176
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 24TH MARCH, 1877.
32. It must be remembered, however, that throughout the whole year, two rival Offices in Japan and the North of China have been offering communication with America and Europe at rates less than half of ours (5d. on letters for instance as against 1s. 2d.) and that, for Shanghai and Ports North of Shanghai, the route viâ Sau Francisco is at least as speedy as that viâ Suez. At Yokohama alone nearly 10,000 letters and 6,000 papers less were posted for the Suez route in 1876 than in 1875. It has been learnt that the Mail despatched from that port viâ San Francisco has been as much as fifty bags by one Packet. Much of the contents would no doubt be papers, &c., which but for the low rates would not have been posted at all; but a few years since all the rest would have passed through this Office.
33. The usual tables are appended. After what has been said above they call for no special remark, except to point out the large decrease of £2,530 in the total amount remitted to England by Money Orders, a decrease due, no doubt, to the extremely unfavourable rates of exchange, which have been as low as 3s. 64d per dollar.
34. The quickest passages home have been made by the Messageries Packets, the Mail carried by which vessels four times reached London in 35 days. The P. & O. Packets have delivered the Mail in 38 days six times. The Oceanic left for San Francisco on December 4th, and reached that port in 23 days.
35. The quickest passages out have been made by the P. & O. Packets, which have delivered the Mails eight times within 36 days. The Messageries Packet Sindh arrived on August 5th with the Mail 37 days from London. The Oceanic arrived on May 13th after a voyage of 26 days from San Francisco.
36. Tables B. & C. afford the following averages:--
British Packets, Outward, French Packets, Homeward,.
French Packets, Outward,
Average voyage allowed. 404 days. 424
Average voyage taken. 38 days.
38
*7
402
41
""
!
British Packets, Homeward,.
413 423/
"
37. It is to be hoped that the next Annual Report will be more encouraging, if not with regard to Revenue (for Revenue is in all probability a thing of the past) at any rate in something to show for the Revenue which may have ceased to exist. The chief characteristic of 1876 has been waiting for better times. It must not be expected, however, that the Postal Union machinery will work smoothly all at once. Much experience and a vast deal of correspondence will be required to settle things into their new groove. Perplexing questions are almost sure to present themselves. It is hoped that public forbearance will be extended to delays which, vexatious as they are, are inevitable where correspondence with distant Offices is involved.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Serv
The Honourable H. E. Wodehouse,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
HONGKONG.
APPENDIX.
(A.) GENERAL RETURN OF POST OFFICE BUSINESS:
ALEVO LISTER,
Imaster General.
SENT.
1875.
Books Letters. and. Letters. Papers.
1876.
Books
INCREASE.
DECREASE.
Books
Books
1875.
Books
UNITED KINGDOM.
Per British Packets, Fer French Packets,
135,525 98,787131.5
62,379
83.898
Papers.
and Letters and Letters and Letters and Letters and Letters and Letters and Papers.
Papers
Papers
Papers
Papers.
No No No No
3,945 4,889 record record record record
RECEIVED.
1876.
Books
INCREASE. DECREASE.
Books
Books
Papers.
27,335 67,620
27,722 | 5,241 387
>>
21
UNITED STATES † United States l'ackets,
81,67
12,414 32,827 46,8211,157 4,407
19,970
20,003
33
⠀
"
REGISTERED CORRESPONDENCE.
United Kingdon,
4,178
3,871
907
2,454
2,169
285
Continent,
622
648
26
934
923
11
Australia,
87
127
40
805
486
181
Ports of China and Japan,
785
1.249
464
1,103
1,189
86
Straits, Ceylon, India, &c.,
687
795
158
1,560
1,771
211
Total, Registered Correspondence,
6.309
6,690
688
307
6,356
6,538
478
296
Total do., Increase or Decrease,
381
182
Increase.
Increase.
Ship Mails,
1,571
1,939
368 Increase.
1,710
1,696
Dec use.
+ Including a very small Mail for Yokohama by each U. S. Packet.
Registered Papers, Books, and Patterns, not being numerous, are included under Registered Letters.