190

OCEANIA.

AUSTRALIA.
MELBOURNE,  VICTORIA.
(From  United  States  Consul-General  lirai/,  Melbourne,  Victoria.)
There  are  four  classes  of  bonded  warehouses  established  at  the  port
of  Melbourne,  Victoria,  the  first  class  or  general  warehouses  being
used  by  the  public,  the  others  being  used  only  by  the  licensees  or  owners ­
  for  the  storage  of  their  own  goods,  and  not  catering  for  general
business.  There  is,  in  addition,  the  King’s  warehouse,  the  property
of  the  Government,  which  is  used  mainly  for  the  storage  of  unclaimed ­
  pr  seized  goods.  The  general  warehouses,  of  which  there
are  ten,  have,  with  the  exception  of  one,  been  formed  into  an  association ­
  which  practically  controls  the  business  of  the  port.  It  is  extremely ­
  difficult  to  procure  information  from  this  association  in
regard  to  dimensions  of  buildings,  cost  of  construction,  rates,  etc.
Its  officers,  when  approached  for  particulars,  would  only  furnish
information  of  a  general  character.  The  average  capacity  of  the
establishments  forming  the  association  is  8,000  tons  by  measurement,
and  the  cost  was  about  $135,000.  The  capacity  of  the  Government
warehouse  is  6,336  tons.
The  warehouses  are  owned  and  conducted  by  limited  companies
and  private  individuals.  A  complete  list  %  is  attached,  showing  the
name  by  which  each  of  the  ten  warehouses  of  the  first  class  is  known,
the  name  of  the  licensee  and  the  location,  and  also  the  same  information ­
  for  the  seven  private  warehouses  of  class  2,  for  the  seven
machinery  warehouses  of  class  3,  and  for  the  eight  manufacturing
warehouses  of  class  4.
Goods  are  stored  for  the  convenience  of  merchants  until  the  duty
is  paid  or  the  goods  exported.  The  licensee  of  the  warehouse  provides ­
  all  labor,  receives  goods  into  his  warehouse,  stacks  them,  and
delivers  them  to  vehicles  at  his  door,  provides  lights,  scales,  and
measures,  etc.  (See  section  92  of  the  customs  act,  hereto  annexed. 6 )
The  average  charge  (rent)  is  about  4  pence  (8  cents)  per  ton  per
week,  and  a  further  charge  of  2  shillings  (48  cents'i  per  ton,  known
as  "  delivery,”  is  made  when  the  goods  are  delivered  to  the  importer.
Extra  charges  are  made  in  the  event  of  weighing,  sampling,  regauging,
  repacking,  etc.  A  list  of  charges  made  by  the  associated
warehouses  is  given  herewith.  These  charges  are  generally  collected ­
  when  the  goods  are  delivered  to  the  importer.  The  charges
a  On  file  in  the  Bureau  of  Statistics,  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor.
&  Customs  act  of  1901  and  the  regulations  of  June,  1904,  are  on  file  in  the
Bureau  of  Statistics,  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor.