated. BARBADOS. 159 TI io San José warehouses are owned by Señorita Maria cle las Mercedes de Ajuria y Mimar, Condesa de Casa Moré i deceased), and are managed by her executor and general manager, Señor Jorge de Ajuria. The Regia warehouses belong to the United Railways Company ­ (Limited), of Habana. It is generally understood that the service is convenient and satisfactory ­ to the patrons. The warehouses have a regular scale of charges. The schedule of charges of the San José is annexed hereto.® The receipts and expenditures are not available. All kinds of goods are stored except those of a perishable nature and explosives. Sugar is the principal merchandise stored. It is estimated that about 15 per cent of the goods stored are American. No discrimination whatever is made with respect to nationality of the depositors. Goods remain on an average from one to two months, but may remain one vear, according to article 193 of the customs regulations. ­ When goods are removed by boat, launch, or lighter to the warehouses the charges for service are according to their regular schedules. The general inspector of the port exercises watchful care and supervision over the bonded warehouses as over all other places within the customs jurisdiction. The entry and dispatch of merchandise ­ is authorized by the custom-house in all cases, and to carry out such regulations an oilicer is stationed at each warehouse. Joseph A. Springer, Vice Consul-General. Habana, Cuba, August 9,190If. BAHAMAS. (From United States Consul Potter, Nassau, Hallamos.) The government owns two warehouses here for the storage of merchandise, ­ the principal one of which is about 70 feet square. One warehouse is also owned by a private firm. I have been unable to learn the cost of any. Storage charges are in general based upon the amount of space occupied, though they vary considerably for different ­ articles. 0 The receipts and expenditures on account of service are not published. Almost all classes of goods may be stored in these warehouses, and goods may remain any length of time up to four years. No distinctions are made on account of nationality, and Americans sometimes use the warehouses. Julian Potter, Consul. Nassau, Bahamas, July 22,190\. BARBADOS. (From United States Consul Wilber,. ¡turbados, West Indies.) The average dimensions of bonded warehouses in this island are 45 by 05 feet, and the original cost of such a building would be about « On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 6 Tariff of storage charges included in the dispatch is on file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 160 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. $4,000 to $5,000. The warehouses are all owned and conducted by the merchants and importers. Patrons are allowed to place their goods in bond with a view to transhipment, or for other reasons that would necessitate bonding goods. Owners of the warehouses furnish labor and receive and deliver ­ goods. The scale of charges for storage is based on the size of the packages, say 6 cents per month for an average barrel. It is impossible ­ to obtain any idea of the receipts and expenditures on account of services. Goods of all descriptions are stored in bond for transhipment to other ports. The warehouses are used to a very small extent by Americans, as very few are engaged in business here, although large shipments of American goods are received here. All nationalities are treated alike by the administrators of the warehouses. Goods can be kept in bond for transhipment for one year. Facilities ­ for removing goods from the warehouse to boat and vice versa are good, labor being cheap. The cost per average barrel is about 3 cents. All goods are transported by lighter between vessel and warehouse. ­ The warehouses are supervised by custom-house officers, who are in attendance from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m., and give every facility for the landing and reshipping of goodsi The keys of the warehouses are delivered to the owners at 10 a. m. by the customs authorities and are returned at 4 p. m. David F. Wilber, Consul. Barbados, West Indies, July 23,190If. BERMUDA. (From United States Consul Oreene, Hamilton, Bermuda.) The dimensions of the twenty-six buildings used here for bonded and other storage warehouse purposes are from about 50 to over 100 feet long and 18 to 47 feet wide. These buildings are of one, and a few of two, stories in height; they are of stone with slate roofs, to minimize the danger from fire, as are all buildings in Bermuda. They cost from £1,000 to £1,500 ($4,866.50 to $7,299.75) each, according ­ to size. They are owned by business men of the colony. The service seems to be satisfactory, as no complaints have been made. Charges are 3 pence (6 cents) for 5 cubic feet per month. Spirits and malt liquors are the principal goods stored. The Americans ­ use the buildings to a large extent for whisky storage, many thousands of barrels of American whisky being stored at one time. Goods remain in storage from six months to a year, but some lots have been in storage for two years. All nationalities are treated alike. Goods are carried to and from the warehouses by trucks or by horses and drays. The charges for warehousing and removal are about the same as the monthly storage charge when the goods are moved by truck ; when they are drawn by drays with horses the charge is about 2 shillings (48 cents) per load of 10 barrels, commonly known as flour barrels. These warehouses are under the supervision ­ of the officers of the customs, a revenue lock being placed on «J AMAICA. 1G1 the buildings as well as a lock by the proprietor of the warehouse, therefore no admission is possible except when a customs officer is present. A copy of the revenue act of Bermuda of 1898 is herewith inclosed.® ­ W. Maxwell Greene, Consul. Hamilton, Bermuda, June 22,1904-CURAÇAO. (From United states Consul Cheney, Curaçao, West Indies.) There is no general warehouse here. Goods in bond are stored wherever space can be found. Space can always be obtained at a reasonable and usually at a very low rate near the wharf. Lighterage, ­ when required, and all labor in handling are very cheap. A Government officer attends the storage, retains the key, and attends again the removal. lie is paid 2 florins (80 cents) a day—the only Government charge. Goods can remain fourteen days, and an extension ­ of three months is allowed for 20 florins ($8.04), regardless of bulk or value. After that duties must be paid. There is always considerable merchandise in bond—mainly dividivi, ­ coffee, hides, and various woods. Americans rarely put 1 goods thus in bond. All nationalities are treated exactly alike. Handling is nearly all paid by the piece, and the laborer earns from 1 to 2 florins a day—rarely more. Generally he gets an American cent a package for ordinary packages. Officials exercise no care other than to retain the key of the storage rooms. Elias II. Cheney, Consul. Curaçao, West Indies, July 19, 1904. JAMAICA. (From United (Hates Vice-Consul Orrett, Kingston, Jamaica.) The warehouses at the different ports of this island vary from 100 to 300 feet long. Some are built of wood, others of brick; they are roofed with iron sheets or shingles. The cost of the warehouses varies, according to their size, from $1,000 up. Warehouses are owned by private individuals as well as by the Government, Dutiable goods brought bv the several steamship lines from United States and Great Britain are stored in warehouses for two weeks, free of wharfage; if the goods are not then passed through the customs ­ they are either stored in bonded warehouses on the wharf at which landed, or taken to the government warehouses, where wharfage is charged, and detained there until the duty is paid. All wharfage o On file in the Bureau of Statistics. Department of Commerce and Labor. 18762—05 M 11 162 • WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. rates are regulated by law, and I send with this the public wharf law 0 of 1895, which consists of several long schedules setting out in detail the articles on which wharfage is charged and the rates of wharfage on goods landed or shipped. I can not state the amount of receipts or disbursements, as no wharf owner will allow access to his wharf books, other than those kept by law, which only show marks and numbers of packages. All Americans doing business here who do not themselves own wharves necessarily make use of these warehouses. The maximum limit provided for goods to remain on any public wharf is a year, and if the owners shall neglect or fail to pay the legal rates, the wharfinger ­ has the right to sell by public auction, and after wharfage due is deducted, the balance is paid to the consignee, if known, and if not known to the treasury oi the island. Goods stored in these warehouses, ­ whether belonging to British or foreign owners, are treated on the same basis. No distinctions can be made, for storage and charges are all regulated by law. In Kingston all goods are landed alongside the dock. At the outports, the harbors being shallow, vessels lie in the stream, and the cargo is brought to the wharves in lighters. Thus it is more expensive ­ to land goods at the outports. The. cost includes the wharfage, which is regulated by the different schedules in the law, plus the lighterage, which varies from 5 up to 25 pence (10 to 50 cents) per package, according to size and distance of ship from the wharf. On each government or private wharf—both recognized as public wharves within the meaning of the wharfage law—there are special offices for the permanent use of the customs officials under whose care and supervision all goods remain until the duty is paid; and after that, until the wharfage is paid, the goods are under the supervision of the wharfinger, who has to pay an annual license, and his books containing the marks and numbers of the goods are subject to inspection ­ by all revenue officers and persons having any interest in them, and further, it is obligatory that he shall make a half-yearly declaration ­ that such books are correct. William H. Orrett, Vice-Consul. Kingston, Jamaica, July 11,190If. « On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 163 SOUTH AMERICA. BRAZIL. BAHIA. <From United States Consul Furniss, Bahia, Brazil.) Tn this district there is one warehouse in which the Federal Government ­ and two in which the State government will allow merchandise ­ in transit or bond to be stored, and from which it may be taken for shipment elsewhere without payment of duty. The Federal law, article 204 of New Code of Laws for Custom-Houses, provides that private parties may gain the privilege of warehousing ­ such merchandise as is subject to customs duties by (1) making petition by owner of building or lessee and proof of possession ­ ; (2) allowing examination of edifice as to capacity and security by commission appointed by custom-house; (3) furnishing general plan of edifice with especial" reference to its entrances, interior, etc. ; (4) furnishing proof of character of owner and arrangement of bond; (5) furnishing documents to prove that owner is free from judgments and in full exercise of his person and property; (6) giving ­ bond certified to by board of trade declaring the products which he wishes to warehouse. In accord with this law the " Trapiche 2° Gomes ” is designated a Federal bonded warehouse. This warehouse was built about ten years ago, is situated in the center of the commercial ­ part of the city, and faces an open square along the water front, from which it is distant about 200 feet. It is connected by a small surface track with a pier which extends sufficiently into the bay to permit ­ lighters and small craft to go alongside for loading and discharging, ­ and has electric street-railroad freight service and carts for local transportation. The building is three stories high. Its walls are solidly constructed ­ of stone, brick, and cement, and it is roofed with tile. Outside ­ it is stuccoed. The wooden floors are supported by large wooden pillars carrying large wooden beams. Its frontage is 23.90 meters (78.4 feet) with a wall 1.35 meters (4.4 feet) thick; its depth is 47.90 meters (157.1 feet), with a wall 1.10 meters (3.G feet) thick, and its width at the back is 21.70 meters (71.2 feet), with a wall 1.10 meters (3.6 feet) thick. The bonded portion occupies part of the ground and second floors, being separated from the remaining ­ portion of the warehouse by heavy iron grill work extending ­ from floor tn ceiling. This section measures on the ground floor 37.38 meters (121.5 feet) by 22.15 meters (72.7 feet) by 3.75 meters (12.3 feet) high, and the bonded part on the second floor is the same in floor space, but has a height of 5.05 meters (16.6 feet). The services rendered by the administration consist simply in storing such articles as the custom-house will permit to be put in 164 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. the warehouse, the fees for which storage are much lower and lhe facilities for handling goods much better than at the warehouse of the custom-house proper. A list of articles permitted to be stored and the charges for their storage is appended herewith.® Nothing can be removed from the bonded section except in the presence of the inspector designated to assess duties and supervise the removal of merchandise. The two warehouses in which the State allows merchandise in transit in bond to be stored are very old buildings, situated on the water front and having piers extending out sufficiently to allow lighters and small craft to go alongside. According to the State regulations a warehouse to be bonded must make a petition to and be recognized as such by the State treasury. There is further required the entry in a book of the number, weight, and marks of all merchandise entering and departing from the warehouse. This book has been paged and initialed by an official appointed for such service. The State levies a tax on all exports, and in order that merchandise ­ originating in other States and coming here in transit for shipment ­ shall be tree from this tax it is necessary that documents from the point of origin showing quantity, weight, and marks be presented ­ ; that the merchandise be stored in one of these two warehouses ­ until ready for shipment, and that an inspector of the State custom-house verify the merchandise at the warehouse at the time of embarkation. About the only articles that come to Bahia in bond for export are rubber, hides, and skins. These are simply stored until ready for shipment, as any manipulation whereby quality is improved would subject the merchandise to the State tax collected on “ products of other States benefited while in Bahia.” There is no separate portion in these warehouses for merchandise in transit, which in reality is not bonded and does not need to be, as it can not leave here until it has either paid duty or passed State inspection, though I understand that the law is to be amended so as to require separate compartments and guards for such merchandise. It is impossible to ascertain the cost of the Federal warehouse, which is the newest; the others are very old, have been added to or altered from time to time, and most of them would need to be almost rebuilt to be put in first-class condition. It is impossible also to form any idea of the receipts and expenditures, as the warehouses are operated ­ by private concerns which would refuse to divulge their business. All nationalities are treated alike in these warehouses, and in the State warehouses the American firms, who are the largest exporters of transit merchandise (hides, skins, and rubber), fare like the rest. II. W. Fukniss, Consul. Bahia, Brazil, August 26, 1904. SANTOS. (From United States Consul Johnson, Santos, Tira~il.) There are no warehouses for storage of merchandise in transit or in bond at this port. All goods imported at Santos pass from the « On file in the Bureau of Statistics. Department of Commerce and Labor. BRITISH GUIANA. 