GUATEMALA: GUATEMALA CITY. 
157 
pounds) per month. Heavy goods, such as iron, hardware, ma 
chinery, 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 custom 
house. During the financial year closed March 31 last there was col 
lected 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 re 
shipping 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 re 
ceived and weighed at door of custom-house immediately upon being 
landed ex ship. Delivery is also made at custom-house door. Permis 
sion 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