amounts of merchandise may be carried in the custom-house proper for about one year, but each withdrawal necessitates a new dispatch and additional expense.

GEO. H. PICKERILL, Consul.

ST. MICHAELS, AZORES, September 24, 1904.

RUSSIA.

ST. PETERSBURG.

(From United States Consul-General Watts, St. Petersburg, Russia.)

Several buildings are used by the Government customs authorities and by others for the storage of merchandise in transit or in bond in this city. It has been impossible to secure the dimensions and original cost of warehouses, even approximately. They are owned and conducted by the Government, by corporations, and by individual merchants, generally tea and tobacco merchants, all under the surveillance of the Government customs officials. The principal warehouse in this city, second only to the Government customs warehouse, is one conducted by a corporation of workmen known as the Bourse Artel, who rent their building, containing thirty-five rooms, from the Bourse Corporation. There are also warehouses owned and conducted by the Government on an island near the city for the storage of inflammable or combustible goods. Receipts and expenditures on account of service are not obtainable. Service is very slow from the American standpoint, but otherwise satisfactory. Careful inspection of goods is made on arrival and on departure and reasonable security is given for goods stored. The scale of charges for storage in the Government customs warehouses is as follows: Under cover, onesixth of 1 kopeck (one-twelfth of 1 cent) per pood (36 pounds) per day; and outside, one forty-fifth of 1 kopeck per pood per day. In the Bourse Artel warehouse the charge for a room 14 by 21 feet is 500 rubles ($250) per year or 50 rubles ($25) per month. The principal goods stored in transit or in bond are tea, tobacco, wines, machinery, and dry goods. Goods remain in bond on an average of about three months. They are sometimes promptly removed; sometimes they remain for the full term of one year, which is the limit of time; if not removed by that time they are sold at public auction. Americans make little or no use of these warehouses, but all nationalities are supposed to be treated exactly alike by the administrators.

The Government customs warehouses and that of the Bourse Artel are situated close to the river Neva and very convenient for the handling of goods, but they are a great distance from the railroads, requiring long hauls by wagons. The other warehouses are in various parts of the city.

The care and supervision exercised over the warehouses by customhouse officials are very rigid, and smugglers are severely dealt with when found. ETHELBERT WATTS, Consul-General.

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, July 21, 1904.

ODESSA.

(From United States Consul Heenan, Odessa, Russia.)

The only warehouses here are the customs stores at the port and elsewhere in the town in which goods arriving from abroad are placed or stored for examination on which to base the amount of customs duties to be paid. Goods may remain in these stores as long as the storage charges are paid. Goods in transit from Odessa to some point in the interior, such as cotton or tea, are simply loaded into cars on the quay by the customs authorities and forwarded to their destination. When the destination is Kiev, Moscow, etc., the duties are paid at these large centers, otherwise at Odessa. There are no private bonded warehouses at this port, but the customs regulations here permit the storage of such articles as tea in the private storehouse of the importer, said storehouse being in charge of customs officials. Tea is imported largely at Odessa from China, Japan, and India, and it is tested and mixed here to suit the Russian taste. Tea is also exported from this port to the United States, and the trade is growing. The large addition to the population of New York and elsewhere 1 from Russia accounts for this new trade. Tea which remains in the storehouse above mentioned is not required to pay duty until such time as it is removed. Tea exported from these stores is not required to pay duty.

ODESSA, RUSSIA, June 29, 1904.

THOS. E. HEENAN, Consul.

SPAIN.

BARCELONA.

(From United States Vice-Consul-General Rider, Barcelona, Spain.)

The port of Barcelona is now provided with a number of small warehouses where goods can be stored on payment of a monthly rent. The only large warehouses, however, are those known by the names "Crédito y Docks de Barcelona," "Almacenes Generales de Comercio," and "Vda. de A. Xelma." The two former have refused to furnish me with any information whatever, in spite of repeated requests, and I am therefore compelled to confine my report to the "Vda. de A. Xelma " warehouses. These cover an area of about 65,000 square feet, and the cost of the site and building was 250,000 pesetas ($35,714). They are owned by the widow of A. Xelma, and are under the management of José M. Serra. These warehouses are extensively used by merchants who have no stores of their own or whose warehouses are too small.

The following is the scale of charges per 100 kilos (220.46 pounds): For entering and storing, 5 centavos (0.7 cent); rent and fire insurance for one month, 6 centavos (0.85 cent); clearing goods from warehouse, 5 centavos; weighing, 5 centavos; measuring, when required, in sacks of 70 liters (7.9457 pecks), costs 5 centavos (0.7 cent) per cuartera, a dry measure containing about 15 pecks.

The receipts vary considerably, and I have been unable to obtain even an approximate estimate. The expenditures, including taxes, gas, water, etc., amount to about 10,000 pesetas ($1.429) per annum. The goods chiefly stored are cereals and flour. It is difficult to state to what extent American firms or others make use of the warehouses, as nearly all foreign firms have their representatives in this city and the goods are stored in the name of the agent. No distinctions whatever are made by the administrators of the warehouses between different nationalities.

The only warehouses enjoying the privilege of storing goods in bond are those known as the "Crédito y Docks de Barcelona."

The removal of goods from boat to warehouse or vice versa is effected in carts at a cost of 12 pesetas ($1.78) per 10,000 kilos (22,046 pounds), or roughly, 18 cents per ton.

H. HENDERSON RIDER, Vice-Consul-General.

BARCELONA, SPAIN, November 9, 1904.

SWEDEN AND NORWAY.

CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY.

(From United States Consul-General Bordewich, Christiania, Norway.)

The Christiania bonded warehouse was completed in March, 1903. It is a solid stone structure, eight stories high, having a ground space of 1,080 square meters (1,292 square yards). Sufficient adjacent ground, with sheds and river front, is attached to the premises. The original cost of the building was $188,000; it is owned and conducted by a stock company with $400,000 capital. The Christiania free warehouse, as it is commonly termed, serves as a substitute for a free port, and it serves its purpose well. The custom-house officers have supervision over the management of the institution; they determine rates of charges for rent of space and act as arbitrators between the public and the management. The warehouse company is compelled to furnish and maintain on the premises, for use of the custom-house officers, all necessary weights and measures, also to furnish and maintain suitable offices for their use in the building, to have telephones placed in such offices, and to reimburse the custom-house for all expenditures caused by the establishment.

Arriving uncleared merchandise is, on application, moved by the warehouse company under custom-house control from ship or depot to the warehouse. The merchandise is stored without payment of duty and may be withdrawn at any time, in whole or in part, and the duty paid on the day of removal to the custom-house officers located in the building. Domestic merchandise on which drawback is allowed, as well as domestic or customs cleared merchandise which may be wanted for admixtures with goods stored at the warehouse may, with certain restrictions, also be admitted, but all combustibles, explosives, and other objectionable goods are excluded. Goods in transit may also be stored at the warehouse. No stored goods can be

sold at retail from the warehouse, and no goods can there be manufactured, except as above indicated.

The warehouse is divided into rooms of different sizes. Some of the larger importing firms rent a whole room, to which they are allowed one key, while the custom-house officers hold the other. With the merchandise stored in this manner the warehouse company has no concern or responsibility, except as a guard against burglary. Merchandise stored in the common storeroom, where several lots of goods belonging to different owners are stored, remains under the control of the custom-house officers and the warehouse company, each of them holding a key and both parties having free access. custom-house people have free access to all parts of the premises at all times. The warehouse is open to the public during regular office hours.

The

The facilities for transportation of goods by the warehouse company are good. The charges for transportation of uncleared merchandise from ship to warehouse are 16 cents per ton for heavy goods and 7 cents per cubic meter (35.314 cubic feet) for light goods. The charges for storage are:

Charges for every square meter (10.764 square feet) space occupied in Christiania warehouses.

For cleaning and lighting there is an additional charge of $1 for twelve months, 50 cents for six months, or for less time 10 cents a month.

The transportation of uncleared merchandise from ship or depot to the warehouse is done by the warehouse company's laborers, under custom-house control, at the stipulated price. As the warehouse has a river front, barges are often used. All work in connection with the moving of merchandise on the premises is also done by the company for a stipulation. The transportation of merchandise from customhouse, cr from private warehouses, to the company's warehouse, as well as the removal of withdrawn merchandise from the company's warehouse, may be done by the owner at his own expense.

The receipts and expenditures on account of service can not at present be ascertained, but the management informs me that the institution is well patronized and gains in favor with the public as time passes.

The principal classes of goods stored are wines, liquors, tobaccos, flour, oleomargarine, canned goods, dried fruits, notions, and furs. The length of time goods remain in bond, either at custom-house or at warehouse, depends entirely on their capacity for withstanding the effects of long storage without being damaged or suffering decrease in value. Goods generally remain three to six months.

18762-05 M- -7

A large portion of the American goods imported are stored in this warehouse. No discrimination is made by the administrators of the warehouse between the different countries.

HENRY BORDEWICH, Consul-General.

CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY, August 15, 1904.

GOTTENBORG, SWEDEN.

(From United States Consul Bergh, Gottenborg, Sweden.)

Here in Gottenborg are no proper warehouse buildings for storing merchandise in transit or in bond. There are only sheds or rooms in the custom-house building for temporary storage of merchandise until it can be cleared at the custom-house. The merchants who have goods on hand for which they do not desire to pay the import duty immediately own or rent cellars or warehouse rooms in any part of the city, and such warehouse rooms become bonded (after application and inspection) by the fact that the customs officials hold the key to one of the locks of the door (which must have two, the merchant holding the key to the other). The customs officers may also put a seal on the door if it is considered necessary.

Whenever the merchant desires to take out, clear at the customhouse, or dispose of any part of the bonded goods, or (upon special permission) to repack the goods, or handle them in any way, a customs officer must be present and make a record of what is done, so that there will be no confusing change of marks or the like. According to law the customs authorities have a lien on the goods until the import duty or other dues are paid.

Spirituous liquors, alcohol, potatoes or other root crops, and explosive goods may not be stored in bond. In transit warehouse spirituous liquors or explosive goods may not be stored, nor may potatoes or any other root crops unless intended for reexport. Only piece goods— that is, merchandise arriving boxed or wrapped up, or uncovered goods in pieces or bundles-may be stored in transit warehouses.

For merchandise under bond there are charged "bond dues" amounting to 1 per cent of the import duty. The customs dues for goods in transit warehouses are for the first three months 70 öre (about 19 cents) per each 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds), and for each succeeding period of three months 35 öre (about 9 cents) per 100 kilograms. Further relations between the merchant and the customs officials as to time for paying the dues, security, transport under bond, etc., are minutely specified in the customs regulations in paragraphs too lengthy to be quoted here.

All handling or transportation of the goods must be done by the owner or at his expense. When goods to be cleared are handled, weighed, repacked, etc., inside the custom-house by the customs warehousemen, the merchant must pay them for the work.

A private company (Göteborgs Magasinsaktiebolag) has several warehouse rooms for the purpose of storing goods for merchants, and the company also furnishes loans on goods stored in its warehouses. This company charges a rent varying from 75 öre (20 cents) to 6 öre (1.6 cents) a month per 100 kilograms for lots of at least 5,000 kilos