DOCK BOARD WAREHOUSES.

I am able to give more specific information in regard to the dock warehouses and transit sheds owned and controlled by the Mersey Docks and Harbor Board (that is, the dock board of Liverpool). The Mersey Docks and Harbor Board is not a Government board, neither is it a private corporation. Its organization is, I believe, peculiar to Liverpool. It is what is known in this country as a "public trust." It exists by special act of Parliament. Most of the members of the board are elected by the shipowners using the port and those who pay dock rates. The British Government, however, has a certain representation on the board, as also has the Government bureau controlling the river navigation. The board exists for the good of the port and not for the purpose of making profit. Speaking generally, it may be said that whatever profits are made go to improvements, after the ordinary working expenditures have been met, interests on loans paid, and a certain amount set aside for the liquidation of the principal of the indebtedness.

BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT.

The dimensions, etc., of the Albert, Stanley, and Wapping Dock warehouses are as follows:

Albert Dock warehouses. These warehouses are in five blocks, with a connecting building between two of them. They vary in length and are not of uniform width throughout, as there is a series of embayments, or yards, and the width of the warehouses at the points where the yards are situated is considerably less than at the other parts. The following are particulars of the outside measurements: North block (let off to a company for a special business). Northeast block (No. 9), length, 263 feet; width, wide portion (191 feet long), 96 feet; narrow portion (72 feet long), 56 feet. Southeast block (No. 1), length, 271 feet; width, wide portion (199 feet long), 96 feet; narrow portion (72 feet long), 56 feet. South block (Nos. 2 and 3), length, 405 feet; width, wide portion (312 feet long), 133 feet; narrow portion (93 feet long), 59 feet. Building connecting south and west blocks, length, 62 feet; width, 88 feet. West block (Nos. 4 to 7), length 824 feet; width, wide portion (548 feet long), 114 feet; narrow portion (276 feet long), 61 feet. The warehouses are fireproof, and consist of vaults, quays, and half-decks, and four upper floors. The cost of construction, excluding the value of the land, was $1,751,035.

Stanley Dock.-There are three blocks, the north block, length 630 feet, width 90 feet; the south block, length 630 feet, width 90 feet; and the new warehouse, length 730 feet, width 165 feet. The north and south stacks each consist of a vault, quay, and four upper floors. The new warehouse consists of a basement, quay, and twelve upper floors. The three blocks are fireproof, and the upper floors thereof are devoted exclusively to the storage of tobacco. The cost of construction of these warehouses, exclusive of the value, of the land upon which the north and south blocks stand, but including the filling up of the portion of the Stanley dock upon which the new block has been erected, was nearly $2,500,000.

Wapping Dock.-Length, 766 feet; width, 75 feet. This is also

a fireproof warehouse, and consists of a vault, quay, and four upper floors. The cost of construction of this warehouse, exclusive of the value of the land, was $484,840.

The warehouses in question are owned and conducted by the Mersey Docks and Harbor Board. Small portions of some of the warehouses have, however, been let to private firms and companies, who are allowed to perform their own work in the portions let to them.

SERVICE.

The patron, or merchant, furnishes full particulars of the marks, etc., of the goods to be stored on a receiving order, and also instructs the board, in writing (generally on the receiving order), as to how he wishes the produce to be worked that is, weighed, sampled, tared, gauged, etc. Any subsequent work done to the goods while in store, as sampling, inspecting, etc., is done only by the merchant's written authority. When delivery is required a delivery order, bearing full particulars of the goods, is given by the merchant, and, after being passed through the ledgers at the office of the chief warehouse manager, it is presented at the warehouse and duly honored. It is essential that the delivery order bear the merchant's own signature, or that of some person who has been authorized to the board to sign delivery orders, etc., on his account. The merchant sees to the conveyance of the goods to the board's warehouses, and attends to their insurance against fire. In the case of tobacco from America the shipowner, under the terms of the bill of lading, conveys the produce to the warehouses. The receiver or party taking delivery looks after the removal of the goods from the warehouses, but they are delivered to his carts or crafts by the board's employees.

The goods indicated in the receiving order are received by the board's employees, and after being dealt with as directed by the merchant-that is, weighed, sampled, tared, etc.—they are stored away in the warehouse and held to the merchant's order. When delivery is required, it is given on the merchant's delivery order, the goods being broken out of pile, taken to the delivery door, and lowered onto cart or taken to craft by the board's servants, the work of stowing the produce on the carts or in the craft being done by the carter or by the crew. Weighing, taring, and gauging accounts are rendered to the merchants on completion of the work. Acknowledgments, bearing a 3-pence (6-cent) stamp and certifying that the goods are in store to the order of the merchant, are issued by the board when required, and full particulars of the produce are given therein. This document is of no value to obtain delivery or transfer of the goods, which is only given on a properly signed delivery or transfer order.

If the merchant requests it warrants are issued in his name or in that of any other person or firm whom he may elect. These also contain full details of the produce and are negotiable. Delivery can be obtained thereon, provided they are properly indorsed, and have been passed through the board's books, just as on a delivery order.

When goods are transferred all charges are collected to the date of transfer, or to the seller's prompt date, as given on the order, except in the case of tobacco, the rent charges on which are usually paid by

the buyer, and consequently payment is not insisted upon at the time of transfer.

If warrants are issued the charges on all goods (including tobacco) are collected up to the date of the issue of the documents. All charges have to be paid, or provided for, prior to goods being delivered.

CHARGES.

The rates for storage, etc., of goods at the board's warehouses are shown in the inclosed copy of the schedule of warehouses, rates, etc." At the Stanley Dock warehouses all operations are performed by the board, including the discharging of cargoes from vessels, the quay porterage thereon and the housing thereof, and the rates chargeable for the several operations are shown in the warehouse schedule mentioned. At the Albert and Wapping Dock warehouses the operations of discharging and quay porterage are usually performed by master lumpers and master porters, respectively, who are licensed but not employed by the board. The master lumper's price for discharging a cargo is subject to special arrangement, there being no fixed rates for such operations; but the rates chargeable by master porters for the quay porterage operations are fixed by the board, and are shown in the inclosed copy of the master porterage by-laws, etc. The housing operations at the Albert and Wapping Dock warehouses, as in the case of the Stanley Dock warehouses, are performed by the board, at rates shown in the warehouse schedule mentioned above.

Particulars of the receipts and expenditures at the board's warehouses for the year ending July 1, 1903, are shown in the inclosed copy of the warehouses account. The accounts for the present year have not yet been made up.

The dutiable goods usually stored at the board's warehouses are tobacco and sugar at each of the three warehouses named, and wines and spirits, tea, coffee, and cocoa at the Albert Dock warehouses. The average period during which dutiable goods remain in store at the board's warehouses may be said to be, approximately, as follows: Tobacco, two and one-fourth years; sugar, five months; wines and spirits, sixteen months; tea, five months; coffee and cocoa, twenty-one months.

It is impossible to say to what extent Americans make use of the board's warehouses, but it may be mentioned that nearly all the American tobacco imported into Liverpool is conveyed to and dealt with at these warehouses.

All the board's customers are treated exactly alike, irrespective of nationality.

a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, where it may be consulted by persons interested.

The detailed statement is on file in the Bureau of Statistics. From it the following summary is taken: For the eleven warehouses specified the total receipts were £211,240 18s. 3d. ($1,028,003.90), of which £116,000 ($564,514) were for rates and nearly £95,241 ($463,490) for rents. The expenditure, exclusive of interest on cost of land and buildings and general management charges, was £101,822 ($495,517) for rates account, £14,902 ($72,520) on rent, and £280 ($1,363) miscellaneous expenditures on the structures; the surplus receipts thus amounted to £94,237 ($458,604), from which, deducting £18,895 ($91,952), the amount of local rates for 1903, leaves £75,342 ($366,652) total net earnings for the year.

HANDLING.

The bulk of the goods mentioned are brought to the board's warehouses by carts and are taken away in the same manner. Tobacco is almost invariably landed at the open docks and carted to the warehouses, as are also tea, coffee, and cocoa. Most of the sugar housed is discharged from the importing vessel at the Albert, Stanley, or Wapping quays, and either taken direct from the vessel into store or stored after having been stowed on the quays. The board does not undertake either the cartage of goods landed at the open docks and intended for storage at their warehouses, or the cartage of goods from the said warehouses to the open docks for shipment, but from inquiries made the following appear to be the rates usually charged for such services: Tobacco, about 1s. 6d. (36 cents) per ton into store, and 1s. 8d. (40 cents) out; sugar, about 1s. 3d. (30 cents) per ton; tea, coffee, and cocoa, about 1s. 6d. (36 cents) per ton; wines and spirits, about 1s. 3d. (30 cents) per puncheon, 9d. (18 cents) per hogshead, 5d. (10 cents) per barrel, and 1d. (2 cents) per case.

All bonded goods are under the Crown locks, as well as the board's, and customs officers are constantly in attendance at the warehouses to overlook the operations performed. At the sugar storehouses the customs officer is not always present, but he pays periodical visits to satisfy himself that everything is going on all right. No bonded goods can be delivered by the board without the authority of the customs, which is given on a form provided for the purpose.

The dock board has several other large warehouses, but they are chiefly used for the storage of free goods. Transit sheds have also been provided by the board at most of the open docks for the temporary storage of dutiable goods prior to their being passed by the customs authorities. The rate books inclosed are as last printed by the dock board, the alterations which have been made from time to time in certain of the rates since the books were issued not being shown in the inclosed copies.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, July 12, 1904.

JAMES BOYLE, Consul.

MANCHESTER.

(From United States Consul Bradley, Manchester, England.)

The principal warehouses located at the Manchester docks are 13, situated on the north side of No. 8 dock, with a gross inside area of 291,473 square feet, or 32,386 square yards; and 4 situated on land adjoining Trafford Wharf road, with an inside area of 114,642 square feet, or 12,738 square yards. These warehouses are owned by the Manchester Docks and Warehouse Extension Company, from whom they are leased by the Manchester Ship Canal Company, which handles and controls all merchandise stored therein.

The Manchester Ship Canal Company also owns and controls a transit shed for bonded traffic, situate at the end of No. 7 dock, Salford, having an inside area of about 10,000 square feet, or about 1,110 square yards. The original cost of the buildings can not be ascertained. The warehouses are used principally for the storage of free

goods-i. e., goods that are allowed to enter this country without the payment of customs duties. A small portion of the block situated on the north side of No. 8 dock is certified for the storage of dutiable traffic under bond. Rates for storage at the Manchester docks on the principal commodities imported from North America are shown on the list inclosed. Charges, including one month's storage, vary from 36 cents to $1.22 per ton. Rent is from 3 to 12 cents per ton per week.

Figures of receipts and expenditures on account of service can not be ascertained.

All sorts of goods are stored-tobacco, glucose, sugar, tea, rum, wines and spirits, etc. A large portion of the import trade to Manchester consists of traffic from America, and in specifying the principal American dutiable articles imported I would include tobacco in tierces, glucose, and grape sugar. All nationalities are treated exactly alike as regards storage and charges.

With the exception of tobacco dealers, I find it is the rule for importers to pay duty on dutiable goods at time of import. This is not done, however, with tobacco, which is imported in the closing months of the year and remains in store for perhaps twelve months. Goods are removed by steam crane from steamer to the store by rail alongside the docks, and also by wagons; merchandise is reshipped in the same manner.

WM. HARRISON BRADLEY, Consul.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, September 13, 1904.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.

(From United States Vice and Deputy Consul Nixon, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.)

Bonded warehouses in this city are owned and managed by private firms. A merchant can either have a bonded warehouse of his own, or he can take part in a general bond with other merchants who also have goods stored. The dimensions and original cost of warehouses can not be given. Some warehouses are owned by capitalists and leased to public warehousemen, and they are conducted under the supervision of the customs officers. Both the merchants and the customs officers have separate keys, so that one can not enter without the other.

The inclosed rate book shows the various charges in connection with goods in the Hartlepool ports, either warehoused by the Northeastern Railway Company, which owns bonds, or passing over the dock quays and not using the warehouses in any way. No charges are made by the customs authorities, who provide their officers free of charge.

The principal classes of goods stored are: Spirits-rum, brandy, geneva, whisky, gin, other spirits not sweetened, British spirits not sweetened, foreign spirits not sweetened; wine; beer, foreign; beer

• On file in the Bureau of Statistics. Circulars regarding the special customs regulations are also on file.

On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 18762-05 M- -8