165 steamers through the dock company’s warehouses and thence through the hands of the custom-house officials, and are stored either in the dock company’s warehouses or in the custom-house (except very heavy machinery) until the consignee takes charge of them. The facilities for transport of goods from and to steamers are excellent—twelve large warehouses, plenty of cranes, more than a mile of tine docks, and all modern and up-to-date conveniences. A steamer can discharge on an average HOG to 500 tons in an ordinary working day—say, working two hatches. Coffee, which embraces more than nine-tenths of all the exports from this port and which is put on board by manual labor from the carts in the street, can be loaded at the rate of more than 1,000 tons a day. It is difficult to ascertain charges on goods loaded or Unloaded. The steamers pay the dock company 2.50 milreis« (62 cents) per ton of cargo discharged and 700 reis per running meter (89.37 inches) per day for wharfage. Then, also, the goods pay custom-house warehousing, for packages weighing 50 kilos (110.2 pounds) or less, 200 reis (4.96 cents) each, and 100 reis for each additional 10 kilos (22 pounds). This port is regarded as very expensive for steamers. J. II. Johnson, Consul. Santos, Brazil, August 8,1904. BRITISH GUIANA. (From United States Consul Moulton, Georgetown, British Guiana.) The colonial bonded warehouse at this port is owned and conducted ­ by the Government, and the bonded receiving stores and private bonded warehouses by local merchants. Local government officials are unable to state even approximately the dimensions and original cost of the buildings, which cover a large area of quay. The Government bonded warehouse contains 51,043 superficial feet of storage space and has an upper and a lower story. In the upper fiat are stored all imported wines and spirits in cases or casks. The lower floor is used for imported general merchandise, including hogsheads of leaf tobacco, and for casks of rum of local origin. Transit packages are rarely put into this building, being kept in receiving bonded warehouses to save cost of shifting packages as well as Government charges for storage rent and porterage. Goods are, however, withdrawn from this warehouse for shipment elsewhere, under bond, without being subject to any duty or other charge except for storage rent and porterage. Goods are allowed to remain in this warehouse for an unlimited period, provided that owners pay quarterly ­ rent regularly. In default of this the goods are sold at public auction for the amount of the rent, purchasers to pay duties and porterage upon removing their goods. Patrons are allowed ten days’ free storage and exemption from charges for receiving and subsequent delivery of all goods to their «According to the Report of the United States Director of the Mint, the value of the Brazilian milreis (gold) was r>4.0 cents on July 1, 1004. The value used by the consul was evidently that of the paper milreis, the currency generally in use, at the time—24.8 cents. 166 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. stores, including cooperage and cartage. When goods are not removed after the expiration of ten days then the charge for storage is 5 cents per month or fraction thereof per barrel, and other packages, ­ according to size, from 12 to 24 cents; for very small packages from 1 cent upward. At private bonded warehouses the limit allowed by the Government for goods of all kinds to remain in receiving bond is fourteen days; compulsory removal then takes place to the Government warehouse, except in case of goods in transit. The principal classes of goods stored in the bonded receiving stores are barrels and bags of flour, beef, pork, cotton-seed oil, kerosene oil in cases, casks of lard oil, provisions of various kinds, bags of rice, dholl, ghee, mustard oil, and general merchandise from various countries. ­ Merchandise is removed direct from steamers moored to quays attached to bonded stores free of cost to patrons. The cost of such transportation is unobtainable. Customs officers watch all goods landed from steamers and see that they are deposited in the bonded warehouses where the steamers discharge. ­ Other customs officers in charge of warehouses check delivery ­ along with agents’ clerks. These receiving warehouses are under the entire control of the customs department and under customs lock at the end of each day, and access can not be had except in the presence ­ of a customs officer. The average annual receipts of the colonial bonded warehouse are $10,048; expenditures for labor, $1,634. Such information regarding service of private warehouses is unobtainable. There are no American merchants doing business in this colony, but goods from the United States are stored in large quantities for local consumption, for export under bond, and for transshipment. The majority of the receiving bonds are used largely for storing American products. All nationalities are treated alike in the administration ­ of warehouses. Geo. H. Moulton, Consul. Georgetown, British Guiana, July 18, 190J^. ECUADOR. (From United States Consul-General Dietrich, Guayaquil, Ecuador.) In this country merchandise in transit or in bond can only be stored in the various custom-houses of the Government. There are no warehouses where such can be stored for a rental. All goods imported into this port are loaded from the steamers into large launches, and these are unloaded at the Government wharf and then carried by a small narrow-gauge railway to the custom-house, a corrugated-iron building occupying about two blocks and distant about one-half mile from the wharf. Wharfage charged on general merchandise is 6 per cent of the value of the duty paid by such merchandise, and $1 per ton, weight or measurement, ­ for handling from wharf to custom-house and delivery to the merchants. All goods, except those that are of a perishable nature, must be PERU. 167 dispatched from the custom-house within one year; after that the Government has the right to sell them to cover duties. Perishable f oods must be dispatched within thirty days from time of entry. nflammable goods are stored in an iron warehouse belonging to the Government, outside of the city. General merchandise in the custom-house pays 1 cent gold per cubic foot per month or fraction of a month. Lead, iron, and other metals pay 2| cents gold per 50 kilos (110.2 pounds) per month or fraction thereof. Goods from all countries are treated exactly alike and can be reshipped out of the country in bond. Herman R. Dietrich, Consul-General. Guayaquil, Ecuador, July 7,1904. PARAGUAY. (From United States Consul Ruffin, Asuncion, Paraguay.) There are as yet no warehouses for storage at Asuncion, but some are about to be built, which when completed will be the property of the Government. All goods are at present stored at the customhouse ­ deposit. The charge for disembarking and reembarking goods deposited for reshipment is 2 cents gold each 10 kilos (22 pounds) and onehalf per cent ad valorem is charged monthly for storage; besides this there is an extra charge of 50 cents gold per $1,000 value, which goes to support the statistical staff. The value of goods stored last year amounted to $493,761. Thus $2,468.80 was collected for duty on goods in transit. No record has been kept of the class of goods chiefly stored. Americans make little use of this store, as there are but few Americans ­ here. Goods are allowed to remain four days in bond without payment, but the above-mentioned one-half per cent is charged for each month or fraction of a month beyond four days. For facilitating the removal of goods from boat to warehouse and vice versa there are winches and wharves, but when goods are in transit they are usually transshipped out in the river from one boat to another. All such operations are performed under the supervision ­ of customs officials. John N. Ruffin, Consul. Asuncion, Paraguay, July 26, 190b. PERU. (From, United States Consul Gottschalk, Callao, Peru.) There are no bonded warehouses in Peru exclusively devoted to the storage of goods in transit or for reshipment. The general practice of the custom-house is to receive and store all goods in warehouses provided for the purpose. The consignee has five days in which to 168 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. claim his goods ; after that time he is fined. Goods received “ to order ” may, however, remain in the custom-houses for a period not exceeding one year. When they are withdrawn for introduction into the country the fees fpr storage are computed at a rate of 3 centavos per silver sol (1.46 cents per 48.7 cents) of duties payable on the consignment, ­ and must be paid before delivery of the goods. "When merchandise is intended for reshipment or reexportation, however, I am assured by the authorities that no charge whatever is made for storage during the first year of their stay in the warehouses; ­ after that period they are subject to a monthly charge of 1 centavo per 10 soles (.0049 cent per $4.87) of such duties as might be chargeable on the consignment were it intended for importation into the country. Fractions of months are considered as months in assessing ­ charges. A. L. M. Gottschalk, Consul. Callao, Peru, August 9,190 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. , 169 170 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Government locks are put on the doors. All the government holds is a bond for the payment of duty and charges. Licenses are granted only to persons of such substance that any liability incurred by them could be enforced. Salt and petroleum are in the custody of customs officers. It. F. Patterson, Consul-General. Calcutta, British India, August 11,1904. BOMBAY. (From United States Vice-Consul Dodge, Bombay, India.) There are two kinds of warehouses in Bombay, transit and bonded, the former corresponding most nearly to our idea of bonded warehouses. ­ They are owned and were built by the Bombay Port Trust, but are under the supervision of the customs. The only bonded warehouses are in the center of the business portion of the city, and goods have to be carted between them and the docks, a distance of about a mile and a half, at the expense of the owner, who also pays a fee of 1 rupee (32 cents) to the customs official who must accompany ­ them. The new transit and bonded warehouses are situated in the Princes’ Docks, and are of much later construction. The warehouses are generally used for goods awaiting transshipment ­ to the Persian Gulf, African ports, and the East, and usually but brief periods elapse between shipments. A considerable quantity of merchandise lies in bond here awaiting orders to be sent into the interior of India. Large quantities of goods also come from Persia, Arabia, and East Africa, awaiting transshipment to Continental ­ ports. The service is trustworthy and the warehouses are clean and well kept. Little or no use is made of the Warehouses at Bombay by American firms, though all nations are treated exactly alike. The transfer of goods to the warehouses at the docks is generally accomplished by coolie or bullock cart, as the distance is only a few hundred yards. The cost of transportation is borne by the owner. In transferring to the bonded warehouses in Apollo street in the city bullock carts are used, at the cost of about 25 cents a trip. The scale of charges for goods in both warehouses is the same, and a detailed list is herewith given : Storage charges at Bombay. Alum Beef and pork. Canvas Cardamons Cement Coffee Copperas.. Cotton Ginger, dry... Goods. Removing and storing ­ charges. Rent per week or portion of. ton.. (tierce .. I barrel.. /bale up to 12 cubic feet.. • (above 12 cubic feet hundredweight (112 lbs.).. ton.. ...................... .do.... do— pressed bale.. ton.. $0.16 .08 .06 .04 .06 .01 .16 .16 .16 .03 • .12 $0.03 Î :8 i BRITISH INDIA: BOMBAY. 171 Storage charges at Bombay—Continued. Goods. Removing and storing ­ charges. Rent per week or portion of. Grain ton.. Ground nuts do Gums do Gunnies - {ball: small" Machinery ton.. Iron, hoop, sheet, nail, rod do Iron bars and bundles do Copper and yellow metals, in cases do Copper and yellow metals, in bundles do Zinc sheets do Copper, zinc, spelter, tin, in tiles or sheet do Indigo do Mother-of-pearl do Myrobalans or gallnuts do Newspapers, old, in bales cubic foot.. Oil seeds ton.. Opium chest. . Paper in bales or cases package.. Paints ton.. Pepper do PWo mod« /bale below 15 cubic feet g /bale of 15 cubic feet and upward, per cubic foot.. Sandal and sapan wood ton.. Senna leaves do Shark fins and fish maws do Shawls package.. Sugar ton.. Spices, except cardamons do Tea chest.. Tin plates ton.. Turmeric do $0.10 .10 .16 .06 .04 .48 .16 .16 .20 .20 .16 .16 .16 :1S .01 .10 .08 .06 .16 .12 .04 .01 .16 .12 .16 .08 .12 .16 .02 .16 .12 $0.02 .02 .03 .02 .01 .16 .02 .02 .02 .03 .02 .02 .04 .04 g :S .01 .02 .03 .01 .01 .04 .03 .08 .08 .02 .02 .01 .02 .02 Twist nmi vnm /bale below 15 cubic feet y tbale of 15 cubic feet and upward, per cubic foot.. Wool pressed bale.. Unenumerated goods, if charged by weight ton.. English salt, bulk do .04 .01 .04 .16 .16 .01 .01 .01 .03 .03 Charges on hardware, cutlery, glassware, and earthenware are assessed according to the size of the package. The charge for hessians is the same as for canvas. Two cents per cart is charged for loading or unloading up to 200 pounds, and for packages up to same weight 3 cents. Above 200 pounds the rates are arranged with the traffic manager. The traffic manager has the option of allowing merchants to do their own loading and unloading of carts or of having the service performed by the Port Trust. The weighing of goods Is charged for at the raté of G cents per ton. Goods weighed and re stored by the warehouse ­ department pay one-half of the original removing and storing charges. Other regulations follow : Hazardous goods will be held to Include cotton (except in full pressed ironbound bales), vegetable fibers, and grasses of all kinds, rags, mungo, waste of all kinds, pitch, tar, rosin, turpentine, brimstone, saltpeter, nitrate of soda, nitroglycerin, gunpowder, fulminating powder, lampblack, tallow (including stearin candles), oils of all kinds, naphtha, camphine, liquid paraffin, petroleum ­ and its products, varnish, spirits of all kinds (not in bottles), rubber, gutta-percha, lucifer and percussion matches of all kinds, etc. These will not be received into the trustees’ warehouses. Goods are warehoused under “ warrant ” or without issue of warrant, according ­ to the desire of the warehousing party. Nonwarrant goods will be delivered in whole or in part on written delivery orders from the holders, and they may be transferred from any one depositor to another on a written authority from the original depositor, and in such cases a fresh receipt will be issued in the name of the transferee. Non war rant goods once transferred to another party will be delivered only upon delivery orders signed by the transferee, who can, however, also transfer to a third party, and so on, the last transferee being always considered the holder of the goods. When goods in the dock transit sheds are to be warehoused, the applicant must first settle all the dock, wharfage, and landing charges, and attach to his 172-warehouses IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. application the necessary customs documents. The receipt for dock charges paid must also he produced for inspection if required. Warrants for goods will only he issued provided that there is no lien for freight or other charges on the goods to be lodged, and provided that all Port 1 rust charges are first paid. Any subsequent charges must be paid by the holders of the warrants before the delivery of goods. Warrants are transferable ­ by indorsement, without production of the warrants to the trustees. Goods covered by a warrant can not be delivered without the production of the warrant. Proprietors of goods may pay rent and incidental charges on goods covered by warrant up to any desired date and have new warrants issued. Warrants will be made out for such quantities of goods as may be convenient to importers, provided that the lotting operations have been satisfactorily completed ­ beforehand. Should the delivery of all the goods covered by a warrant he directed and the goods not be removed within two days, a new warrant for the remainder of the goods, incurring rent from the date of return of the original warrant, must be taken out. When holders of warrants are desirous of assigning part contents without delivery, new documents may be obtained in exchange for the originals, duly indorsed, and this indorsement must especially direct the manner in which the contents are to he divided and state the names of the parties in whose favor the warrants are to he issued. Original warrants are charged for at the rate of 10 cents each, which includes cost of stamp. Other warrants, in lieu of those returned, cost 12 cents apiece, including stamp. When any alterations, such as repacking, are to he made, the warrants must be lodged and others representing the goods as repacked will he issued. In the event of warrants being lost or mislaid, duplicates will he issued on application, but an engagement by the owners and a substantial security, to indemnify the Port Trust in case of any claim being made on the original documents, must accompany the application. The loss of the warrants must also be advertised at least once in two English and two native local papers. No duplicate warrants will he issued until seven clear days from advertisement ­ of loss in the newspapers have elapsed. After duplicate warrants have been once issued the originals, if produced, will not be acted upon. A charge of 32 cents in addition to the cost of the stamp is made for every duplicate ­ warrant issued. Rents for all goods placed in the warehouses are per week, and part of a week is charged as a whole week. The rent commences from the date of application, and is charged for the entire quantity of goods specified in the application. When goods are transferred from one party to another, rent commences for a fresh week from the date of transfer ; no abatement of rent for any unexpired portion of a week will be made to the transferrer, the operation of transfer being considered a delivery. Goods placed in the warehouse remain at the risk and expense of the depositors until a receipt or warrant is granted. Goods once taken delivery of by owners under a clear receipt and not removed forthwith from the warehouse premises remain 'at the risk and expense of owners, no responsibility ­ being assumed by the trustees. Responsibility will only he admitted when damage or loss has been in consequence of want of proper care or attention on the part of the trustees. The warehouses are closed on Sundays and on general public holidays ordered by the government or the trustees. On other days warehouses are open to business from 7 a. m. to 5 p. m. The Prince’s Dock warehouses were commenced in January, 1880, and were completed by the end of the following; June. They cost a little more than 8 cents per cubic foot. Altogether they cover about 21 acres, and are six in number, each measuring 180 by 100 feet. In construction they are similar to the dock sheds, but are 5 feet higher, being 20 feet from the pavement to the under side of the tie beam. I inclose herewith elevation and plan of these warehouses.® Their cost when completed was about $98,192. The two-story warehouses intended for bonded and not transit a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. CEYLON. 173 goods are 156 by 100 feet, and are built on piles driven into the hard mor urn from 34 to 36 feet under the surface of the reclaimed ground. The construction is very strong, posts 12 inches square carrying beams 12 by 16 inches. There are no joists, but the planking is 5 inches thick and has iron tongues. This construction is somewhat more expensive than joist and ordinary planking, but it was put in with the intention of making the floor fireproof, as it would be almost impossible to burn through 5 solid inches of teak. Floors on this principle are now acknowledged to be the nearest approximation to fireproof that can be obtained at a moderate cost. The roof is of iron trusses, with corrugated sheets, on which are laid Mangalore tiles and 1-inch angle bars as battens. The doors and windows are entirely of iron, and there is an iron gallery at the level of the first floor, to be used in the event of fire or for the watchman ­ to scan the interior through eyeholes in the doors. Two large hydraulic lifts, which were originally intended for the Apollo bonded warehouses, are utilized in these warehouses. The cost of the block of two-storied warehouses was about $36,434. To provide an ample supply of water in the event of fire, a line of 5-inch pipes has been laid on the east and west sides of the warehouses. ­ The pipe on the east side is connected with the 6-inch tulsi pipe, which enters the dock at the south end, and that on the west side is connected with the dock hydraulic-pressure pipes, to be used in connection with that system. This insures a good supply of water under heavy pressure, and as the lines work independently of each other, a breakdown in one of them would not be a serious handicap. Henry T. Dodge, Vice and Acting Consul. Bombay, India, August 12, 190+ CEYLON. (From United Stute« Con«ul Moren, Colombo, C en Ion.) The customs warehouses of Colombo are owned by the local government ­ and are managed conjointly with the Ceylon Wharfage Company (Limited), to whom portions of them are leased. No portion ­ of them is specially allotted to cargo in transit, those most convenient ­ and available at the time being used for that purpose. Those used most were erected by the Dutch in the years 1704 and 1739, respectively. They were built mostly, of bricks brought from Holland, ­ and what they cost is not known. Merchandise of varied description is constantly passing in and out, the amount of which is not known, even approximately. It is the same with bonded goods. They may be stored at any time in the most convenient premises; and importers are also allowed to have, adjacent to their stores, their own bonded warehouses, subject to customs ­ control. Goods sometimes lie in bond two or more years, while others are removed in a few days. To estimate their quantity is impossible. ­ The charges on transit and bonded goods are fully set forth in the annexed copies a of ordinances 8 and 20 of 1898, and are supplemental «On tile in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 174 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. to the harbor dues, scheduled on folio 6 of Ceylon customs tariff of 1903, likewise herewith annexed. For further replies to queries in the Department circular, I inclose herewith a copy of a report by the collector of customs at Colombo, courteously furnished me by the local government. W. Mokev, Consul. Colombo, Ceylon, August 10, 1001¡.. Letter from collector of customs at Colombo, Ceylon. I have the honor to inclose a copy of the Ceylon customs tariff « in which the rates for rent and dues for goods in bond or transit, respectively, are given. The bonded warehouses are in charge of the bonded warehouse keeper and lockers, and the transit warehouses of landing waiters. I have no information as to the cost, nor can I give the dimensions of the various warehouses. The transit warehouses are owned by the government, and the bonded warehouses are either leased to the wharfage company or owned by private parties. A very large variety of goods are stored from time to time. Americans make very little use of the bonded or transit stores. Goods remain in bond for from a few days to a year or more. All nations are treated alike. I can not give the cost of removal from boat to bond. Every package is carefully checked into bond or transit warehouses, as the case may be, and can only be removed on duly perfected documents being submitted. ­ W. H. Jackson, Principal Collector of Customs. CHINA. AMOY. (From United States Consul Fcsler, Amoy, China.) There are no bonded warehouses in this port for public use. Large quantities of tea are shipped here from Formosa to bo matted and marked for reexportation to the United States and England. Each tea firm has its own warehouse for the storage of this tea. At the beginning of the tea season each year each firm gives the customs a bond, agreeing to reexport, within two years of the time of importation, all tea so imported, or to pay the import dues at the end of that time on such part of the tea as has not been reexported. ­ The goods are then free from customs supervision, except for the necessary permit for reexportation at the time of reshipment. The duties on other importations are paid at the time of arrival, or the goods are kept in the customs warehouse until the amount due is paid. The following is the schedule of customs fees: FEES FOR STORAGE IN CUSTOMS GODOWN. 1. On goods stored but cleared off customs premises in twenty-four hours— no fee. 2. On goods stored from Saturday night till Monday, but cleared during working hours on the last-named day—10 cents per package. 3. On goods stored for a portion of a week—15 cents per package. 4. On goods stored for a whole week or longer—5 cents per day per package. 5. Goods can not be stored for a longer period than thirty days. John H. Fesler, Consul. Amoy, China, August 4, 190£. a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. JAPAN: YOKOHAMA. 175 FUCHAU. (From United States Consul Gracey, Fuchau, China.) T have made inquiries regarding warehouses for storage of merchandise ­ in transit or in bond, and find that there are no such warehouses ­ situated at the ports within this consular district. I am informed by the commissioner of customs at this port that there is such a warehouse in Shanghai, where the China Merchants’ Steam Navigation Company’s god owns are so used, but that these are the only buildings in China where goods can be stored in transit or in bond. Samuel L. Gracey, Consul. Fuchau, China, Avgust 4, 1004. JAPAN. YOKOHAMA. (From United States Consul-General Bellows, Yokohama, Japan.) The customs warehouse at Yokohama consists of five brick buildings, ­ which together cover an area of 25,236 square feet. Their original ­ cost was $32,600. The warehouse was built in 1880-1883 by the Government, and is still owned and operated by the Government. Resident agents and branch firms of most foreign shippers and large Japanese importers usually take delivery of imported goods immediately ­ upon their arrival, and the Yokohama customs warehouse has not been used to its full capacity for some years. The warehouse stands by the customs landing place, adjoining the main customs office. The scale of charges for storage is as follows: Per month per cubic foot: Precious articles, one-half per cent ad valorem; silk and silk goods, 3 to 6 cents; drugs and explosives, 6 to 10 cents; other articles, one-half to 2 cents. All the receipts are credited to the national treasury, which defrays all expenditures, and the officers in charge are not permitted to state what these amount to. Cotton and woolen goods, sugar, bicycles, liquors, and provisions are the chief classes of goods stored. Almost all the American importers ­ and exporters own godowns, and therefore make little use of the customs warehouse. All nationalities are treated alike. Goods usually remain in bond about a month. They are not permitted ­ to remain in bond longer than eighteen months. If not removed ­ after due notice at the end of that period the goods are sold at auction by order of the customs authorities. Every modern facility for storing and removing the goods is provided. ­ Lifting machines stand in front of the landing place near the inspection office, and this is connected with the warehouse by rail. The customs authorities detail officers to supervise the labor of the coolies, who are specially selected for work in the warehouse. There is one private bonded warehouse at Kanagawa, but informa- 176 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. tion concerning its management can not be procured without incurring ­ expense. E. C. Bellows, G'onsul-General. Yokohama, Japan, July 28,190^. KOBE. (From United States Vice-Consul Sharp, Kobe, Japan.) The warehouses at this port have a total area of 0,411 square yards, and are in 21 structures. Information regarding the original cost of the structures can not be obtained. They are all of brick, with wooden floorings, except those owned and conducted by the Government, ­ which are floored with cement. The warehouses are owned and conducted as follow BONDEI) WAREHOUSES. (a) Owned and conducted by the Government—one structure, covering 284 square yards. (ft) Owned and conducted by the Kobe Pier Company—three structures, covering 1,379 square yards. (c) Owned and conducted by the Tokyo Warehouse Company—eight structures, ­ covering 1,947 square yards. ((I) Owned and conducted by the Mitsui Bussan Kaisha—two structures, covering 316 square yards. CUSTOMS WAREHOUSES (NOT BONDED). (a) For imports—two structures, covering 636 square yards. (ft) For exports—five structures, covering 1,849 square yards. The dimensions and number of warehouses in use may be increased or diminished after obtaining the sanction of the minister of finance. When merchandise in transit or in bond is brought to a port, the steamship agent, acting in behalf of the consignor or consignee, as the case may be, generally appoints a stevedore, who, instructed by the steamship agent, performs all the necessary duties and exercises care over the merchandise in question, until it has been either cleared at the customs, stored in the bonded warehouse, or transshipped. ­ When it is necessary to have the merchandise stored in the bonded warehouse, a general routine at the customs is gone through by the stevedore, the warehouse having no particular service to render but to receive at the door and store the merchandise, and to issue the warrant therefor. In instances of transshipment the stevedore often obtains special permission from the customs to hold the merchandise without having it taken to the customs warehouse, or without storing in the bonded warehouse, when the date of sailing of the connecting vessel for transshipment is definitely known, even though it be for several days longer than the seventy-two hours from the time of the first landing which is the limit of free reserve fixed by the Government. For scales of charges for storage, I refer to the following inclosures : a Customs table of charges; tariff of storage charges of a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, where they may be consulted by persons interested. JAPAN: KOBE. 177 the customs bonded warehouse; Kobe Pier Company’s tariff of storage ­ charges, from page 12 (to show the charges sanctioned by the Government to the private bonded warehouses). The first mentioned ­ is the scale of charges to be levied by the customs for the keeping of the goods at the risk and expense of the owner or other persons concerned, when such goods sent to the customs for shipment or landed are not, within seventy-two hours after being sent or landed, either shipped, removed, dispatched, or placed in a bonded warehouse, and are therefore eventually stored by the customs. These charges are generally considered prohibitive. Information relative to receipts and expenditures on account of service is not obtainable. The classes of merchandise chiefly stored in bonded warehouses are sugar, flour, woolen and piece goods, etc. Those chiefly taken into the customs warehouse (not bonded) in transit, etc., are machinery, provisions, hardware, furniture, etc. Although the length of time goods remain in bond varies materially according to the state of the commercial market, during the year the average time goods remained in bonded warehouses is found to be about one month. Goods remaining either on the customs compound or in the customs warehouse varied from about two or three days to two weeks, and occasionally more than two weeks under some unfavorable ­ circumstances while transshipping, etc. So far Americans have made use of the bonded warehouses to a very limited extent, the China and Japan Trading Company (Limited) ­ being the only firm which has, and its entries have been of small quantity and very rare. The greater portion of the merchandise, however, taken into the customs warehouse is found to be of American ­ produce, and therefore it may be assumed that the Americans are making great use of this warehouse. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses. The removal of goods is done by lighters from the steamer to the shore, thence by carts or trucks to the warehouses, and vice versa. As all the warehouses are in close proximity to the shore, the distance to be covered by such drayage is very short. The cost of such removal may be divided into three parts, as follows: (a) Charges for landing or shipping; (5) . charges for cartage or truckage; (c) charges for handling at warehouses. For charges (a) see “ Rates of landing and shipping charges bv the Kobe Pier Company,” inclosed.® The charges (Ò) can only be fixed at the time of undertaking. The handling charges are about 1 to 5 cents per case or bale, or 1 cent per picul of 133£ pounds, according to the nature of the goods. These charges apply to either storing or discharging the goods from the warehouses. For goods requiring special care or demanding extra cooly hire, an extra charge may be made. The care and supervision to be exercised by the customs authorities over the warehouses are provided in the law relating to the bonded warehouses (see below b ) and executive regulations under the law. Every movement on the part of the private bonded warehouses is « On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. »Copy of the law also forwarded by Consul Harris at Nagasaki, 18762-05 M 12 178 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. strictly guarded by the customs administration, which has its officials stationed on the premises. Storage of goods in, and delivery of goods from, the private bonded warehouses are done only by the coolies acting with the sanction of the customs. The private bonded warehouses can receive and store only articles approved by the minister ­ of finance. The goods being placed in the bonded warehouses must be deposited in a particular quarter of the warehouse selected by a customs official. No changes in the quarter so selected can be effected without official sanction. The proprietor of a private bonded warehouse must, by the instruction of the customs, select the ground and provide the necessary means for the inspection of the goods. The doors of the private warehouse must be fastened with double locks, the customs retaining one of the keys and the other remaining in the custody of the warehouse owner. Every removal of goods to or from the warehouses must be done only in the presence of the customs ­ officials. Any repairs, changes, or alterations of the construction ­ or changes of floor spaces to be made may be effected only after official sanction, and upon completion the work must at once be inspected ­ by customs officers. In instances of discovery of any unusual occurrence to the warehouses or their contents, the customs must at once be notified and an inspection applied for. In case the goods are lost or stolen, the proprietor of the warehouse is responsible for the customs duties thereon. As to the party responsible for the goods so lost or stolen, see Article XX, Chapter III, of the warehouse law. Hunter Sharp, Vice-Consul in Charge. Kobe, Japan, November 26,190If. LAW RELATING TO BONDED WAREHOUSES IN JAPAN. [Law No. 105, March 29, 1897.] Chapter I.