162 
• WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 
rates are regulated by law, and I send with this the public wharf law 0 
of 1895, which consists of several long schedules setting out in 
detail the articles on which wharfage is charged and the rates of 
wharfage on goods landed or shipped. 
I can not state the amount of receipts or disbursements, as no wharf 
owner will allow access to his wharf books, other than those kept by 
law, which only show marks and numbers of packages. 
All Americans doing business here who do not themselves own 
wharves necessarily make use of these warehouses. The maximum 
limit provided for goods to remain on any public wharf is a year, and 
if the owners shall neglect or fail to pay the legal rates, the wharf 
inger has the right to sell by public auction, and after wharfage due 
is deducted, the balance is paid to the consignee, if known, and if 
not known to the treasury oi the island. Goods stored in these ware 
houses, whether belonging to British or foreign owners, are treated 
on the same basis. No distinctions can be made, for storage and 
charges are all regulated by law. 
In Kingston all goods are landed alongside the dock. At the out- 
ports, the harbors being shallow, vessels lie in the stream, and the 
cargo is brought to the wharves in lighters. Thus it is more expen 
sive to land goods at the outports. The. cost includes the wharfage, 
which is regulated by the different schedules in the law, plus the 
lighterage, which varies from 5 up to 25 pence (10 to 50 cents) per 
package, according to size and distance of ship from the wharf. 
On each government or private wharf—both recognized as public 
wharves within the meaning of the wharfage law—there are special 
offices for the permanent use of the customs officials under whose care 
and supervision all goods remain until the duty is paid; and after 
that, until the wharfage is paid, the goods are under the supervision 
of the wharfinger, who has to pay an annual license, and his books 
containing the marks and numbers of the goods are subject to inspec 
tion by all revenue officers and persons having any interest in them, 
and further, it is obligatory that he shall make a half-yearly declara 
tion that such books are correct. 
William H. Orrett, Vice-Consul. 
Kingston, Jamaica, July 11,190If. 
« On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor.