The San José warehouses are owned by Señorita Maria de las Mercedes de Ajuria y Munar, Condesa de Casa Moré (deceased), and are managed by her executor and general manager, Señor Jorge de Ajuria. The Regla warehouses belong to the United Railways Company (Limited), of Habana.

It is generally understood that the service is convenient and satisfactory to the patrons. The warehouses have a regular scale of charges. The schedule of charges of the San José is annexed hereto." The receipts and expenditures are not available.

All kinds of goods are stored except those of a perishable nature and explosives. Sugar is the principal merchandise stored. It is estimated that about 15 per cent of the goods stored are American. No discrimination whatever is made with respect to nationality of the depositors. Goods remain on an average from one to two months, but may remain one. year, according to article 193 of the customs regulations. When goods are removed by boat, launch, or lighter to the warehouses the charges for service are according to their regular schedules.

The general inspector of the port exercises watchful care and supervision over the bonded warehouses as over all other places. within the customs jurisdiction. The entry and dispatch of merchandise is authorized by the custom-house in all cases, and to carry out such regulations an officer is stationed at each warehouse.

JOSEPH A. SPRINGER, Vice Consul-General.

HABANA, CUBA, August 9, 1904.

BAHAMAS.

(From United States Consul Potter, Nassau, Bahamas.)

The government owns two warehouses here for the storage of merchandise, the principal one of which is about 70 feet square. One warehouse is also owned by a private firm. I have been unable to learn the cost of any. Storage charges are in general based upon the amount of space occupied, though they vary considerably for different articles. The receipts and expenditures on account of service are not published. Almost all classes of goods may be stored in these warehouses, and goods may remain any length of time up to four years. No distinctions are made on account of nationality, and Americans sometimes use the warehouses.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS, July 22, 1904.

JULIAN POTTER, Consul.

BARBADOS.

(From United States Consul Wilber, Barbados, West Indies.)

The average dimensions of bonded warehouses in this island are 45 by 65 feet, and the original cost of such a building would be about

a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. Tariff of storage charges included in the dispatch is on file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor.

1

$4,000 to $5,000. The warehouses are all owned and conducted by the merchants and importers.

Patrons are allowed to place their goods in bond with a view to transhipment, or for other reasons that would necessitate bonding goods. Owners of the warehouses furnish labor and receive and deliver goods. The scale of charges for storage is based on the size of the packages, say 6 cents per month for an average barrel. It is impossible to obtain any idea of the receipts and expenditures on account of services.

Goods of all descriptions are stored in bond for transhipment to other ports. The warehouses are used to a very small extent by Americans, as very few are engaged in business here, although large shipments of American goods are received here. All nationalities are treated alike by the administrators of the warehouses.

Goods can be kept in bond for transhipment for one year. Facilities for removing goods from the warehouse to boat and vice versa are good, labor being cheap. The cost per average barrel is about 3 cents. All goods are transported by lighter between vessel and warehouse.

The warehouses are supervised by custom-house officers, who are in attendance from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m., and give every facility for the landing and reshipping of goods. The keys of the warehouses are delivered to the owners at 10 a. m. by the customs authorities and are returned at 4 p. m.

BARBADOS, WEST INDIES, July 23, 1904.

DAVID F. WILBER, Consul.

BERMUDA.

(From United States Consul Greene, Hamilton, Bermuda.)

The dimensions of the twenty-six buildings used here for bonded and other storage warehouse purposes are from about 50 to over 100 feet long and 18 to 47 feet wide. These buildings are of one, and a few of two, stories in height; they are of stone with slate roofs, to minimize the danger from fire, as are all buildings in Bermuda. They cost from £1,000 to £1,500 ($4,866.50 to $7,299.75) each, according to size. They are owned by business men of the colony.

The service seems to be satisfactory, as no complaints have been made. Charges are 3 pence (6 cents) for 5 cubic feet per month. Spirits and malt liquors are the principal goods stored. The Americans use the buildings to a large extent for whisky storage, many thousands of barrels of American whisky being stored at one time. Goods remain in storage from six months to a year, but some lots have been in storage for two years. All nationalities are treated alike.

Goods are carried to and from the warehouses by trucks or by horses and drays. The charges for warehousing and removal are about the same as the monthly storage charge when the goods are moved by truck; when they are drawn by drays with horses the charge is about 2 shillings (48 cents) per load of 10 barrels, commonly known as flour barrels. These warehouses are under the supervision of the officers of the customs, a revenue lock being placed on

a

the buildings as well as a lock by the proprietor of the warehouse, therefore no admission is possible except when a customs officer is present.

A copy of the revenue act of Bermuda of 1898 is herewith inclosed.a

W. MAXWELL GREENE, Consul.

HAMILTON, BERMUDA, June 22, 1904.

CURAÇAO.

(From United States Consul Cheney, Curaçao, West Indies.)

There is no general warehouse here. Goods in bond are stored wherever space can be found. Space can always be obtained at a reasonable and usually at a very low rate near the wharf. Lighterage, when required, and all labor in handling are very cheap. A Government officer attends the storage, retains the key, and attends again the removal. He is paid 2 florins (80 cents) a day-the only Government charge. Goods can remain fourteen days, and an extension of three months is allowed for 20 florins ($8.04), regardless of bulk or value. After that duties must be paid.

There is always considerable merchandise in bond-mainly dividivi, coffee, hides, and various woods. Americans rarely put goods thus in bond. All nationalities are treated exactly alike. Handling is nearly all paid by the piece, and the laborer earns from 1 to 2 florins a day-rarely more. Generally he gets an American cent a package for ordinary packages.

Officials exercise no care other than to retain the key of the storage

rooms.

ELIAS H. CHENEY, Consul.

CURAÇAO, WEST INDIES, July 19, 1904.

JAMAICA.

(From United States Vice-Consul Orrett, Kingston, Jamaica.)

The warehouses at the different ports of this island vary from 100 to 300 feet long. Some are built of wood, others of brick; they are roofed with iron sheets or shingles. The cost of the warehouses varies, according to their size, from $1,000 up. Warehouses are owned by private individuals as well as by the Government.

Dutiable goods brought by the several steamship lines from United States and Great Britain are stored in warehouses for two weeks, free of wharfage; if the goods are not then passed through the customs they are either stored in bonded warehouses on the wharf at which landed, or taken to the government warehouses, where wharfage is charged, and detained there until the duty is paid. All wharfage

a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. 18762-05 M- -11

rates are regulated by law, and I send with this the public wharf law" of 1895, which consists of several long schedules setting out in detail the articles on which wharfage is charged and the rates of wharfage on goods landed or shipped.

I can not state the amount of receipts or disbursements, as no wharf owner will allow access to his wharf books, other than those kept by law, which only show marks and numbers of packages.

All Americans doing business here who do not themselves own wharves necessarily make use of these warehouses. The maximum limit provided for goods to remain on any public wharf is a year, and if the owners shall neglect or fail to pay the legal rates, the wharfinger has the right to sell by public auction, and after wharfage due is deducted, the balance is paid to the consignee, if known, and if not known to the treasury of the island. Goods stored in these warehouses, whether belonging to British or foreign owners, are treated on the same basis. No distinctions can be made, for storage and charges are all regulated by law.

In Kingston all goods are landed alongside the dock. At the outports, the harbors being shallow, vessels lie in the stream, and the cargo is brought to the wharves in lighters. Thus it is more expensive to land goods at the outports. The cost includes the wharfage, which is regulated by the different schedules in the law, plus the lighterage, which varies from 5 up to 25 pence (10 to 50 cents) per package, according to size and distance of ship from the wharf.

On each government or private wharf-both recognized as public wharves within the meaning of the wharfage law-there are special offices for the permanent use of the customs officials under whose care and supervision all goods remain until the duty is paid; and after that, until the wharfage is paid, the goods are under the supervision of the wharfinger, who has to pay an annual license, and his books containing the marks and numbers of the goods are subject to inspection by all revenue officers and persons having any interest in them, and further, it is obligatory that he shall make a half-yearly declaration that such books are correct:

WILLIAM H. ORRETT, Vice-Consul.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA, July 11, 1904.

a On file in the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor.

SOUTH AMERICA.

BRAZIL.

BAHIA.

(From United States Consul Furniss, Bahia, Brazil.)

In this district there is one warehouse in which the Federal Government and two in which the State government will allow merchandise in transit or bond to be stored, and from which it may be taken for shipment elsewhere without payment of duty.

The Federal law, article 204 of New Code of Laws for CustomHouses, provides that private parties may gain the privilege of warehousing such merchandise as is subject to customs duties by (1) making petition by owner of building or lessee and proof of possession; (2) allowing examination of edifice as to capacity and security by commission appointed by custom-house; (3) furnishing general plan of edifice with especial reference to its entrances, interior, etc.; (4) furnishing proof of character of owner and arrangement of bond; (5) furnishing documents to prove that owner is free from judgments and in full exercise of his person and property; (6) giving bond certified to by board of trade declaring the products which he wishes to warehouse. In accord with this law the "Trapiche 2° Gomes" is designated a Federal bonded warehouse. This warehouse was built about ten years ago, is situated in the center of the commercial part of the city, and faces an open square along the water front, from which it is distant about 200 feet. It is connected by a small surface track with a pier which extends sufficiently into the bay to permit lighters and small craft to go alongside for loading and discharging, and has electric street-railroad freight service and carts for local transportation.

The building is three stories high. Its walls are solidly constructed of stone, brick, and cement, and it is roofed with tile. Outside it is stuccoed. The wooden floors are supported by large wooden pillars carrying large wooden beams. Its frontage is 23.90 meters (78.4 feet) with a wall 1.35 meters (4.4 feet) thick; its depth is 47.90 meters (157.1 feet), with a wall 1.10 meters (3.6 feet) thick, and its width at the back is 21.70 meters (71.2 feet), with a wall 1.10 meters (3.6 feet) thick. The bonded portion occupies part of the ground and second floors, being separated from the remaining portion of the warehouse by heavy iron grill work extending from floor to ceiling. This section measures on the ground floor 37.38 meters (121.5 feet) by 22.15 meters (72.7 feet) by 3.75 meters (12.3 feet) high, and the bonded part on the second floor is the same in floor space, but has a height of 5.05 meters (16.6 feet).

The services rendered by the administration consist simply in storing such articles as the custom-house will permit to be put in