—General rules. Article I. Bonded warehouses are the places where imported goods are to he deposited without paying customs duty. Art. II. While the goods remain in the bond, they are not considered to have been imported for consumption. Art. III. For the goods in bond, customs duty shall he payable upon their quality and quantity at the time of admission into the warehouse. Art. IV. Goods to be conveyed to or to be transported from the warehouse shall follow the route indicated by a special order from the authorities. Art. V. Classification of merchandise which may be allowed to be deposited in bond will be determined by a special order of the minister in charge. Art. VI. Bonding of imported.goods shall be subjected, besides the present law, to the rules and regulations of the imperial customs. Art. VII. The goods deposited in the bonded warehouse shall not remain Hierein a longer term than one year. Art. VIII. In case of removal of goods from a bonded warehouse to another, the time of their term shall be reckoned from the date of their first warehousing entry. Art. IX. In case of transport of bonded goods, the owner may be ordered to deposit with the authorities the amount of money corresponding to the duties payable upon such goods. In case of such goods not reaching their destination within a year from the date of landing, customs duties will be levied upon the same. JAPAN: KOBE. 179 Chapter II.—Government bonded warehouse. Art. X. A warrant will be issued against the dei>osit of goods in the Government bonded warehouse. Art. XI. The warrant referred to in the preceding article may be transferable ­ by indorsement. Abt. XII. In the event of the loss of a warrant a notice must be given to the proper authority. A fresh document will be issued after the last warrant has been declared null and void by the court, upon the application of the owner, according to the procedure of civil law. Art. XIII. If anyone brings the warrant for which the notice of loss has been given according to the preceding article, the authorities, pending the determination of the legal ownership thereof between the bearer and the former possessor who gave notice of its loss, shall stop delivery of the goods in question. Art. XIV. No delivery of goods shall take place without the production of the warrant. Art. XV. In the event of disputes respecting the right of ownership of the goods, the delay of storage of the same for a further period may be granted upon application. Art. XVI. If the goods should not be cleared within the period of one year or within such extension of it especially granted by the authorities, the latter will give notice by advertisement that such goods are unclaimed, stating their nature, quantity, number, and marks. If from the date of this notice no claim be made within six months, the authorities will proceed to the sale of the goods by public auction. All duties, charges due upon the goods, together with the expenses of the sale and notification of the same, will be paid out of the proceeds, and balance, if any, will be refunded to the party or parties to whom the goods belong. Art. XVII. In the event of any article placed In the bonded warehouses becoming putrid or otherwise offensive, notice will be given by the authorities to the owner ordering the removal of the same within a certain period. If within the period of such notice the same be not taken away, the authorities will order to destroy the same. In case of urgent necessity, the latter may do so before the expiration of the term stated in the notice. For the goods destroyed ­ no customs duties will be levied. Chapter III.—Private bonded warehouse. Art. XVIII. The Government may authorize bonded warehouse by private undertaking. Art. XIX. Specially authorized private bonded warehouses are under the supervision of the authorities. Art. XX. The proprietors of private bonded warehouses shall have to guarantee the payment of customs duties on the goods stored therein ; they are responsible for safe custody of the same, and also for the loss or damages of the goods either through convulsion of the elements or any other causes. Art. XXI. They shall also deposit with the authorities a sum of money or Government bonds, the amount of which will be determined by the Government, as a guarantee for the payment of customs duties. Art. XXII. No goods belonging to its proprietor can be stored in a private bonded warehouse. Art. XXIII. The goods stored in private bonded warehouses are not allowed to remain therein for a longer term than one year. If they should not be cleared within that period the authorities will order to pay customs duties. Art. XXIV. Internal regulations of private bonded warehouses, as well as scale of warehouse charges, must receive previous approval of the authorities. Art. XXV. At any time and place the Government officers may inspect goods in custody of private bonded warehouses, and examine books and documents ­ relating to their transactions. The goods in transit shall also be subject to this rule. Art. XXVI. The special authorization for keeping a private bonded warehouse ­ shall come to an end in one of the following cases: 1. When a private bonded warehouse will cease to exist. 2. At the death of Its proprietor. 3. When the proprietor or company shall be declared bankrupt. 4. At the expiration of the term of the special authorization. 5. When the special authorization will be withdrawn by the Government 180 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Art. XXVII. When in either of the above cases private bonded warehouses come to an end the authorities will give public notice to the owners of the goods in bond, the latter shall then he required to take delivery of the goods within certain period determined by the authorities, unless and provided that there be a successor who desires to take over the business of the said private bonded warehouse within a month. If the goods should not be cleared within such a time as notified by the authorities, they will be removed by the authorities at the expense of owners either to the Government bonded warehouse or to another private bonded warehouses. Art. XXVIII. The proprietor of private bonded warehouse for which the license has expired shall still be liable to any consequences until the goods shall be cleared. Art. XXIX. In the case stated in Article XXVII, owners of goods which have been removed by the authorities to any other bonded warehouse shall be required to observe all the rules and regulations relating thereto. Art. XXX. The authorization to keep private bonded warehouses (shall be withdrawn by the authorities in one of the following cases : 1. When a private bonded warehouse infringes laws, regulations, and special instructions relating thereto. 2. When there exists doubt as to the solidity of proprietors security of paying customs duties. 3. When he is convicted of a crime. Chapter IV.—Penalties. Art. XXXI. No bonded goods can be removed from the warehouse without the permission of the authorities; in case of infringement of this article, the goods will be confiscated to the Government. In the event of the goods being already transferred or consumed, the offender shall be liable to a fine equal to the value of the goods. Art. XXXII. In case of infringement of Article IV of the present law, the offender shall be liable to the same penalty. No goods can be deposited into a bonded warehouse without permission of the authorities; the offender shall be liable to a fine of not less than 3 [$1.49] and not exceeding 30 yen [$14.94]. Art. XXXIII. In case of enforcing the scale of warehousing charges and the regulations relating to safe custody of goods without the previous approval of the authorities, the offender shall be liable to a fine of not less than 5 [$2.49] and not exceeding 50 yen [$24.90]. Art. XXXIV. In case of infringement of Article XXII, the offender shall be liable to the same penalty. Any one who refuses, obstructs, or attempts to avoid the examination of the goods, books, or documents relating to the goods bonded in a private warehouse, by the officers authorized to do so, according to Article XXV, shall be liable to a fine of not less than 2 yen [99.6 cents] and not exceeding 20 yen [$9.96]. If such offense be punishable by the criminal code, the case shall be dealt with accordingly. NAGASAKI. (From United States Consul Harris, Nagasaki, Japan.) There are at the port of Nagasaki bonded and temporary warehouses ­ from which goods may be withdrawn for shipment without the payment of customs duty. The area of the bonded warehouses is 9,030 square feet and the cost of construction $6,053. The area of the temporary warehouses is 20,010 square feet, and their cost 820,941. The warehouses were built and are owned and conducted by the Japanese Government. There are no private bonded warehouses ­ at present in this port. From a patron’s view, the service has been good ; in fact, all that can reasonably be desired. As to the services rendered by the administration, I refer to the " Guide Book of Customs Temporary JAPAN: FORMOSA. 181 and Bonded Warehouses, Nagasaki,” herewith transmitted. 0 For scale of charges for storage, I refer to pages 14 to 34, inclusive, in the same inclosure. The receipts from service for the four years last past were as follows: Receipts from customs warehouses. Bonded warehouse. ­ Temporary ­ ware house. Total. S;8 1,171 850 $2,718 6,109 1,822 2,078 4,522 12,727 $3,753 7,575 2,993 2,928 17,249 Year. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903-Total. I am unable to report the cost of operating the warehouses, as such expenses, I am informed, are included in the current expenses of the customs service. The classes of goods chiefly stored in the bonded warehouses are flour, comestibles, spirituous liquors, shirtings, iron nails, rod steel, etc., and in the temporary warehouses rice, Italian millet, nails, rod steel, sheet and plate iron, galvanized iron, spirituous ­ liquors, marine products, etc. I am informed that the average length of time goods remain in bonded warehouses is five months, and in temporary warehouses two months. I am unable to state to what extent Americans make use of the warehouses without a minute inspection of the custom-house records, but it is a fact that they patronize them quite freely. All nationalities are treated exactly alike. No complaints of discrimination ­ on account of nationality have come to my notice, and I believe there has been none. Transfer of cargo between ship and landing is by lighter, the shifting ­ of heavy and bulky cargo from lighter to landing is by crane, and goods are conveyed from the landing to the warehouses by coolies, or in carts or jinrikishas pulled by coolies. For cost of landing and shipping I refer to the detailed statements herewith inclosed.“ The warehouses under consideration are mostly in the customs yard and a short distance from the landing place. Every precaution possible ­ is taken by the customs officials that cargo be handled carefully and with dispatch. Damages to packing in landing are minutely investigated, and those causing the damage are punished either by reprimand, fine, or discharge. No person is admitted to the customs warehouses or to the yards in which the warehouses are located unless accompanied by a customs official. Charles B. Harris, Consul. Nagasaki, Japan, September 15, 1,904-FORMOSA. (From United States Consul Fisher, Tamsui, Formosa.) In order that foreign goods arriving at any of the ports in this consular district may be transshipped to a foreign port without the a On file in tiie Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 182 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. payment of import duty, they must be so declared at the time of their arrival. Goods once declared for importation can not be transshipped ­ to a foreign port without the payment of duty, and no rebate is allowed on reexported goods on which duty has been paid. The customs regulations provide that at ports where there are no customs warehouses, if goods for importation or exportation are not removed within seventy-two hours after their arrival at the customs sheds, the customs authorities may arrange for their storage in private ­ warehouses at the risk and expense of the parties concerned. Under this provision arrangements have been made with Messrs. Samuel Samuel & Co. for such storage in their warehouses at the ports of Tamsui and Killing. This company has four brick warehouses ­ at the first-named port, in which can be stored about 2,000 tons of cargo at one time. When goods are placed in these warehouses by the customs authorities they take possession of the keys. At these ports the cost of removing goods from ship to warehouses, and vice versa, varies with different classes of goods from 35 cents for ordinary ­ goods to $1.20 United States currency per ton for machinery and heavy pieces. The bar at the mouth of the Tamsui River will not permit vessels of deeper draft than 13 feet to enter the harbor. There are limited pier accommodations at that port. At Kilung a temporary pier has been constructed for the accommodation of vessels ­ of not more than 4,000 gross tons. When these piers are used the cost of removal is reduced to from 10 to 40 cents United States currency per ton. At the port of Anping, in addition to their sheds, the customs have two storing rooms with a capacity of 075 tons each. As the anchorage ­ at that port is about 2£ miles from the shore the cost of removing goods from ship to storing room, and vice versa, is increased to from 00 cents to $1.75 United States currency per ton. There is one customs storing room at the port of Takao with a capacity of 450 tons. The anchorage is about 1 mile from shore and the cost of removal is from 55 cents to $1.50 United States currency per ton. At all the ports goods are removed by lighters and cooly labor. The charge per day for storage, whether in the customs rooms or in private warehouses, is computed on the following scale in United States currency: Packed goods, 1£ cents per cubic foot; unpacked goods, 1| cents per cubic foot or 133 pounds; explosives, 24 cents per cubic foot or 133 pounds; precious goods, 0.001 ad valorem. All nations are treated exactly alike in the storage of goods by the customs authorities. Americans do not make use of these storage facilities to any great extent. Fred D. Fisher, Consul. Tamsui, Formosa, Avgust 00,190J t . JAVA. (From, United States Consul Rairden, Batavia, Java.) The Government warehouses at Tandjong Priok (Batavia new harbor) are from 400 to 600 feet long and about 60 feet broad. These warehouses extend the entire length of the quay—about 3,000 feet. JAVA. 183 The warehouses face the quay, and at the back are the Government railway lines. Both at the front and at the back are uninclosed sheds, roofed with zinc, to protect the goods which are being removed from the warehouses. These warehouses are built entirely of zinc, with steel framework, and are on high cement foundations. As they are Government buildings, I am unable to ascertain their original ­ cost. They are owned and conducted entirely by the Netherlands Indian Government. The service is complete and satisfactory to the patrons. The warehouses ­ are in charge of European storekeepers, who render every assistance to owners of goods. They are open from 7 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon, during which time goods can be removed or stored. Scale of charges per cubic meter (35.314 cubic feet) for storage is as follows for goods in transit or in bond : For hazardous goods, 2J cents per day; for petroleum (the importers ­ of petroleum have their own petroleum warehouses and seldom make use of the Government stores), 14 cents per day; for gambler, hides, indigo, coffee, sugar, tobacco, and tea, 1^ cents per day; for all other goods, 1cents per day. Days of storing and removing goods both count as full days. As the stores belong to the Government, I am unable to give the receipts and expenditures on account of the service, but I am informed that the receipts are but little more than the expenditures. General merchandise and produce are stored, the latter being stored from coastwise steamers awaiting shipment. As there is only one American import firm here, the Standard Oil Company, and as its goods are stored in its own petroleum stores, it may be said that Americans do not make use of the Government stores at all. There is no distinction made as to nationality, and all receive fair treatment ­ alike. When goods are landed, the owners may leave them in the Government ­ stores for eight days, after which time duty must be paid and goods removed by owners, or the goods must be placed in bonded stores. When owners of goods can not be found, and the eight days have expired, the unclaimed goods are placed in the bonded stores, and after one year has expired without the goods being claimed they are advertised one month in the Government Gazette and then sold at public auction, the proceeds of the sale going toward paying store rent. Owners of bonded goods may keep their goods in the Government ­ stores for an indefinite period, provided there is sufficient room and the store rent is paid regularly. There is every facility for removing goods from boats to the warehouses, ­ and vice versa. Cooly labor, costing 20 cents per day, is employed ­ for loading and unloading steamers, which lie some 50 feet in front of the warehouses, and for loading and unloading the railway trucks which are drawn up at the back of the warehouses. Steam cranes, belonging to the Government (harbor department) are also used for loading and unloading vessels at the quay, at a cost of $14 per day (7 a. m. till 5 p. in.). The Government warehouses are in charge of the customs officials, and in addition to the European storekeeper there are also one or more custom-house officers on duty every day to report the amount of goods taken into or removed from the warehouses. This report 184 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. is rendered to the head customs official at Tandjong Priok every day, and he in turn renders a report to the comptroller of the customs. The warehouses are locked every afternoon by the storekeeper, and he must deliver keys to the custom-house officer who is in charge the following morning. The two lines of Dutch steamers trading between the Netherlands and Java have their own private stores for goods landed and intended ­ for shipment by their steamers. These warehouses, however, are under Government supervision. There is no charge for store rent. B. S. Rairden, Consul. Batavia, Java, August 15, 1905. PERSIA. (From United States Yice-Consul-Oeneral Tyler, Teheran, Persia.) Bonded warehouses, such as are found in the great commercial ports under our more refined conditions of trade, are unknown in Persia. Foreign goods reaching frontier by land or by sea, either for local consumption or for transport inland, aré released for distribution by the payment of the customs duty as soon as the means of transport ­ or porterage can be procured. Goods are not allowed to be sent in transit under bond to cities or towns in the interior, except ­ as a favor, when they are personal effects not intended for sale; and in such a case, in order to prevent a loss, a sum sufficient to cover the duty is,demanded at the port or frontier station, so that the only advantage to the owner is the avoidance of losses from repacking. In case of reshipment or retransfer to some other locality, ­ if the duty had been paid, it would be returned to the owner. Goods left in the warehouses or caravansary to await means of transport or other detail of business pay about a cent a day on each package and a trifle on the whole consignment to the keeper of the warehouse. The storage may be either in the open or under cover. Warehouses may be the property of the Government, of private individuals, or of shipping companies, not infrequently the latter, and in that case the Government has to pay a rental varying in amount according to the nature of the structure and the average rentals of the district. In the storage of goods all nationalities are treated alike in the matter of protection and cost; if difference is made it is rallier in favor of the foreigner. Gratuities are generally the most effective means of securing greater consideration in Persia. In the removal of goods from the ships to the shore, which is generally a distance of from 2 to 4 miles, the price is determined by the boatmen and the owner at the time, there being no scale of charges. It does not appear that the greatest supervisory care is exercised by the authorities over goods in the warehouse, but that is a question of detail depending largely upon the gratuities given to the men in charge. John Tyler, Vice-C'onsul-Goneral. Teheran, Persia, July 10, 1904. TURKEY TN ASÍA: TRERÎZOND. 185 TURKEY IN ASIA. SMYRNA. (From United States Consul Lane, Smyrna, Turkey in Asia.) There are no warehouses at Smyrna for goods in transit except the general custom-house. This building is approximately 450 feet long by 200 feet wide, and cost $150,000. It is owned and operated by the Turkish Government. At present goods in transit for other countries can be stored in the Smyrna custom-house free of charge for thirty days. After the expiration of these thirty days charges are made as follows: On packages weighing less than 566 kilograms (1,027 pounds), the charge on each package for each 113 kilos (249 pounds) or fraction thereof is 1.1 cents for the first week, 2.2 cents for the second, and 3.3 cents for the third week. Each package weighing over 566 kilos is charged 6.6 cents for the first week and 13.2 and 19.8 cents for the second and third weeks, respectively. After the third week all goods continue at the third-week rate until six months. After six months the goods are liable to be sold at auction. Because of a multitude of minor obstacles placed in the way of transit storage by the local authorities almost no advantage is taken of this privilege. Private arrangements can always be made with the officials to obtain preferential service. The Smyrna Quay Company generally takes charge of goods, using its lighter for removal from steamer to custom-house at about 40 cents per ton. The Liverpool steamship companies deliver goods to the custom-house free, charge being included in freight. Supervision is exceedingly lax, smuggling is carried on almost openly, and numerous thefts are reported. Rufus W. Lane, Consul. Smyrna, Turkey, July 11, 100\. TREBIZOND. (From United States Consul Sullivan, Trcbizond, Turkey in Asia.) The warehouses in use in this city are about 200 feet long by 100 feet wide and one story high; the cost of construction varies from $3,000 to $5,000. The warehouses are owned and conducted by the Government. No services are rendered by the administration of the warehouses. One week free storage is allowed for all goods intended for local consumption or for the interior and one month for goods in transit for Persia. For storage beyond those periods the charges per day for each package are as follows: 186 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES Stor-age charges in Trebizond warehouses. Weight of package (in kilos—2.2046 pounds each). Rates per day. First week. Second week. Third week. 1 to 113 114 to 226 227 to 339 340 to 452 453 to 565 565 and more Cents. 2 4 6 8 10 12 Cents. 3 6 9 12 15 18 The expense of storing goods and removing them from warehouses is borne by the merchant to whom they are consigned. The classes of goods stored include tea, coffee, sugar, flour, and hardware. Goods can not remain in warehouses longer than one year. No American merchant, so far as 1 am aware, makes use of these warehouses, ­ but all nationalities are treated alike by the administration. Goods are removed from the boats by the use of derrick cranes and thence carried to the warehouses on the backs of laborers. The cost is 6 cents for each package. The warehouses are taken care of by a special watchman, who is in the employ of the customs officials and whose duty it is to protect the goods. There are no facilities for fighting fire; goods can, however, ­ be insured in several insurance companies who have local representatives. Edward J. Sullivan, Consul. Trebizond, Turkey, July 7,1904. 187 AFRICA. ALGERIA. ALGIERS. (From United States Consul Kidder, Algiers, Algeria.) There are two kinds of warehouses in Algiers. Those of the first class are strictly under the control of the General Government and under the immediate supervision of the custom-house authorities; ­ they are located in the immense structure which forms the most conspicuous feature of the water front of Algiers. This structure, ­ which is about 4,000 feet long, was completed in 1800 and is under concession to an English company until 1904. Four inclined roads, called here “ rampes,” extend from the top to the bottom of the structure. At the sides of these roads or streets there are about 350 vaults and warehouses extending under the streets. These apartments ­ are rented according to dimensions and location for shipping offices, packing establishments, bottling factories, private storehouses, ­ and, according to the necessity for space, for Government storage in bond. The original cost of this great building was $2,500,000. It is impossible to give the cost of the portions used by the Government as warehouses, and the dimensions vary according to the exigencies of commerce. As no similar construction on so gigantic a scale exists in any other city, the illustrations will give a better understanding than a written description. The second kind of warehouses comprises those owned by the chamber of commerce, but these are used only for the storage of goods on which duty has been paid or goods which are not liable to duty—those coming from France, for example. The municipal government of Algiers has the concession for the renting of the warehouses, and they are conducted by the officers of the customs service. The custom-house has surveillance of all goods deposited in the warehouses, but the handling of the goods is done under the superintendence of the municipality. The annual receipts average $0,000, the expenditures $3,000. For about forty different articles there is a fixed tariff for storage, but the following list comprises the principal kinds of goods stored (rates quoted in cents per 100 kilos—220.40 pounds—per month) : Tobacco, ­ in hogsheads, 8 cents; in bales (leaf), 8 cents; manufactured, 12 cents; leaf, in boxes, 12 cents; raw sugar, 3 cents; sugar in boxes, 5 cents; coffee, 4 cents; preserved meats, 8 cents; oils for lubrication, 10 cents; tea, 10 cents; and cloves, 10 cents. The time during which goods remain in warehouses is so variable that it is impossible to state an average. There are no American importers in Algiers. 188 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. American goods stored are principally tobacco and salted meats.' All nationalities are treated exactly alike. Goods are taken to the warehouses at the expense of the importers. Wagons and workmen for the handling of goods are always to be found on the quays. As the warehouses are very near the wharves or quays, the cost is low. Goods are not received unless found in good condition. Any defective ­ baling must be remedied before goods are admitted. Petroleum ­ is excluded from these warehouses and must be stored outside the city with the authorization of the prefecture. Perishable goods can be handled in small parcels with the previous authorization of the custom-house. The custom-house formalities for goods in transit are the same as for goods intended for direct consumption. A special form is employed. The goods in the warehouses can be sold or transferred ­ to third parties without any formalities or special expense. At the expiration of the three years articles not withdrawn are sold and the duty paid. The net product of the sale is deposited in the treasury. Daniel S. Kidder, Consul. Algiers, Algeria, June 0,9,190If. BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA. CAPE TOWN. (From United States Consul-General Big ham, Cape Town, South Africa.) This city is amply supplied with warehouses, many of which are very old and some very large. A company having three bonded warehouses was not able to tell me the cost of construction. The government has extensive warehouses at the docks, but most goods are stored in private bonded warehouses, being taken directly there, as fast as discharged from vessels, by dray wagons belonging to the harbor board. After goods are hauled to the warehouses by teams they are unloaded ­ by coolies. The owner of the warehouse is under a heavy bond to take no goods out of the warehouse until the duty is paid, after which he handles them as he desires. The keys of the warehouses ­ are kept in most cases by the private owner. I am told in some cases the government has locks on the warehouse also. The price of storage varies, some paying from G pence (12 cents) to 10 pence (20 cents) per ton of 40 cubic feet per week. Unloading from wagons at the warehouses is done by coolies at an expense of 1 shilling (24 cents) per ton; when the goods are taken from the warehouse again the expense of loading on the wagons is 1 shilling per ton. This applies only to goods stored in warehouses where cold storage is not necessary. Perishable goods are all stored in private bonded warehouses, as the government owns no cold-storage chambers. The price for storage in such chambers varies according to the amount of merchandise and the time it remains in storage, but I am told that it will run from Gs. Gd. ($1.58) to 10s. ($2.43) per ton per week; some goods in small packages are charged for by the EGYPT. 189 case. Coal for the manufacture of ice (there is no natural ice) costs £2 10s. ($12.17) to £3 ($14.60) per ton, which accounts for cold storage ­ being very expensive. Statistics of receipts and expenditures on account of service are unavailable. All classes of goods are stored in bond to a great extent, and all perishable goods go into the cold-storage bonded warehouses. I am told that many American goods are stored the same as goods from other countries, but I can not find any statistics by which I could know the amount stored from each nation separately. The limit of time goods remain in bond is two years for ordinary goods, but I am told that an exception is made on very high-priced goods and the time is extended to three years. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses in the storage of goods. The facilities for the removal of goods from boat to warehouses and vice versa are ample; goods are moved by wagons and the cost is 4 shillings (97 cents) per ton for the team service, exclusive of cool y service, from the boat to the warehouse, if within 1£ miles of the docks; if goods are hauled a longer distance an additional charge is made; charges are the same for bringing goods to the docks from warehouses within miles. All shipments must be landed by a certain formality which requires the services of a landing agent. In the bill paid by the landing agent and charged to the consignee will be found numerous trifling charges for cooly service, dock rent, and dock dues, which generally amount, including the charges of the landing agent, to $3.75 or $4 for each shipment. This may cover half the cargo of a vessel, or it may cover only some small box or parcel weighing a few pounds. The harbor board teams dray all articles, deliver every small package, and charge delivery for a full ton, which is 4 shillings (97 cents). Even if the consignee should have teams of his own he is not permitted to use them. About every six months the government officials take an inventory of the goods in all bonded warehouses and compare this with their books to see whether duty has been paid on all goods taken out. W. It. Bio HAM, Consul-General. Cape Town, South Africa, July 19, 190If. EGYPT. (From United States Consul General Illddle, Cairo, Fggpt.) In reply to the circular of May 19 I have the honor to transmit herewith tariffs, reports, and prospectuses of the Alexandria Bonded Warehouse Company (Limited), which does business in Alexandria, Cairo, Port Said, and Suez, with head offices in Alexandria.® J. W. Riddle, Agent and Consul-General. Cairo, Egypt, Jidy 19, 1901f. «These documents (all in French) are on file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, where they may be consulted by persons interested. 190 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. MADAGASCAR. TAMATAVE. (From United States Consul Hunt, Tamatave, Madagascar.) * Bonded warehouses were unknown in Madagascar till very recently, and have thus far been established only in the port of Tamatave. In June, 1900, a convention was made between the French minister of the colonies and the Colonial Company of Madagascar for the establishment ­ of bonded warehouses for the general storage of goods for the chief port of Madagascar, with a view to creating (1) a bonded warehouse, (2) storage warehouses at the disposal of merchants for goods stored as collateral for loans by the banks, and (3) storehouses open to all goods free from any encumbrances. That convention conferred a monopoly of the customs bonded warehouses and the general storage warehouses. In September, 1902, the Colonial Company was replaced by the Société des Magasins Généraux et Entrepôts de Madagascar (The Bonded Warehouses and General Storage Company of Madagascar) by a decree of the governor-general, and this company undertakes (1) the storage, handling, and preservation of merchandise in the bonded warehouses and stores; (2) insurance against the risks of fire; (3) the unloading, loading, reception, delivery, and transit of merchandise; ­ (4) the transport of all goods within the limits of Tamatave; ­ (5) all custom-house operations; (6) in fine, all consignments, arrangements for freight and, generally speaking, all operations tending to facilitate commerce and navigation. The company’s establishment consists of 70.000 square meters (17.3 acres) of land conveniently situated near the landing place, with warehouses constructed thereon, the whole having cost $170,000. These are all to revert to the government at the expiration of the concession in 1928 on payment by it of their then value, to be determined ­ by appraisers. The buildings so far erected, which are confined ­ strictly to present wants, comprise landing sheds, bonded warehouses ­ proper, warehouses for storage of goods in transit, offices of the customs, offices of the company, and magasins libres, or free warehouses (where merchandise is deposited free of charge for storage until it has been visited by the custom officers—a period of a week or ten days). These buildings are constructed with iron framework ­ filled in with brick and roofed with tile, and cover slightly over an acre of ground. Such merchants as I have spoken to give the impression that they consider the charges excessive, although they are generally satisfied-But the fact is that the elaborate organization of such an establishment ­ in a young colony where everything before was done in a very loose manner naturally chafes, as the merchants, and especially the old settlers, are not accustomed to its many formalities. Then again trade is so depressed just now that the amount of business is not compatible ­ with the machinery at hand for handling it, the receipts of the bonded stores amounting to only $5,000 a year, which barely covers the working expenses, thus charges for the present have to be maintained at their highest legitimate point. The chargés for the storage of goods are made according to weight MADAGASCAR’. TAM AT A VE. 191 or volume, based on a stated classification. The general rule is that goods which weigh more than 500 kilos to the cubic meter (850 pounds to the cubic yard) are privileged to pay by weight. If a cubic yard does not reach that weight the charges are made by volume, as is the case in tonnage measurement for freight. Fractions of 100 kilos (220.46 pounds) or 100 cubic decimeters (3.53 cubic feet) are charged as 100 kilos or 100 cubic decimeters, except in the case of indivisible masses weighing more than 2 tons or measuring more than 2 cubic meters (70.6 cubic feet), for which special arrangements can be made. Storage and insurance charges are made by months of thirty days or fraction thereof, dating from (he entry of the first installment of the goods. All expenses must be paid when the packages are withdrawn, ­ and the company has the right to demand security. The company publishes in the tariff, forwarded under separate cover.“ a complete list in four categories of most of the articles likely to be stored, denoting in each category what is charged by weight and what by volume; but the general rule appears to be a sufficient guide. Thus in the first category marble statuary is charged by weight and wood by volume; in the second category ironmongery by weight and feathers by volume, and so on. Hence it is hardly necssary to enumerate ­ here some three hundred articles. The scale of charges, as well as the facilities for and cost of the removal ­ of goods from boat to warehouse, will be sufficiently clear from the following analysis of the company’s conditions: For taking charge of goods at the landing place, loading them on the trucks, and conveying them by the company’s Decauville railway, and unloading them at the doors of the warehouse, and vice versa, 20 cents per ton or cubic meter (35.3 cubic feet), the minimum charge being 10 cents. For heavy packages of from 1 to 2 tons, 40 cents per ton. For taking delivery of the goods at the door of the warehouse, classifying and storing them without weighing, 30 cents per ton, and if packages of 1 to 2 tons, 60 cents, the minimum charge being 20 cents. For unstoring goods and delivering them at the doors of the warehouse, ­ 30 cents per ton, the minimum charge being 20 cents; for heavy packages of 1 to 2 tons, 60 cents. For unstoring and conveying goods from one place to another in order to classify and store them, 50 cents per ton, the minimum charge being 3Ò cents; and for heavy packages of 1 to 2 tons, $1 per ton. For storekeepers’ charges and supervision, not including insurance ­ against fire, from 60 cents to $1.20 per ton or cubic meter, according ­ to the class of goods, the minimum charge in any case being 30 cents. There is a special tariff for merchandise of a bulky and cumbrous character, such as pig iron and coal, which pay 20 cents per ton weight, and others, such as lime and cement, 50 cents; coke goes by ton measurement at 40 cents. Another special tariff deals with dangerous and combustible substances, ­ such as petroleum, turpentine, etc., the warehouses for a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 192 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. which are in the outskirts of the town. In these eases the charges are made on the package and not on the tonnage. For instance, petroleum, on a case of 65 pounds, pays for handling 6 cents, and 6 cents per month for storage and one-half per cent insurance on the declared value. The same rule applies to each package, barrel, keg, demijohn, drum, or jar, or whatever receptacle contains other dangerous ­ substances, such as ether, collodion, sulphur, etc., provided each does not weigh more than 80 pounds or measure more than 12 gallons. These are the maximum weight and measure of what is allowed to be considered a unit. If, as is often the case, packages of such articles as coal tar, saltpeter, and nitrate of soda exceed the limit, then they pay the above charges on every 80 pounds or fraction ­ thereof. A third special tariff concerns certain supplementary operations carried out at the express request of the parties interested. These comprise (1) unstoring goods, (2) weighing and measuring, (3) re-storing, (4) presentation of goods for verification by customs, (5) marking, (6) repairing broken cases, (7) cooperage of leaking casks, (8) bunging and unbunging barrels, (9) filling up casks that have leaked, (10) tare, (11) removing samples from cases for trade purposes, and (12) declaration of invoices at the customs. All these services are rendered at nominal rates of from 5 to 25 cents per case, barrel, etc., handled, with the exception of the declaration of invoices, which is charged 87 cents when the goods are of French origin, and $1.45 when other than French. This is the only instance in which any distinction is made between nationalities, ­ but this affects the nationality of the goods and not of the merchants, who are all treated alike. The entire scale of charges, of which the above is a brief synopsis, will be found in the printed tariff already alluded to as having been forwarded. The classes of goods stored include every article and commodity that comes to Madagascar, but Americans have had no occasion to make use of these warehouses since their establishment. Goods rarely remain in bond more than two months, and for the most part are cleared within fifteen days. Customs officials virtually control the whole establishment, and, as there is a very large staff, the strictest supervision is exercised in every branch of the service. The custom-house officials here are, moreover, a very efficient body of men, and every care is used by them for the most rapid dispatch of business in the interests of merchants of all nationalities, without distinction. William H. Hunt, Consul. Tamatave, Madagascar, July 27, 1904. PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA. LOURENÇO MARQUEZ. (From United States Consul Hollis, Lourenço Marquez, Portuguese East Africa. ) The bonded warehouses in Lourenço Marquez and in the other leading ports of this province are of two kinds, government and private, ­ and they are all managed very much as are the Lourenço Mar- PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA : LOURENÇO MARQUEZ. 193 quez warehouses, which will he the only ones treated in this report. The government bonded warehouses here are dilapidated structures, called “ King’s warehouses;” but they are little used, and will soon be pulled down to make room for an elaborate system of warehouses that are still in the paper stage. The private bonded warehouses are scattered all over the town, as all the leading merchants and forwarding ­ agents have one or more. It is impossible to give a detailed account of the dimensions of these warehouses, many of which are flimsy structures of spruce and corrugated iron, as they belong to scores of different owners, and an inspection of them would take days. The warehouse service here is very simple. Forty-eight hours after the clearance of any vessel all of the cargo that* she had landed in this port that has not been cleared or dispatched by the consignees or their agents must go into bond. This rule was made to prevent congestion of the docks, and, although local importers do not like it, 1 think that it is a very good rule indeed. The government by high charges—17^ cents per ton per day—discourages the use of its limited ­ customs warehouses for the storage of goods in bond, and practically ­ all bonded goods go into private warehouses. The forwarding ­ agents also discourage the use of bonded warehouses, preferring to have their clients take immediate delivery of their shipments and bond them if necessary in the Transvaal. When it is necessary to store goods in bond here, in a forwarding agent's store, the charges per ton are as follows: Receiving goods from ships' slings, $1.95; cartage and porterage when entering or leaving warehouses, 70 cents; warehouse rent, per month, 00 cents. Private warehouses are not taxed by the customs, a small registration ­ fee, covering cost of revenue stamps, etc., on the documents, being charged. The doors of these warehouses have double locks, the proprietors retaining one set of keys and the customs authorities the other set. Duplicate warehouse books are kept, and there are occasional inspections, but there is no very strict supervision, the owners being put upon their honor. When discrepancies appear, however, the customs authorities are very severe, and, to my knowledge, ­ have a number of times inflicted fines of £1,000 ($R866) for such things. The custom-house furnishes no guards, nor the municipality any police protection, for these bonded warehouses. If thieves break in and steal, the unforutnate owner not only loses his goods, but the customs ­ authorities make him pay duty on the stolen goods and, besides, inflict upon him a heavy fine. On account of the chicanery that went on here in the old days, and which has been described bv Mr. P. Bigelow ­ in one of his writings, the customs people will take no chances when the robbery of a bonded store is reported to them. “ How do we know,” they will say, “ that the owner himself did not perpetrate the robbery?” Thus it often happens that an innocent and upright merchant has to suffer not only the loss of his goods that have been stolen from his bonded store, but he must also lose to the customs the unpaid duties on the stolen goods and pay a heavy fine in the bargain. The whole customs bonded system.may be said to be run in a loose, happy-go-lucky way, the customs authorities taking little precaution, the municipal authorities giving poor police and fire protection, and the Government relying upon its system of heavy 18762—05 13 194 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. fines as a means of keeping the warehouseman honest, and of obliging ­ him to find, at his own expense, the necessary police and fire protection for his warehouse. The goods generally bonded here are tobacco products, liquors, canned goods, cotton goods, and cereal products. The forwarding agents try to get the goods of their clients out of bond as soon as possible, but the merchants having their own private bonded stores often keep their goods in bond for many months. In the morning the custom-house man comes and unlocks his locks, and at night he comes again and locks them. If the proprietors ­ want to take out anything from the bonded store, either for local consumption or for export, their clerk makes out the necessary ­ declarations and takes them to the custom-house, with whatever money may be necessary. When the documents are brought back properly signed and stamped the goods are taken out of the bonded store and the transaction is entered in the warehouse books, which must be open at all times for the inspection of the customs officials. When goods are being put in or taken out of bonded warehouses a customs official is always supposed to be present. In the matter of bonded warehouses all foreigners are treated exactly alike. No Americans, to my knowledge, make any use of the bonded warehouses here at present, though a number did during the Boer war. W. Stanley Hollis. Consul. Lourenço Marquez, Portuguese East Africa, August 3, 1901^. SIERRA LEONE. (From, United States Consul Williams, Sierra Leone, West Africa.) There are four bonded warehouses in this colony owned and controlled ­ by the Government. Three of these are located in Freetown ­ and one in Sherbro. The warehouse system is essentially a part of the customs department, which exercises supervision and control. All classes of goods are stored in these warehouses except gunpowder and kerosene, which are stored separately. The scale of charges for storage follows: For cotton goods and goods liable to a specific duty, for one month or fraction thereof, one-half penny (1 cent) per cubic foot; for goods other than cotton, not liable to specific duty, for first month, one-half penny (1 cent), and subsequent months 2 pence (4 cents) per cubic foot; for storing or depositing firearms and ammunition other than gunpowder, onehalf penny (1 cent) per cubic foot; for storing or depositing every 100 pounds of gunpowder for six months, 3 shillings (73 cents) ; for every 100 pounds of gunpowder remaining in store after six months, 5 pence (10 cents) per month; for quantities of less than Ü00 pounds, a proportionate rate. All fees for storage or deposit of firearms or gunpowder are payable in advance. The charges on petroleum are 1 penny (2 cents) per month on every case of 10 gallons. ­ The length of time goods are allowed in bond is two years, but the owner or proprietor of any such goods, if desirous of reware- ZANZIBAR. 195 housing them, may do so, subject to certain conditions. Warehouse receipts and expenditures for 1903 were: Receipts, £572 3s. 9d. ($2,784.55) : expenditures in salaries, £370 ($1,800.60). All merchants ­ or others having business with the warehouses are accorded equal privileges, regardless of nationality. There are no regular facilities for the removal of goods to and from warehouses. One shilling (24 cents) per day is paid for such service. John T. Williams, Consul. Sierra Leone, West Africa, September i, 190J¡.. ZANZIBAR. (From United States Consul Mitchell, Zanzibar.) It is impossible to give dimensions of warehouses in Zanzibar, as they form part of the custom-house, and are not always used for the same purpose. They are owned by the customs authorities and conducted by them. Transit and unreclaimed goods are stored in them, also local produce, such as cloves, chillies, and copra, the property of the Government. A tariff of charges is inclosed. 0 All classes of goods are stored, except those barred by insurance companies ­ and perishable commodities. Kerosene oil is stored in separate ­ warehouses. Most of the kerosene in cases is imported by American firms. They also import large quantities of American unbleached cotton. It is impossible to state the length of time goods remain in bond, there being no limit to the length of time a merchant is allowed to leave his goods in transit. All nationalities receive like treatment. Goods are discharged in lighters brought alongside the sea wall off the custom-house and discharged by four steam cranes. A fee is charged by the customs officials covering wharfage, cranage, and warehouse rent for a given period. Shipping agents have a landing charge for the use of their lighters. All public warehouses being the property of the Government, the customs officials have absolute control over them, and all reasonable care is taken to insure the safety of goods stored therein. Mason Mitchell, Consul. Zanzibar, July 19, 1904-o On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department tit Commerce and Labor. 190 OCEANIA. AUSTRALIA. MELBOURNE, VICTORIA. (From United States Consul-General lirai/, Melbourne, Victoria.) There are four classes of bonded warehouses established at the port of Melbourne, Victoria, the first class or general warehouses being used by the public, the others being used only by the licensees or owners ­ for the storage of their own goods, and not catering for general business. There is, in addition, the King’s warehouse, the property of the Government, which is used mainly for the storage of unclaimed ­ pr seized goods. The general warehouses, of which there are ten, have, with the exception of one, been formed into an association ­ which practically controls the business of the port. It is extremely ­ difficult to procure information from this association in regard to dimensions of buildings, cost of construction, rates, etc. Its officers, when approached for particulars, would only furnish information of a general character. The average capacity of the establishments forming the association is 8,000 tons by measurement, and the cost was about $135,000. The capacity of the Government warehouse is 6,336 tons. The warehouses are owned and conducted by limited companies and private individuals. A complete list % is attached, showing the name by which each of the ten warehouses of the first class is known, the name of the licensee and the location, and also the same information ­ for the seven private warehouses of class 2, for the seven machinery warehouses of class 3, and for the eight manufacturing warehouses of class 4. Goods are stored for the convenience of merchants until the duty is paid or the goods exported. The licensee of the warehouse provides ­ all labor, receives goods into his warehouse, stacks them, and delivers them to vehicles at his door, provides lights, scales, and measures, etc. (See section 92 of the customs act, hereto annexed. 6 ) The average charge (rent) is about 4 pence (8 cents) per ton per week, and a further charge of 2 shillings (48 cents'i per ton, known as " delivery,” is made when the goods are delivered to the importer. Extra charges are made in the event of weighing, sampling, regauging, repacking, etc. A list of charges made by the associated warehouses is given herewith. These charges are generally collected ­ when the goods are delivered to the importer. The charges a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. & Customs act of 1901 and the regulations of June, 1904, are on file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. AUSTRALIA: MELBOURNE, VICTORIA. 197 made by the Government warehouse are higher than those of other warehouses, and it is consequently used mainly for the storage of unclaimed and seized goods. The proprietors of the warehouses refuse to furnish information as to their receipts and expenditures. For several years past the business ­ has not been very remunerative, owing to many causes, chiefly commercial depression, small stocks held, and rapid steamer communication ­ with other parts of the world. A general warehouse pays £200 ($973.30) per annum for license and the services of a customs officer known as a “ locker.” The overtime charge for the services of this officer is 2 shillings (48 cents) per hour. The amount received by the Government from the bonded warehouses at Melbourne during ­ the year 1903 for license fees and fees for lockers’ services, at 2 shillings (48 cents) per hour, was £5,532 ($20,922) for license fees and £200 ($1,205) for lockers; total, £5,792 ($28,187). The annual cost to the Government of the warehouse branch of the customs department was: For salaries, £8.304 ($40,703), and for contingencies. ­ £90 ($438); total, £8,454 ($41,141). The chief classes of goods stored are spirits, liquors, bitters, medical ­ preparations, essences, wine, ale and beer (stout, lager), tobacco unmanufactured, tobacco manufactured, cigars, cigarettes, hops, candles, condensed milk, coffee, coffee essence, cocoa and chocolate, wheat, rice, salt, sugar, glucose, vinegar, matches, cement, plaster, flour, soft goods, drapery, etc.; hardware, ironmongery, etc.; machinery, ­ provisions, etc. The length of time goods remain in bond varies so much that no rule can be given. If the goods are not cleared within three years they are sold under the provisions of the customs act unless rewarehoused. All nationalities are treated alike. Goods are removed to warehouses by carriers licensed under the customs act. Goods for export or removal from bond are similarly dealt with. The cost of removal is according to arrangement between the importer and the carrier. The warehouses are secured by Government locks, except in special cases, such as timber yards. In most of the warehouses lockers are permanently stationed and the keys are kept in a safe in the customhouse ­ overnight. During the day the lockers retain possession of the keys. As often as possible the warehouses are visited by the supervisor of the warehouse branch, whose duty it is to see that lockers are at their posts and attending to their duties, and also to inspect their books and inquire into any matters which lie may consider ­ to be essential to the protection of the revenue. Lockers regauge wines and spirits and weigh some low-duty goods subject to duty at fixed rates, check receipts into and deliveries from warehouses, and exercise a general supervision over goods stored therein and over all operations carried on in them. The lockers attend at the warehouses ­ from 8.30 a. m. to 5 p. m. in winter, and in the summer from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m., and on Saturdays till 12 noon. No goods are delivered from warehouse by lockers except upon presentation of an order signed by an officer of the warehouse branch in the customhouse. ­ John P. Bray, Consul-General. Melbourne, Victoria, August #3, lOOJf. 198 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Bates for storage adopted by the Association of Bonded Warehouses at Melbourne. Goods. Wines and spirits: Hogsheads-. -• § uarter casks ctaves Cases, 2 and 3 gallons Cases, 4 gallons Champagne Beer: Hogsheads Casks and cases Tea :<% Chests over 100 pounds Chests from 65 to 100 pounds Half chests over 60 pounds __ Half chests up to 60 pounds .. Boxes up to 21 pounds Cigars Cigars, Swiss Cigarettes Tobacco: Manufactured, cut Manufactured, cases Manufactured, three-fourths boxes Unmanufactured, tierces Unmanufactured, cases •. Unmanufactured, bales Corks. Drapery Glucose: Casks j... Cases Hops: Cases Double bales Bales and pockets Currants: Cases Half cases Prunes: Up to 56 pounds Over 56 pounds Oilmen stores Fish: Herrings, 72 pounds Salmon Sardines, quarters Sardines, halves Sardines, cases Preserved meats, 72 poifnds. Vinegar: Casks Cases, 4 gallons Castor oil Chinese oil Candles. Maizena Condensed milk Lemon peel, casks Sugar, per ton Rice and grain, per ton. Salt, per ton Bagged goods, per ton.. Tanks: 400 gallons 200 gallons Drums: 5 gallons 10 gallons White lead: 7 pounds... 14 to 28 pounds 56 pounds 112 pounds Importers’ rates (minimum). ­ Rent per week. Cents. 4 2 li i I 3 Delivery. ­ Cents. 24 12 12 2 2 2 18 4 4 4 2 2 2 24 12 24 12 12 8 48 18 18 8 24 18 2 86 24 18 4 2 2 4 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 8 2 6 4 4 2 2 24 12 12 12 24 48 36 2 4 1 1 2 4 Marked rates (maximum). Rent per week. Cents. 6 4 3 6 U 1* 1 6* 4 6 4 4 3 12 6 4 4 8 4 1 2 ? «' 6 6 6 6 12 8 Delivery. ­ Cents. 36 24 18 4 4 4 32 8 8 6 4 3 2 36 24 36 24 24 24 73 36 24 24 36 36 6 73 73 36 8 4 4 8 8 8 4 4 4 8 8 24 8 12 8 3 4 4 36 36 36 36 36 73 48 4 8 a Indian tea to be stored for one week from day of entry; China tea for six weeks. Charge on packages to be determined by boxes contained. AUSTRALIA! BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND. 199 Rates for storage adopted by the Association of Bonded Warehouses at Melbourne—Continued. ­ Goods. Nails, etc., per 112 pounds Rope, per 112 pounds China crates, casks Boots: Cases Trunks Leather, cases Strawboards Paper, under 20 feet Fancy goods Pianos: Grand Upright Organs Silks Gloves (kid) Varnish, cases Cement Bales twine, under 20 feet Axle arms, each Axle arms, cases Bicycles, per ton of 40 cubic feet Other case goods, per ton of 40 cubic feet Importers’ rates (minimum). ­ Rent per week. Delivery. ­ Marked rates (maximum). Rent per week. Delivery. ­ Cents. Cents. 4 6 36 18 8 24 12 12 24 73 36 36 24 24 6 3 12 2 24 36 24 Cents. 1 1 12 8 2 8 4 4 8 • 36 12 12 16 16 2 1 8 6 ä 12 8 Cents. 8 12 73 36 12 36 24 24 36 121 73 73 48 48 12 8 48 4 36 73 48 These rates are subject to alteration at any time by the association. Other charges are as follows : Wines and spirits—gauging for delivery, hogsheads, 2-1 cents ; quarter casks, 18 cents; octaves, 12 cents; gauging for sale, hogsheads or quarter casks, 24 cents ; octaves, 18 cents ; sampling, 24 cents ; repacking or rebonding hogsheads, quarter casks, or octaves, GO cents ; rebonding cases, 4 cents. Beer—sampling, 6 cents. Cigars and cigarettes—repacking, 60 cents ; inspection, 24 cents ; reweigliing, 60 cents. Unmanufactured tobacco—repacking, 60 cents; inspection, 24 cents; sampling, ­ 24 cents; reweighing, 24 cents. Drapery—repacking, 60 cents. Hops—repacking or sampling cases, 36 cents; repacking or sampling bales, half bales, and packets, 24 cents. Currants—weighing, 2 cents per case or half case. BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND. (From United States Consular Ayent Weatherill, ltrisbane, Queensland.) There are twelve bonded warehouses in this district, ranging in capacity from 2,000 to 8,000 tons (measurement) each, and in cost from $40,000 to $50,000, according to size and material. The names of owners and the rates charged for storage are shown in the accompanying ­ schedules.® Patrons pay for insurance and cartage from bond. Charges for service rendered by the bond keeper include ­ the expense of cartage to the warehouse from wharf, etc., and all handling, stowing, etc., in the warehouse. Receipts fluctuate, according to quantity of goods stored, to such an extent that an estimate would possibly mislead. Expenditure consists of salary of customs locker, $973.80 per annum, and the wages of men employed by bond keeper, each about $9.73 per week. a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 2U0 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Two men could work a bonded warehouse of the average capacity of 5,000 tons. The classes of goods stored comprise wines and spirits, beer, tobacco, ­ cigars, tinned fish, barbed wire, preserved fruits, etc. Spirits remain in bond a considerable time, but it is hardly possible to state with any certainty how long any goods remain as a rule. All goods stored for three years have to be rewarehoused or sold. American firms make very little use of the bonded warehouses in this district. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses. Goods are removed to and from bonds by drays and lorries. The service is ample and satisfactory. Prices range from 36 to 60 cents per ton, ships’ weight or measurement, as the case may be. Each bonded warehouse is under the personal supervision of a customs officer during official hours. The owners are under substantial ­ security to the department. There are two locks of different pattern for each bond, the key of one being held by the bond proprietor ­ and that of the other by the department. W. J. Weatherill, Consular Agent. Brisbane, Queensland, July 0#, 1901^. NEWCASTLE, NEW SOUTH WALES. (From United States Consul Goding, Newcastle, New South Wales.) There are nine bonded warehouses at Newcastle, owned by as many different firms; the total capacity is about 13,500 tons. In these warehouses the patrons’ goods are protected for him. The proprietor furnishes all labor and space required for receiving, stacking, repacking, and delivering the goods, and all implements necessary for examination, marking, weighing, coopering, etc. The proprietor also pays a license fee to the Federal Government, varying ­ from $75 to $750 per annum, according to the size of the warehouse ­ and the time occupied in supervision by a customs official. The rent and charges payable on goods stored in government-owned warehouses are as follows: Warehouse charges at Neiccastlc, New South Wales. Article. Receipt and delivery. Rent per week. Other charges (cents). Liquids, in bulk, per package: 84 gallons or over 45 to 84 gallons 30 to 45 gallons 20 to 30 gallons Under 20 gallons. Liquids, in bottles or tins: Spirits, kerosene, oils, gasoline, disinfectants, ­ etc.— 5 gallons and upward 3 to 5 gallons Under 3 gallons Tobacco, per hundredweight or part. _. Cigars, cigarettes, and snuff, per package ­ of— 90 pounds and over 40 to 90 pounds Under 40 pounds Cents. 35 24 lfi 12 8 6 4 2 12 12 78 12 Cents. 12 Repacking, 90; regauging, 35. 5 Repacking, 48; regauging, 24. 3 Repacking, 35; regauging, 18. 2 Repacking, 24; regauging, 18. li Í 1 i 4 Examination, 4. 4 3 2 Examination, 24; reweighing, 12. AUSTRALIA: TOWNSVILLE, QUEENSLAND. 201 Warehouse charges at Newcastle, New South Wales—Continued. Article. Other charges (cents;. Dry goods, case, crate, cask, bale, box, bundle, trunk, bag, firkin, or package, per ton. Cents. Cents. \ 73 12 Repacking, 48; reweighing, 73. Opium, per package 12 35 4 Re weighing, 24. Grain, rice, oatmeal, flour, salt, sugar, etc., per ton. 16 Reweighing, 24; examination, per Irvn Til* nui* cinrrlo r»Q/*I’Q(ro 9i Heavy goods, machinery, metals, etc., and goods not enumerated, per ton. Timber, per 50 cubic feet Goods requiring special care for safety, for each $250 of value. 73 12 12 ton, <3; per single package, 24. 2 ! 12 j Examination, per package, 24. Charges in privately owned warehouses are arranged by agreement, ­ the above being based on average rates. The goods chiefly stored in bonded warehouses are spirits, beer, wine, tobacco, cigars, and general merchandise. They are allowed by law to remain three years, but usually remain about twelve months. All goods are checked in and out of bond and are branded under customs supervision, every line being stacked separately. Spirits are gauged and strengths tested both in and out of bond, while other goods are weighed both inward and outward, although the customs will accept inward weights if it is desired by the importer. (From Acting United States Consular Agent Brownhill, Toicnsville, North Queensland.) The Townsville bonded warehouse cost £8.000 ($38,032) and is built of brick. It is now closed, owing to leading merchants opening their own bonds, which, however, are placed at the disposal of the general public. When North Queensland recovers from the effects of the western drought, in two or three years, this building will be very useful to anyone desiring to open up business in this part of Australia. Its rental is about £300 ($1,460), but it might perhaps be procured for £200 ($973). It has three floors, 100 by 80 feet each. The bonded warehouse of Allen & Sons (Limited) cost £2,500 ($12,166), and is built ot‘ brick; it is one story high; dimensions, 132 by 60 feet. The bonded warehouse of Burns. Philp & Co. has two floors, 100 by 80 feet each. This is a part of a large warehouse which cost altogether £15,000 ($72,997.50). Henlein & Co.’s bond is one floor, 60 by 40 feet. This is on the top of a large warehouse, which cost in all £5,000 ($24,332.50). These establishments are owned by private parties, and are conducted ­ under Governmental supervision. The locker or customs officer is in attendance from 8 a. m. to 4.30 p. m. in summer and 8.30 a. m. to 5 p. m. in winter. Patrons are attended to at any time during ­ these hours by the owners of bonds and customs officers. The cartage averages 48 cents per load. All nationalities are treated alike. F. W. Coding, Consul. Newcastle, New South Wales, July 18,1004. TOWNSVILLE, QUEENSLAND. 202 WAREHOUSES IX FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The charges are 1 shilling (24 cents) per ton for receiving or delivering general goods; 1 penny (2 cents) per package for marking ­ on wharf; 1 shilling per week for rent or storage, and 7s. 6d. per £100 (37.5 cents per $100) per annum for insurance. The classes of goods chiefly stored are drapery, wines and spirits, tobacco, rice, beers, cigars, curry, fish, fruits, milk, starch, sauces, vestas, opium, perfumery, chemicals, kerosene, etc. Goods remain in bond, as a rule, two or three months. Of course, wines, spirits, beers, and tobaccos are often left much longer. All heavily dutiable goods are left in bond till sales actually take place. Apparently Americans do not make use of these warehouses at all unless they do so through their Australian agents. All nationalities are treated exactly alike by the administrators of the warehouses. At the Allen’s bond goods are removed from jetty wharf to bond by rail. The charges, per ton, are: Harbor dues, 2 shillings (48 cents) ; wharfage, 2 shillings; loading into trucks, C pence (12 cents) ; haulage, 1 shilling (24 cents). At other bonds the charges, per ton, are: Lighterage from ship’s side, 5 shillings ($1.22) ; wharfage, 2 shillings (48 cents) ; harbor dues, 2 shillings; cartage, 1 shilling 6 pence (36 cents). The customs officer takes the keys of the bond to the customhouse ­ every evening. No one but a duly authorized customs officer is allowed to be in charge of the bond. All the bonds store free goods on account of clients, and there is a good revenue obtainable from this source for the owners. D. J. Brownhill, Acting Consular Agent. Townsville, Queensland, August 29, 1901+. HOBART, TASMANIA. (From United States Consul Webster, Hobart, Tasmania.) The warehouses for storage of merchandise in transit or in bond in this city have a capacity of 13,000 tons, and cost $12,166. Four are owned and managed by the commonwealth Government, and four by private individuals. The public must find cartage and labor when necessary for bringing ­ goods to the warehouses or for examining them in bond. The department records all particulars of goods warehoused, delivering them upon payment of full duties and charges, but at the same time taking no responsibility with regard to them; or the goods may be reshipped in bond to any port outside the State. Scale of charges for goods warehoused in King’s warehouse, and for goods not entered inward by importer and deposited in King’s warehouses by order of collector are attached hereto.