Letter from the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
15th January, 1885.
119
SIR,
In reply to your letter of the 9th September last, transmitting to this Chamber copy of a Despatch and its enclosure, together with a Report thereon by the Postmaster General on the subject of the existing Postal Contract, and also to your letter of 12th September last, transmitting copy of a further Report * by the Postmaster General on the same subject, and requesting the opinion of this Cham- ber thereon for the information of His Excellency the Governor, I have the honour to inform you that the Committee have carefully considered the Despatch and Reports submitted to them.
The Committee are of opinion that the general advantages derived by the public from the present system of subsidising a mail service have been very great, and have fully justified the cost at which the mails have been carried with such singular regularity and freedom from casualty.
To bankers and merchants certainly, and in no small degree to almost every resident in the East, whatever be his calling, the importance of a rapid, regular and trustworthy service cannot be overrated, but the Committee recognise that the boon of possessing such a perfect conveyance of correspondence, including Imperial and Official despatches of national importance, and financial and commer- cial documents of great value, has begun to be regarded by many as so much a matter of course, that they have not realised what the change would imply were the views to prevail of those who advocate, for the sake of greater economy, a subdivision of the service, and sectional subsidies. The conveyance of the mails under contract with the P. & O. Co. has been satisfactory in all respects, and the Committee would not without regret see a change in the system that has worked so well, but they are of opinion that the subsidy will bear reduction, and that in a new Contract an increased speed of one knot per hour should be obtained. The Committee would suggest too that the contract period should be limited to seven
years.
In conclusion the Committee would remark that they endorse the views so fully stated by the Postmaster General of Hongkong in his reports on the subject, bearing date 1st and 11th * September last.
I have the honour to be
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
W. KESWICK, Chairman.
The Honourable W. H. MARSH, C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary.
* Incorporated in the Postmaster General's Report of September 1st, in which (as printed) it forms paragraphs 9 & 10.