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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.