90 
WAREHOUSES LN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, 
THE BLAAUWHOEDENVEEM. 
The following information about the Naamlooze Vennootschap 
Blaauwhoedenveem is taken from one of its trade circulars and from 
other publications issued by it : 0 
The company, which was established in 1616, acts as forwarding agents, 
sworn city weighers, lightermen, wharfingers, and stevedores. It has a capi 
tal of 2,710,000 florins ($1,089,420), and does business in Amsterdam, Antwerp, 
and Rotterdam. Besides conducting a storage warehouse, the company insures 
goods stored and issues warants on which advances may be obtained. 
At Amsterdam there are two capital warehouses situated on the principal 
quay (de Handelkade). These establishments are divided into five separate 
premises, called by the names of the continents, Europa, Azië, Afrika, Amerika, 
Australie; they contain 323,000 square feet of floor space, and are equipped 
with all modern facilities, such as hydraulic cranes, lifts, etc., and electric 
lights. The company’s piers are connected directly with the Dutch railroads. 
At Rotterdam are three spacious warehouses. One is situated on the Wil- 
helminakade and comprises three separate premises, called Scheepvaart (navi 
gation), Ilandel (commerce), and Nyverlieid (industry) ; these are also pro 
vided with electric elevators and lighted by electricity, and contain 56,000 
square feet of floor space. Beneath the buildings are three fire and water 
proof cellars capable of containing 6,000 barrels each. The second building is 
called Santos, and stands between the Rhine and Maas harbors, and is specially 
constructed for handling and storing coffee, with cool cellars for margarine, 
oil, wines, etc. The third building is called Nederlands Indie, is located in the 
center of the town, next to the company’s coffee-shelling works, and is used for 
local goods. The company also has a bonded warehouse called the Westelyk- 
Handelsterrein, which is composed of 36 buildings half underground; these 
provide accommodations for storing fruit at low temperatures the year round. 
The following is from a publication received at this office from the 
Naamlooze Vennootschap Blaauwhoedenveem: 
The history of this company dates back to the early days of the seventeenth 
century ; but judging from the monopoly it possessed even then in connection 
with the weighing of goods at the public scales it may safely be accepted that 
Blaauwhoedenveem existed years before the time from which its records date. 
For a couple of centuries no alteration worth mentioning took place in the 
general aspect of the undertaking, and until the middle of the nineteenth cen 
tury it existed on a comparatively small scale. In 1857, however, Blaauwhoe 
denveem introduced the system of warrants, depositing the necessary security 
with the States Bank, and this important movement resulted in a rapid develop 
ment of the corporation, which still further increased when, two years later, in 
1859, it was intrusted by one of the biggest Dutch trading companies, De Neder- 
landsche Handel-Maatschappy, with the storing and manipulation of the East 
Indian coffees for the Dutch Government. 
The prosperity of the corporation steadily grew until increasing trade brought 
about its reconstruction as a joint stock company, with a capital of 750,000 
florins, under the name of Naamlooze Vennootschap Blaauwhoedenveem. This 
was in 1886. Before the nineteenth century drew to a close still more expan 
sions were witnessed. Scarcely five years after the formation of the joint 
stock company, Blaauwhoedenveem acquired the control over the Handelskade 
Company (Limited), of Amsterdam, owners of a big modern warehouse at the 
Handelskade. The success secured with this new type of warehouse soon 
induced the company to construct another warehouse exactly similar to the 
first. It was completed in 1893. These splendid buildings, with large rooms 
for the sorting and sampling of all kinds of merchandise, enable Blaauwhoe 
denveem to offer its clients all facilities they may require. 
« Illustrations of various buildings of this and other warehouse companies 
at Amsterdam, with diagrams of the port and financial reports of the corpora 
tions, are on file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and 
Labor, where they may be consulted by persons interested.