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6. I submit that there is little analogy between the lines of steamers plying to China and those which cross the Atlantic. There are no ports of call in the Atlantic, the voyage occupies little over a week, and first-class steamers leave regularly enough to ensure the regular arrival of the mails at either end of the route. But the voyage to China occupies from 44 weeks to 8 or even 9 weeks, according to the class of vessel; there are several Ports of call; and the chances of steamers passing one another would introduce endless confusion into the service. Letters which left London earlier would be continually arriving after those which left later. I do not see how the London Post Office is to form any reasonable guess which of three steamers leaving London or Liverpool for China within the same week will arrive first.
We cannot even do it between here and Shanghai, a voyage of 4 days! The experience of this Office in transmitting mails for Japan since the P. & O. subsidy was withdrawn shews how impossible it is to secure any thing like regularity of arrival by means of cargo steamers alone. The most anxious care has been exercised to select the best opportunities, but the result has been that the three communities of Japan have been continually complaining ever since the change was made. With regard to the homeward mails, few persons except merchants would ever have much idea when they would leave, and, as often as not, the notice would be very short.
7. If therefore the French packets continued running, the whole situation would resolve itself into heavy fortnightly mails forwarded by their means. The outward mails would take at least four hours to sort, and we should have all the old evils back again (now almost forgotten) of firms having their correspondence addressed to Singapore and sent up by private hand so as to get it quickly, &c. This might be economical, but it would not be pleasant, nor could it be called progress.
8. It is useless to suppose that any inducement would prevail on the public to correspond by private steamers if the French mails were available. When the postage to and from England was 1/4d. by the mail, every body here knew that letters could be forwarded with fair regularity by private steamers for 6d. I believe there was only one person in the entire community who took advantage of the lower rate, and that person was a lady.
9. The abolition of a subsidised service could be effected to some extent by not extending the contract beyond Singa- pore. There are quite sufficient steamers between Singapore and Hongkong, and between Hongkong and Shanghai, to carry on the mails without any very serious delay, and probably the English mail would always reach Hongkong and generally Shanghai before the next French mail overtook it. Between Ceylon or India and Singapore there are not enough steamers. Many of the Canal boats as they are called come direct from Suez to Penang or Singapore without calling anywhere.
10. I do not wish to be understood as recommending the curtailing of the subsidised line, but the Home Government is asking for information and I merely say that this could be done. The results would be disagreeable in many ways. Regularity would disappear from the service. Marine sorting would have to be discontinued. Persons would get their letters through irregular channels to obtain them quicker. A responsible and very thankless task would be thrown on the Singapore and Hongkong Offices of selecting the steamers to carry on the mails. Whatever steamer was selected, the community concerned would but too often be apt to consider it was the wrong one, for that community would criticise, after the event, a choice which would have to be made before it. Continual complaints, like those which have arisen in
apan since the P. & O. service was discontinued, would become common in Shanghai and in Hongkong also.
J
11. With regard to the suggestion of forwarding mails via Bombay, no doubt it might be done if there were any regular means of communication between either Calcutta or Madras and Hongkong. But except the monthly Indian steamers from Calcutta, and a monthly French steamer from Calcutta and Madras, there are none. The following figures were arrived at in consultation with Mr. F. R. Hoco of the Indian Post Office.
Average passage from Suez to Hongkong via Colombo
(both monsoons),
30 days.
30 days.
Suez to Bombay, Bombay to Madras, Transhipping, &c., Madras to Penang, Penang to Hongkong,...
11 days.
11
1
5
}}
""
>>
11 J1
30 days.
But unless some regular weekly or at least fortnightly means existed of bringing the mails on from Madras, this route would be useless for all practical purposes.
12. On the question of the Distribution of expenses it is of course the opinion in this Colony that Hongkong should not contribute 2 per cent of its Revenue towards subsiding a mail service which costs the United Kingdom, without allowing for reimbursements, only per cent of its Revenue. But so much has been said on this subject that there can be no need further to dwell on it.
13. I venture to recommend that these papers be submitted to the Chamber of Commerce, and to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
A. LISTER,
Postmaster General.
(C.)-CORRESPONDENCE ON THE MAIL SERVICE TO JAPAN.
The London Post Office to the Hongkong Post Office.
GENERAL POST OFFICE, LONDON, 19th September, 1884.
SIR,-I beg leave to forward to you herewith a copy of a letter addressed to this Department by Messrs. BISSET & Co- of Yokohama, in which they complain of delay in the transmission from Hongkong of mails sent from this Country to Japan by way of that Colony.
Messrs. BISSET & Co. have been informed that the Hongkong Post Office is not under the control of Her Majesty's Postmaster General, and that their communication has been referred to you, for such enquiry as you may think the circum- stances of the case demand.
The Postmaster General,
HONGKONG.
I
am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
EDW. H. REA.
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