Germany: Berlin.
47
headquarters of the import custom-house department. The warehouses
and sheds for the storage of merchandise are from 1 to 6
stories in height, constructed of brick, stone, and iron, with fireproof
floors and stairways, and equipped with modern facilities for
handling all kinds of freight.
The whole southern front of this inclosed space is a wharf along
the river, which forms the main channel of water transit through
Berlin, and is connected directly by canals and canalized rivers with
the Havel and Elbe, on which Hamburg is located, and the Oder,
which debouches at the Baltic seaport of Stettin. Branch lines
from the several State railways bring freight from every direction
directly into the inclosure, where a system of switches and turntables
permits the shunting of cars into every part of the yard.
Besides this central and dominating group there is a large bonded
Warehouse on Haide street, near the Lehrter railway station, which
ls . devoted specially to handling and storing freight that comes
directly by rail from Hamburg. Finally, there are eleven branch
custom-houses for imported merchandise (Zoll Abfertigungs Stellen)
ln different parts of the city, where smaller packages of foreign
S°°ds, baggage, etc., can be stored in bond under the provisions of
the general law.* These are so distributed as to serve conveniently
persons living in every quarter of Berlin. It is impossible to ascertain
even the approximate dimensions or cost of these establishments,
inost of which are Government property belonging to the State of
Prussia, while some of the district warehouses are in private premises
leased for the purpose on long terms by the State.
GERMAN LAW REGARDING THE WAREHOUSING OF BONDED GOODS.
The entire scope and working of the Prussian system are indicated
b .y the statute upon which it is based, namely, section 18 of the law
providing for the security of the customs limits of Prussia outside of
.f le Hamburg district. The full text of this enactment, in so far as
d relates to the bonded-warehouse system, is as follows:
A. Public Bonded Warehouses.
Sec. 97. For the promotion of indirect transit trade and internal traffic there
«'re provided public warehouses in the important commercial centers of the
tMTitory of the customs union, and at the main custom-houses on the frontier,
'hero a necessity therefor exists, which are under official supervision, and in
'Inch goods can be stored free of duty until they are withdrawn or forwarded.
11,1 public warehouses are either general warehouses (packing courts, halls,
tei'chouses, free ports, secs. 98 to 104), limited warehouses (sec. 105), or free
^rehouses (free stores, sec. 107).
I' 1 places where there are no buildings belonging to the Government which
«oi be used as warehouses, or such buildings do not exist to the required
"Xtent, it rests with the merchants or the community desiring such warehouses
I>1 their enlargement to provide the requisite sale space for the use of the
Government.
(1) IKNEBAL WAREHOUSES.
Sec. 98. Right of warehousing—Term of storage.—As a rule the right of
, ‘^'‘housing is granted only to goods which are still subject to duty and which
t,? "°* excluded from storing by special warehouse regulations (sec. 106). The
( ‘iih of storing shall, as a rule, not exceed the period of five years.
Sec. 99. ¡Storage charges.—Where storage charges are levied they are to be
'Xed for each warehouse according to the local need for covering expenses.
