216 FOREIGN TRADE ZONES 
amortize the sum expended. Efforts are being made to have these 
charges reduced, but so far without much effect. 
Administration—The workings of the depésito franco are admin- 
istered by a consortium consisting as previously mentioned. The 
actual board consist of (¢) the president and four delegates elected 
from the members of the diputacién, renewed biannually; (5) the 
presidents of the chamber of commerce and board of harbor works, 
plus four delegates, renewed each three years. This board of managers 
or directors has power— 
(a) To intervene in judicial affairs or with the public authorities or private 
persons; 
(b) Name, suspend, or discharge employees and fix their salaries; 
(¢) Rent and acquire lands, buildings, machinery, and other furnishments Of 
real estate; 
(d) Execute and contract for all classes of construction, works, and supplies of 
materials; 
(e) Contract and accept subsidies, donations, legacies, and sign public or 
private documents; 
(f) Emit loans, warrants, and all classes of receipts for merchandise, and 
contract guaranties of emission and assurance; 
(9) Determine the operations to be realized in the deposit and the tariff ap- 
plicable, and rent to mercantile enterprises various or all the services of the 
zxploitation of the deposit; and . 
(Rh) Realize all other acts which will be necessary in conformity with the royal 
decree of July 30, 1918, complementary dispositions, Statutes and Regulations 
of the Consortium. * * * 
Guards —Owing to the restricted operation at present conducted 
by the free port, only three uniformed guards are in attendance. 
Annual cost of administration.—The cost of administration during 
the past year was 66,000 pesetas, including all salaries of directors and 
minor employees. 
Operations permitted in free zone.—The following operations are 
permitted in the free zone at present: 
(a) Repacking of merchandise in general; 
(0) Repacking of bulk articles into smaller units for commercial sale 7 
(¢) Mixing; 
(d) Cleaning and toasting of coffee and cocoa; 
(e) Shearing or de-hairing of skins; 
f) Classification of lumber; 
(9) Washing of wool; 
(h) Extraction of oil from oilseeds; and 
(7) Any operation which augments the value of the merchandise deposited 
without changing essentially the nature of same. 
The Government can amplify the concessions referred to above 
to operations of transformation of merchandise whose entry into the 
depésito franco is permitted, upon publishing the petition therefo® 
in the Gaceta de Madrid and the Boletin Oficial de la Provincia d¢ 
Vizcaya. If such petition is not acted upon by the Governmen? 
within a period of 60 days, consent is taken as tacit.