THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 16TH JULY, 1879.
431
19. The British Packets have been accelerated by two days on both the outward and homeward voyages. The day fixed for departure from Shanghai having been found inconvenient, however, the mail now leaves that port twenty-four hours earlier than was originally intended. One result of this accelerated service has been seriously to increase the expenses of this Colony in Marine Sorting. When that system was first established, the Marine Officers were sent down to Singapore free in the P. & 0. packets all the year round. Then it became impossible to continue this arrangement in the S. W. Monsoon, and the officers had to be sent down by private ship or by the French mail. Now this course will have to be adopted all the year round. But for the cooperation of the various steamer companies, who kindly grant passages for the officers on reduced terms, the marine service would have become too expensive to be carried on, in fact the question whether it has not already become so is under the con- sideration of the Government.
20. No year elapses without a disaster, that of 1878 happened on October 10th. For years past it has been the custom to enclose the supplementary parcel for London made up on each British Packet in a mail for Singapore, and it appears that during all this time the inner package has never been marked viâ Brindisi, it having been left to the Singapore Office to see that it went on by that route. On October 10th the amount of correspondence posted on board for London was too large to admit of this treatment, and a clerk from one of the Banks, knowing that the heavy letters he had to post on board would be too large for the usual brown paper package, thoughtfully called at this Office on his way to the steamer for a bag. The mail was made up in this bag, and forwarded outside the Singapore mail. The despatching officer, who appears to have taken no further interest in his duties than to desire to have them over as quickly as possible, omitted to mark this bag riâ Brindisi, and it reached England via Southampton. The consequences were very serious, as it was an unusually heavy mail, consisting entirely of Bank or other important letters. Measures have been taken to have the supplementary mail closed on a better system altogether, and, as far as practicable, to render such carelessness impossible.
21. The department is no longer able to give detailed statistical information respecting the circu- lation of correspondence. One great aim of the Postal Union has been to get rid of accounts, and of the counting or weighing of letters, &c. This alone it is which allows of the extended hours for post- ing mentioned in paragraph 1. Many Post Offices, it is true, do still publish elaborate tables of statis- ties, but these are compiled from observations taken at stated periods, and can only be regarded as ap- proximately correct.
It may
be doubted, moreover, whether these expensive tables are read by any- body but the proof correctors, or serve any useful purpose whatever. Such tabular information as this Office is able to give will be found appended.
22. The following have been the average passages of the mail steamers during the year:
Gain or loss as compared with 1877.
Average voyage allowed.
Average voyage
taken.
French Packets, Homeward, British Packets, Outward,.
425 days..
374 days.
Qainy day.
40-
..38
...Loss
French Packets, Outward,
404
British Packets, Homeward,
.42!
405
..Gain -+
.....Gain &
23. The quickest passages home have been made by the Messageries Packets. The mail once. reached London viâ Marseilles in 34 days ( Anadyr ) and five times in 35 days. The shortest passage by P. & O. packet has been 37 days (three times).
24. On the other hand the P. & O. packets have made the quickest passages out, having delivered the mails seven times within 36 days. The Messageries packets have four times delivered the London mail within 37 days.
25. With regard to revenue the Colony has every reason to be satisfied. Bearing in mind that during three months of 1877 Postage was collected at the old rates, double those in force during last year, some diminution of receipts would of course be expected in 1878. Moreover out of the receipts for 1878 a contribution of £3,150 has for the first time been remitted to the London Post Office. After paying all claims presented to date, the balance left to the credit of the Colony is upwards of $27,000. One heavy claim for 1877 still remains to be paid, viz., to the London Office for conveyance of Continental and other Union correspondence by British Packets, but with that exception the accounts for 1877 have been closed, within the last few weeks only.
26. The Revenue of the two years 1878 and 1877 may be compared as follows:-
Imperial share, ....
1878. .$50.222.27*.
1877. $54,615.21.
Share of other Countries,
Colonial Expenditure,.... 38,470.25
4,076.44†.
Balance,
Gross Revenue.
28,756.62
$121,525.58
38,072.77. 37,919.39.
$130,607.37.
Decrease, $4,392.94. ..Increase, 4.076.44. 397.48. .Decrease, 9,162.77.
Decrease, $9,081.79.