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-