GERMANY:  HAMBURG.

55

further  provisions,  terms,  etc.,  I  refer  to  the  inclosed  copy  of  the
complete  articles  of  the  Hamburger  Freihafen-Lagerhaus-Gesellschaft,“
  as  well  as  to  the  report  on  the  free  harbor  of  Hamburg  prepared ­
  by  my  predecessor,  Consul  Robertson,  and  transmitted  to  the
Department  of  State  on  November  27,  1895.*

WAREHOUSES  IN  THE  FREE  HARBOR.

^ent  for  the  storing  and  manipulating  of  merchandise,  etc.,  to
165,085  square  meters  (197,442  square  yards).  The  approximate
original  cost  of  the  warehouses  was  about  $5,000,000.
The  Hamburger  Freihafen-Lagerhaus-Gesellschaft  not  only  leases
entire  buildings,  floors,  and  rooms  to  private  firms  and  persons,  but
also  operates  itself  a  number  of  warehouses  and  sheds  for  the  storing
of  merchandise,  etc.  A  detailed  account  of  service  can  be  seen  from
the  inclosed  copy  of  the  regulations  and  tariff  of  the  company,“  containing ­
  all  regulations,  specified  tariff  of  charges  for  storing,  weighdelivering,
  etc.,  of  goods,  and  further  particulars,  thus  giving  a
clear  picture  of  the  manner  in  which  the  services  are  performed.  The
approximate  annual  receipts  on  account  of  services  amount  to
*•>00,000  and  the  expenditures  to  $250,000.  Full  particulars  are
shown  by  the  inclosed  report  of  the  company  for  the  year  1903, c  containing, ­
  among  other  information,  balance  sheets,  giving  all  receipts,
<ls ?pts,  expenditures,  and  liabilities.
,  Most  of  the  firms  which  have  rented  storage  room  or  entire  buildln
 gs  from  the  corporation  operate  such  storage  entirely  on  their  own
account  and  under  self-management,  without  control  on  the  part  of
the  company.  Besides,  several  buildings  and  floors  are  let  to  so-called
.  Vuartiersleute,"  whose  business  consists  in  storing  and  manipulatweighing,
  sampling,  etc.—merchandise  for  merchants  whose
Prices  are  located  in  the  city  proper  and  who  do  not  operate  warehouses ­
  of  their  own  in  the  free  harbor.
In  addition  to  the  warehouses  of  the  Hamburger  Freihafen-Lageraus-Gesellscliaft
  there  are  several  other  warehouses  in  the  free  hari
 0 ?  conducted  by  private  firms,  who  are  the  proprietors  of  such
hildings.  Whereas  the  warehouses  owned  by  the  Freihafenagerhaus-Gesellsdiaft
  are  exclusively  modern  structures  equipped
mh  all  necessary  appliances  for  lifting,  warehousing,  and  unhousn
 g  of  merchandise,  both  by  land  and  water,  the  privately  owned
arehouses  are  generally  old  buildings  on  the  south  bank  of  the
j v ' v .er  Elbe,  which  are  almost  exclusively  used  for  the  storing  of
H ilk  goods  which  do  not  require  special  care  and  attention,  and  conwl!
  /! n  in  the  ümeau  °f  Statistics,  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor,
&  Tni  nia ^  consulted  by  parties  interested.
8  valuable  report  was  printed  in  Consular  Report  No.  185,  for  February,
Inin’  4 >ai ’ es  137  to  194.  It  gives  a  history  of  the  port  and  its  relations  to  the
for  i  ria '  postoms  Union,  a  description  of  the  natural  and  artificial  facilities
ti  Addling  trade,  cost  of  the  works,  charges  for  service,  etc.,  the  port  regulac
  s,  and  the  extent  of  the  trade.
Uu  file  in  the  Bureau  of  Statistics,  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor.