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