HONGKONG.
439
No. 30
95
No. 37.
THE POSTMASTER GENERAL'S REPORT FOR 1894.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.
GENERAL POST OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 6th June, 1895.
SIR,-I have the honour to forward the following report on the British Postal Service in Hong- kong and China during the year 1894.
2. The approximate statistics of correspondence received and despatched during the year are given in table A. These figures are arrived at by taking statistics during a period of 28 days and multiplying the results by 13; no very exact conclusions can therefore be deduced from them. But in so far as they may be relied upon they point to a considerable increase in International Postal business as compared with 1893, while the local business appears to have suffered a slight decrease. The heads of International business under which the largest increases appear are-
Ordinary letters despatched,
Post Cards, .....
Newspapers, &c.,....
Patterns,
Registered Articles,...
.....36%
..55%
.31 %
...15 %
15%
18%
3. It should be mentioned, however, that two thirds or more of this apparently large increase is attributable to the fact that the statistical period in 1894 included the date of despatch of the New Year's Mail for Europe, which is always about 50 per cent. heavier than an average homeward mail. The despatch of the Christmas homeward mail is always included in the statistical period (the first 28 days in November) so that the estimate of the yearly amount of correspondence despatched is always somewhat too high, although the fact does not greatly affect the comparison from year to year.
4. A very fair index to the variations in the amount of correspondence despatched is furnished by the value of the stamps sold from month to month. Table H shows these values (for Hongkong only) for 1893 and 1894. The comparison of the amount sold during the first seven months of 1894 with the amount for the corresponding months of 1893 shows an increase of a little over 6 per cent. which is perhaps a fair estimate of the annual rate of increase of the business of the Office. The reason for taking seven months only for the purpose of the comparison will be inferred from paragraph 16 below.
5. There is a decrease of 50 per cent. in patterns received and a small decrease in newspapers received, the other heads of correspondence received showing slight increases.
6. The local correspondence despatched shows a slight decrease in the number of letters, post- cards, newspapers and registered articles, In the local correspondence received there is a decrease of 18 per cent. in newspapers and registered articles, and a small decrease in ordinary correspondence.
7. Table B gives the statistics of parcels received and despatched, and table C gives the com- parison with 1893. The figures shown for parcels to and from the Coast Ports are estimated from statistics taken during 28 days in November; the other figures are exact.
8. A revised tariff for parcels post came into force on the 1st October, the most important altera- tion being the raising of the postage on parcels to the United Kingdom from 25 cents per first lb. and 20 cents for each succeeding lb. to 40 cents and 25 cents respectively. In spite of this measure, which was rendered necessary by the full in exchange, the popularity of the parcels post appears to be steadily increasing.
Table D shows the number of parcels posted in Hongkong despatched to Europe by the English mail, with the amount of postage and the insurance fees collected. A reference to this table shows that 3,038 parcels (an average of 152 per mail) were despatched previous to the 1st October, while the mails of the 10th and 25th October and 6th and 20th December carried an average of 203 parcels each. The Christmas and New Year's Mails are always exceptionally heavy and are, therefore, not taken into account in this comparison.