® Receipts for the current year were $6,570, and expenditures $5,350. All ordinary merchandise, except combustibles or explosives, are stored, but chiefly rice, sugar, tobacco, cigars, spirits, oil (not kerosene ­ or inflammable), dried fruits, soap, starch, boots, shoes, and “On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. NEW ZEALAND! AUCKLAND. 203 drapery. Goods are allowed to remain in the public warehouses for a period of three years, when they must be rewarehoused or sold. Rent is demanded every nine months, and if not paid then the goods may be sold by the collector. The time taken by the importers to clear their goods from the warehouse varies, so that it is almost impossible to say—as a rule the period is short owing to the charges. To a small extent Americans make use of these warehouses, chiefly for the storage of tobacco. No distinctions are made on the grounds of nationality. Goods are carted by the various importers from the wharf to the warehouses, ­ which are in close proximity to each other. As there are many licensed carters on the wharves no difficulty is experienced in getting the goods moved, and the cost does not exceed 48 cents per ton—except, of course, in the case of heavy machinery. This will apply both to bonding and obtaining delivery. Goods for bond removed from the wharf must be carried in licensed carts. The carter before removing any such goods obtains a form from the water-side customs officer giving the particulars of the goods removed, and it is his duty to obtain a receipt from the warehouse keeper that the goods are duly received. This receipt is then returned to the water-side officer. When the goods are received in bond they are properly marked by the customs officials, stacked, and recorded in the warehouse keeper's registers. When the goods are delivered from the warehouse, it is only by the production of an entry passed at the custom-house, signed by the collector, setting forth the description of the goods and clearly showing ­ that full duties are paid. It is then the duty of the warehouse keeper to give an order for the delivery of the goods, which are checked by him for removal; and further all warehouse books and accounts, together with stocks remaining in bond, are periodically checked by the department of the auditor-general Certificates are issued by the collector on transfer of goods in bond, entitling the person presenting the same to the warehouse keeper to be recorded as owner, and to receive the goods specified in the certificate on the same terms on which the person who originally lodged the goods in the warehouse would have been entitled to receive them. A. G. Webster, Consul. Hobart, Tasmania, August 12, 1904. NEW ZEALAND. AUCKLAND. (From United States Consul-General Dillingham, Auckland, New Zealand.) The average bonded warehouse here is generally a two-storied building. There are two public bonds, “ Grahame’s " and " Firth’s.” The former was built in 1841 and the latter about twenty years ago ; they cost $13,000 each. In Wellington, the capital, in the south of North Island, the King’s warehouse is conducted by the government, ­ and one or two other bonds are conducted by different mer- 204 WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. chants. In all other towns throughout the colony the public bonds are conducted by private individuals. These warehouses receive and deliver all sorts of goods, repack tobacco, cigars, etc., and reweigh fruits, and charge according to a fixed scale. 0 All classes of goods are stored in warehouses, more particularly the merchandise that bears the highest rate of duty—namely, tobacco, ­ cigars, and boots and shoes. The more prominent merchants use the bonded warehouse considerably, and some of the smaller firms and private individuals who have no storage room of their own depend entirely upon the public bond warehouses. There are no American firms in Auckland who make use of the warehouses. When goods have been stored in bond for three years, they must be either rewarehoused for another term of three years or destroyed or sold by public auction to defray duty and bond rent, and in this respect all nationalities are treated alike. The goods are conveyed from the wharf or from bond by wagons or carts at a rate of 2 shillings (48 cents) per ton. Stationed at every public bond warehouse ­ there is a government official who is called a locker. The duties of this officer are to see that the proper entries are passed and that there is no default in payment of the duty. F. Dillingham, Consul-General. Auckland, New Zealand, July 21,1904. SAMOA. (From United States Consul-General Heimrod, Apia, Samoa.) The facilities in this district for storage of merchandise in transit or bond, from which goods may be withdrawn for shipment elsewhere ­ without payment of customs dues, are (1) the government warehouse, owned by the German Government and conducted by its customs officials—a one-story frame building 30 by 70 feet, erected at an approximate cost of $3,000; (2) a private storeroom, owned by the Deutsche Handels and Plantagen Gesellschaft, used exclusively for the storage of its own merchandise in transit or bond. It comprises ­ the basement of the company’s principal store. Approximate height from base to ceiling, 12 feet; width, 30 feet, and depth, 180 feet. The scale of charges for entry and storage in the government warehouse is as follows: For the handling of each package, including ­ entry and withdrawal, 40 pfennigs (9.52 cents) ; for storage per month, not exceeding 1 cubic meter (35,314 cubic feet), 20 pfennigs, (4.76 cents) ; more than 1 cubic meter, per month, 40 pfennigs (9.52 cents). The principal articles placed in the government warehouse comprise ­ all kinds of alcoholic drinks, cigars, and tobacco, of which about 6 per cent are imported from the United States. The time goods remain in bond seldom exceeds six months. The removal of a Tariff of charges is on iile in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce ­ and Labor. OCEANICA: SOCIETY ISLANDS. 205 the goods from boat to warehouse and vice versa is facilitated by lighters at a cost of 5 marks ($1.19) for 40 cubic feet. The government warehouse is under direct care and supervision of the collector of customs, who keeps a record of all the merchandise entered and withdrawn, and at night an official is employed for its protection. The private storeroom owned by the Deutsche Handels and Plaptagen Gesellschaft is under the supervision of the collector of customs. Both the collector and the Deutsche Handels and Plantagen Gesellschaft have keys to the storeroom. Upon this information ­ I asked the collector if the same privilege would be granted to other merchants if they had the same facilities for storing goods. He replied that such a request could not be granted, and further that the Deutsche Handels and Plantagen Gesellschaft enjoyed this prerogative ­ long before the annexation, and as the present government warehouse was inadequate for the storage of the bonded goods of said firm, it was considered best not to undertake any changes at this time. Geo. Heimrod, Consul-General. Apia, Samoa, July 20,1904. SOCIETY ISLANDS. v (From United Stutes Consul I)oty, Tahiti, Society Islands.) At Papeiti, Tahiti, the port of distribution for French Oceania, there is a government shed, controlled by the customs authorities, in which goods in transit could be temporarily stored, but not secured in any way by the authorities against theft or damage. The capacity of the structure is ample for all emergencies in the immediate future. More important are the small warehouses connected with each of the large mercantile establishments here. The Government, in fact, accepts bond from the merchant and allows him to retain goods in his own warehouse, merely requiring that he report from time to time any sales of such bonded goods. There is no need of any very large warehouses under government or private control, as the goods received at this port are quickly distributed throughout French Oceania. Papeiti is a terminal rather than a junction for foreign commerce. Goods received are for this colony only. William F. Doty, Consul. Tahiti, Society Islands, August 25, 1904. 206 o NO WAREHOUSES Reports have been received from the following consular officers stating that in their districts there are no warehouses of the sort inquired about in the circular of the Department: Name. Title. Station. William E. Alger... Louis H. Aymé George E. Baldwin R. M. Bartleman... James S. Benedict. Consul do do do Consul-general Solomon Berliner Gustave Beutelspacher. Joseph Bowron Edw. S. Bragg Joseph I. Brittain M. J. Burke William Ross Da vis Emile S. Delisle E. Haldeman Dennison. Consul Consular agent Consul Consul-general Consul do do Vice consular agent. Consular agent Frank E. Dennison. Consul George W. Dickinson. Howard Fox Thomas R. Geary Louis Goldschmidt.. H. A. Gudger S. R. Gummeré Franklin D. Hale do Vice-consul . Consul Consul-general do Consul Edward Higgins Joseph T. Hoke J. M. Hyatt Milo A. Jewett H. Albert Johnson Joseph J. Landger— A. J. Lespinasse James A. Leroy William C. Magelssen Chester W. Martin... W. W. Mills J. S. E. Monsanto Samuel F. Noon James W. Ragsdale... J. E. Rowen— Edward Schneegans.. Joseph P. Seiden W. L. Sewell Sam. S. Shank George W. Shotts Samuel Smith Alban G. Snyder Daniel Swiney Henry D. Sayler Philip Tillinghast, jr. Arthur R. Touvelle... M. H. Twitchell James Viosca George N. West John F. Winter Dean R. Wood do do Vice and deputy consul. . Consul do do do do Vice and deputy consul... Consul do Acting vice-consul Vice and deputy consul Consul-general Consul Commercial agent Vice-consul-general Consul Commercial agent Consul Consul-general Consul Consul-general Agent Vice-consul Consul Vice-consul Consul do do Puerto Cortes, Honduras. Para, Brazil. Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. Seville, Spain. Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada. ­ Teneriffe, Canary Islands. Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Carthagena, Spain. Hongkong. Kehl, Germany. St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. Alexandretta, Syria. St. Christopher, West Indies. Rimouski, Province of Quebec, Can-Woods took, New Brunswick, Canada. ­ Acapulco, Mexico. Falmouth, England. Malaga, Spain. La Guaira, Venezuela. Panama, Panama. Tangier, Morocco. Coaticook, Province of Quebec, Canada. Berne, Switzerland. Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada. Colon, Panama. Sivas, Turkey. Valencia, Spain. Solingen, Germany. Tuxpan, Mexico. Durango, Mexico. Beirut, Syria. Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada. Chihuahua, Mexico. Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. Nogales, Mexico. Tientsin, China. Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. Saigon, Cochin China. Bangkok, Siam. Pernambuco, Brazil. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Sault Ste. Mario, Ontario, Canada. Moscow, Russia. Bogota, Colombia. Cork (Queenstown), Ireland. Coburg, Germany. Cuenta, Colombia. Belfast, Ireland. Kingston, Ontario, Canada. La Paz, Mexico. Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. Annaberg, Germany. Ceiba, Honduras. VALUES OF FOREIGN COINS AND CURRENCIES. [As given by the Director of the United States Mint and published by the Secretary of the Treasury.] COUNTRIES with: FIXED CURRENCIES. Countries. Standard. Monetary unit. Value in U.S. gold. Coins. Argentine Republic.. Gold and silver.. Peso Austria-Hungary Belgium Brazil Gold Gold and silver.. Gold Crown. Franc . Milreis British N. A. (except Newfoundland). British Honduras Chile do do do Dollar do Peso . Colombia Costa Rica... Cuba Denmark Ecuador Egypt Finland France Germany Great Britain Greece do do Gold and silver.. Gold do do do Gold and silver,. Gold do Gold and silver.. Dollar Colon Peso Crown Sucre Pound (100 piasters). ­ Mark Franc Mark Pound sterling.. Drachma Haiti. India do Gold.. Gourde Rupee. Italy Gold and silver.. Lira Japan Liberia Netherlands Gold do Gold and silver.. Yen .. Dollar Florin Newfoundland Gold.. Peru do Portugal Russia .. do do Dollar. Sol .... Milreis Ruble . SO.96,5 .20,3 .19,3 .54,6 1.00 1.00 .36,5 1.00 .46,5 .91 .26,8 .48,7 4.94.3 .19,3 .19,3 .23,8 4.86,61 .19,3 .96,5 .32,4 .19,3 .49,8 1.00 .40,2 1.01.4 .48,7 1.08 .51,6 Gold—argentine (84.82,4) and } argentine; silver—peso and divisions. Gold—20 crowns (84.05,2) and 10 crowns. Gold—10 and 20 francs; silver— 5 francs. Gold—5,10, and 20 milreis; silver—1,1, ­ and 2 milreis. Gold—escudo (81.25), doubloon (83.65), and condor (87.30); silver—peso and divisions. Gold—condor (89.64,7 ) and double ­ condor; silver—peso. Gold—2,5,10, and 20 colons; silver—5,10.25,and ­ 50 centisimos. Gold—doubloon (85.01,7); silver-peso ­ (60 cents). Gold—10 and 20 crowns. Gold—10 sucres (84.86,65); silver—sucre ­ and divisions. Gold—10,20,50, and 100 piasters; silver—1,2,10, and 20 piasters. Gold—10 and 20 marks (81.93 and 83.85,9). Gold—5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 francs; silver—5 francs. Gold—5,10, and 20 marks. Gold—sovereign (pound sterling) ­ and half sovereign. Gold—5,10,20,50,andl00drachmas; silver—5 drachmas. Silver—gourde. Gold—sovereign (84.86,65); silver-rupee ­ and divisions. Gold—6,10, 20, 60, and J00 lire; silver—5 lire. Gold—1,2,5,10, and 20 yen. Gold—10 florins; silver— 1, and 2} florins. Gold—82 (82.02,7). Gold—libra (84.86,65); silversol and divisions. Gold—1,2,5, and 10 milreis. Gold—imperial (87.71,8) and i imperial (83.80); silver—}, i, and 1 ruble. Spain Sweden and Norway. Switzerland Turkey Uruguay Venezuela Gold and silver.. Gold Gold and silver.. Gold do Gold and silver.. Peseta.. Crown.. Franc .. Piaster Peso Bolivar .19,3 .26,8 .19,3 .04,4 1.03,4 .19,3 Gold—25 pesetas; silver—5 pesetas. ­ Gold—10 and 20 crowns. Gold—6, 10, 20, 50, and 100 francs; silver—6 francs. Gold—25, 50, 100, 200, and 500 piasters. Gold—peso; silver—peso and divisions. Gold—5,10,20,50, and 100 bolivars; ­ silver—5 bolivars. COUNTRIES WITH FLUCTUATING CURRENCIES. Country and monetary unit. Bolivia; Silver boliviano Central America: Silver peso China: Amoy tael Canton tael Chifu tael Cbinkiang tael Fuchau tael Haikwan (customs) tael Hankau tael Hongkong tael Os. 41.9 41.9 68.7 68.5 65.7 67.1 63.6 69.9 64.3 (*) as. 40.3 40.3 66.1 65.9 63.2 64.5 61.1 67.2 61.8 (*) Os. 42.2 40.3 69.1 68.9 66.1 67.5 63.9 70.3 64.7 M Os. 43.1 43.1 70.7 70.5 67.6 69.0 65.4 71.9 66.1 (*) Country and monetary unit. China—Continued. Nanking tael ... Ningpo tael Niucnwangtael. Peking tael Shanghai tael. Swatow tael Takau tael Tientsin tael Mexico: Silver dollar Persia: Silver krau as. 68 66 64.4 67 62.7 63.4 69.1 66.6 45.5 7.7 Os. 65.4 63.5 62 64.4 60.3 61 66.5 64 43.8 7.4 as. 68.4 66.5 64.8 67.4 63.1 63.9 69.6 67 45.8 7.8 as. 39.9 67.9 66.3 68.9 64.6 65.3 71.1 68.6 46.8 7.9 ♦The “British dollar” has the same legal value as the Mexican dollar in Hongkong, the Straits settlements, and Labuan. «¡uMHHwaMMwgMH WËBSËBBSsmBÊam ■ . 206$06478379 196 P228 OCEANIA. AUSTRALIA. MELBOURNE, VICTORIA. (From United States Consul-General Bray, Melbourne, Victoria.) There are four classes of bonded warehouses established at the port of Melbourne, Victoria, the first class or general warehouses being used by the public, the others being used only by the licensees or owners ­ for the storage of their own goods, and not catering for general business. There is, in addition, the King’s warehouse, the property of the Government, which is used mainly for the storage of unclaimed ­ pr seized goods. The general warehouses, of which there are ten, have, with the exception of one, been formed into an association ­ which practically controls the business of the port. It is extremely ­ difficult to procure information from this association in regard to dimensions of buildings, cost of construction, rates, etc. Its officers, when approached for particulars, would only furnish information of a general character. The average capacity of the establishments forming the association is 8,000 tons by measurement, and the cost was about $135,000. The capacity of the Government warehouse is 6,336 tons. The warehouses are owned and conducted by limited companies and private individuals. A complete list® is attached, showing the name by which each of the ten warehouses of the first class is known, the name of the licensee and the location, and also the same inhumation ­ for the seven private warehouses of class 2, for the seyui machinery warehouses of class 3, and for the eight manufacturing warehouses of class 4. , , Goods are stored for the convenience of merchants until the duty is paid or the goods exported. The licensee of the warehouse pi° vides all labor, receives goods into his warehouse, stacks them, am delivers them to vehicles at his door, provides lights, scales, am measures, etc. (See section 92 of the customs act, hereto annexed. ) The average charge (rent) is about 4 pence (8 cents) per ton p< 1 week, and a further charge of 2 shillings (48 centst per ton, know n as “ delivery,” is made when the goods are delivered to the impoitei. waren ou ses is given neiewim. i ncnv, .• lected when the goods are delivered to the importer. I he cnaige a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 6 Customs act of 1001 and the regulations of June, 1904, are on lile in Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor.