The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-15

when Hamburg entered the Ger
man Customs Union in 1888 she inau-
gurated the administration Of her free
port. which for Ave years previous had
been la process OF construction. The
free port is located on the River Elbe,
directly abuttlng the city. which Is
sixty-five miles from the sea. and takes
in the entire river for a stretch OF
Ave miles from Altoona to Elbe Bridge.
The land area comprised within this
o n was in 1881 occupied by 10000
inhabitants, who were evicted when
the land was condemned by the State.
There is in the free port a land area
Of 1925 acres. in addition to 1870 acres
OF water area. al OF which 10 hut
of from the inland by a Of a
canal on the city side OF the harbor
and by mean Of floating palisades on
the other side. The entrances to the
city and to the upper and lower Eide
are guarded by customs stations"
1t Is therefore manifest that the
free port OF Hamburg Is an isolated
area capable of separate administra-
ton. and the existence OF floating pail
sades and guarded entrances to tho
city makes II clear that the free port
Is purposely isolated 8 that dutiablo
goods cannot be smuggled into the
municipality. while yet admitting Of
every facility OF access ease Of ham
ding. and preparation for reshipment
abroad with a minimum or red tape.
In other words. a free port IL pr!-
marily a hating place in transit, and
is an elaborated development OF the
bonded warehouse as we understand II
here. How Hamburg makes use OF its
privileges is thus explained by Prof.
Kennedy:
within the free port goods are I'M
loaded. stored, packed. mixed or ma
stipulated. or manufactured with as
great freedom as though customs offi-
Gals were an unknown species to CON-
merce. There Is an interesting way Of
bringing ships up the river to the free
port. The red tape amounts to MOTH
ing except that the pilot Ii a sworn
man. who is under oath not to allow
any goods to leave the vessel while 1t
Is In his charge. There has never been
an evidence OF bad faith on the part
Of these pilots. The Hamburg free
port is practically the entire harbor.
because with the exception OF river
bGrges en- route between the upper and
lower Elbe which take the canal
around the free port all shipping
comes to the free port. The free
port Is a place of varied activity In
transshipment from ocean vessels to
river barges and the circular railway,
in Tightening to the city and to the
free port warehouses. n In the
rapid movements Of tugs and
small power boats all centred in
a relatively small space. In addi-
ton to this activity at the quays
and en- the water there Is an important
commercial business being carried on
in the rows of warehouses which are
employed not only for storage but also
for selling headquarters and offices,
and close by are two great shipbuild-
ing plants and just beyond lows of
small fact rles which front directly
on the water. Whoever has seen the
harbor at Hamburg has seen one OF
the most impressive sights Of a great
commercial nation"
Bremen lies nineteen miles nearer
the sea than Hamburg n yet she
plays second to Hamburg despite the
possession of a free port. The phase
Of her free port wherein h Is out
stripped by Hamburg a in II a lesson
for Greater New York. Bremen's free
port has grown steadily since its in
ception, but II will always lag behind
Hamburg's because II has not the right
also to manufacture. 1t can repack,
mix or manipulate the goods received
freely so long az their character IL
unchanged, Commercially this has
MANN n antnUa uyharn frnnQ0hfn