190

WAREHOUSES  IN  FOREIGN  COUNTRIES.

MADAGASCAR.
TAMATAVE.
(From  United  States  Consul  Hunt,  Tamatave,  Madagascar.)
*  Bonded  warehouses  were  unknown  in  Madagascar  till  very  recently,
and  have  thus  far  been  established  only  in  the  port  of  Tamatave.  In
June,  1900,  a  convention  was  made  between  the  French  minister  of
the  colonies  and  the  Colonial  Company  of  Madagascar  for  the  establishment ­
  of  bonded  warehouses  for  the  general  storage  of  goods  for
the  chief  port  of  Madagascar,  with  a  view  to  creating  (1)  a  bonded
warehouse,  (2)  storage  warehouses  at  the  disposal  of  merchants  for
goods  stored  as  collateral  for  loans  by  the  banks,  and  (3)  storehouses
open  to  all  goods  free  from  any  encumbrances.  That  convention
conferred  a  monopoly  of  the  customs  bonded  warehouses  and  the
general  storage  warehouses.
In  September,  1902,  the  Colonial  Company  was  replaced  by  the
Société  des  Magasins  Généraux  et  Entrepôts  de  Madagascar  (The
Bonded  Warehouses  and  General  Storage  Company  of  Madagascar)
by  a  decree  of  the  governor-general,  and  this  company  undertakes
(1)  the  storage,  handling,  and  preservation  of  merchandise  in  the
bonded  warehouses  and  stores;  (2)  insurance  against  the  risks  of  fire;
(3)  the  unloading,  loading,  reception,  delivery,  and  transit  of  merchandise; ­
  (4)  the  transport  of  all  goods  within  the  limits  of  Tamatave; ­
  (5)  all  custom-house  operations;  (6)  in  fine,  all  consignments,
arrangements  for  freight  and,  generally  speaking,  all  operations
tending  to  facilitate  commerce  and  navigation.
The  company’s  establishment  consists  of  70.000  square  meters  (17.3
acres)  of  land  conveniently  situated  near  the  landing  place,  with
warehouses  constructed  thereon,  the  whole  having  cost  $170,000.
These  are  all  to  revert  to  the  government  at  the  expiration  of  the
concession  in  1928  on  payment  by  it  of  their  then  value,  to  be  determined ­
  by  appraisers.  The  buildings  so  far  erected,  which  are  confined ­
  strictly  to  present  wants,  comprise  landing  sheds,  bonded  warehouses ­
  proper,  warehouses  for  storage  of  goods  in  transit,  offices  of
the  customs,  offices  of  the  company,  and  magasins  libres,  or  free
warehouses  (where  merchandise  is  deposited  free  of  charge  for
storage  until  it  has  been  visited  by  the  custom  officers—a  period  of  a
week  or  ten  days).  These  buildings  are  constructed  with  iron  framework ­
  filled  in  with  brick  and  roofed  with  tile,  and  cover  slightly
over  an  acre  of  ground.
Such  merchants  as  I  have  spoken  to  give  the  impression  that  they
consider  the  charges  excessive,  although  they  are  generally  satisfied-But
  the  fact  is  that  the  elaborate  organization  of  such  an  establishment ­
  in  a  young  colony  where  everything  before  was  done  in  a  very
loose  manner  naturally  chafes,  as  the  merchants,  and  especially  the
old  settlers,  are  not  accustomed  to  its  many  formalities.  Then  again
trade  is  so  depressed  just  now  that  the  amount  of  business  is  not  compatible ­
  with  the  machinery  at  hand  for  handling  it,  the  receipts  of
the  bonded  stores  amounting  to  only  $5,000  a  year,  which  barely
covers  the  working  expenses,  thus  charges  for  the  present  have  to  be
maintained  at  their  highest  legitimate  point.
The  chargés  for  the  storage  of  goods  are  made  according  to  weight