328
8. Table F gives approximately the Postal Statistics for the year. Compared with 1892 there is an increase under all heads. Table G gives the figures for the past eight years.
9. Table H shews the Revenue and Expenditure for the year as compared with 1892 :—
The Revenue in 1892 was
91
1893
$157,699.03
$167,596.77
Increase,
.$ 9,897.74
$154,248.30
The Expenditure in 1892 was
33
1893
"}
$153,286.96
Decrease,.......
$ 961.34
The Expenditure in 1892, however, included a sum of $4,143.23 paid to Germany on account of transit dues for 1891, and if this be deducted then the expenditure for 1893 exceeds that for 1892 by $3,181.89, an excess which is to be attributed to the low rate of exchange prevailing during the year.
10. The number of messages received at the Telegraph room attached to the Post Office was 5,880. Of these 1,215 were signals of approaching vessels; 484 being from Gap Rock and 731 from Cape D'Aguilar. The remaining 4,665 were Meteorological signals of which 1,632 were from Gap. Rock, and 3,033 from the Peak.
Setting aside the twelve relieving days, the interruptions to the communication with Gap Rock amounted to eleven and those with Cape D'Aguilar to eighteen, the dates and causes of which are given in Tables I and J.
11. A Commission which was appointed to enquire into the working of this service with a view to its improvement, submitted its report in due course, but I am not aware of the intentions of the Government regarding it. If it is intended that the connection with the Post Office should continue, then as I stated last year, I am of opinion that there should be two clerks at this end, one to be on duty in the forenoon, and the other in the afternoon in order that signals of approaching vessels may be received at an earlier hour than 6 A.M. and a later hour than 6 P.M. as the days lengthen with the return of summer.
12. Table K shews the results of the Money Order transactions during the year. The great fall in the rate of Exchange consequent on the closing of the Indian Mints brought about a loss of $4,092.00 to this Government on settling up the Money Order accounts with India for the second quarter. In order to avoid further loss it was decided to suspend the exchange of Money Orders with that country. The suspension, as far as this Colony was concerned, took place on the 29th June, 1893, and in India on the 15th August, 1893, this date being fixed in order to allow of time for instructing all the issuing Offices in that country. Business has not yet been resumed.*. Negocia- tions for a direct exchange of Money Orders with the United States of America were advanced, and a Convention has since been signed under which orders will be exchanged on and after the 1st July next. Arrangements for the issue of Local Postal Notes were completed and the issue cominenced on the 1st January, 1894.
13. I would again urge the advisability of establishing Branch Offices at the Peak and Kowloon and also in the Eastern and Western portions of the town, as recommended in my last report. Be- sides the advantages to which I then drew attention, I would mention the additional facilities that could be given to the public through them for the purchase of Postage Stamps and the registration of correspondence. Owing to the want of sufficient room in the present building it is impossible to provide greater facilities for these purposes than we do already. While this is a great inconvenience at all times when a Contract Mail is closing, it becomes doubled on the many occasions when there are two Contract Mails, say the Canadian and the French, closing simultaneously. Branch Offices would tend, I believe, to greatly diminish, if not entirely remove, this inconvenience, as people would naturally go to the nearest Post Office to buy their stamps and post their letters. Moreover, I think it not unlikely that, if there were Branch Offices in the town, much of the Chinese correspondence for other than places in China that at the present time is sent from the Colony through illicit Chinese Post Offices would in process of time find its way to the Branch Offices and thereby add to the Postal Revenue.
14. Mr. C. M. BARRADAS resigned his duties as Marine Officer and Mr. A. J. REED was appointed in his stead on the 21st June.
The health of the Staff has been fairly good.
* It has since been decided to resume business on the 1st July, 1894.