364
8. On the 1st July last, Branch Post Offices were opened at Kowloon and West Point, which have proved a convenience to the Public: the Kowloon Branch more especially to Europeans and the Western Branch Office to the Chinese.
9. Table F. shows the number of parcels despatched to Europe by the P. & O. steamers and the amount of postage and insurance fees collected: an increase over 1897 of 1,890 parcels, $1,199.75 for postage, and $234.20 for insurance.
10. Table G. shows the Money Order business done during the year. As compared with previous years' transactions that of the Money Order Department in 1898 has again shown an increase in most of the items.
11. The sale of Imperial Postal Notes is the highest on record, but on the other hand the Local Postal Notes show a continued falling off since 1894, the year they came into use.
Decreases have also taken place in the issue of Money Orders on Japan and India. The amount of the former appears to have reached its highest aggregate in 1897, but as the bulk of the orders are from Japanese in Thursday Island, (Hongkong being the intermediary office for the exchange of Money Orders between the Australian Colonies, India, Ceylon, Straits Settlements, Siam, North Borneo, and Japan) the future transactions will greatly depend upon the enactment of any legislative measures that may restrict the immigration of Japanese.
12. Since the closing of the Indian mint in 1893 there has been a falling off in the issue of Money Orders on that country, due not so much to the enhanced value of the Rupee as to the fact that the members of the Police, the Asiatic Artillery, and the Hongkong Regiment can remit half their pay through the Treasury and Army Paymaster at the rate of Rs 2254 per $100.00.
13. Although the money handled at the Money Order Office in 1897 and 1898 is about the same, viz., $521,711 and $527,413 respectively, the nett commission collected is $360 more than in 1897.
14. At Shanghai, notwithstanding the numerous international Post Offices there, the amount of Money Orders issued and paid increased from $21,000 in 1897 to $26,500 in 1898, which also will probably be surpassed in 1899, judging by the transactions of the first quarter.
15. The amount of Money Orders from Foreign countries payable at the other Riverine Ports has also increased, notably at Canton and Foochow.
16. During the year arrangements were concluded for raising the limit of a single Money Order on Japan, Borneo, Siam, and Shanghai from $50 to $100, and the Money Order system has been extended to Corea through the intermediary of the Nagasaki Post Office both to take effect from the 1st January, 1899.
17. The question of accommodation is not again brought prominently forward as expansion is to take definite shape in the near future.
The following table of revenue for the past 10 years shows almost exactly the increase in postal business that has taken place :—
$142,309.11 148,459 98
1889,....
$20,818.15 Deficit.
1890,.
5,458.16
Surplus.
1891,.
142,770.03
2,60,5.02
51
1892,.
157,699.03
3.450.73
>>
1893,.
167,596.77
14.309.81
1894,
192,172.42
8,820.27
11
1895,.
244,449.71
50,209.44
75
1896,.....
245,280.33
56,999.16
1897,.
268,616.49
61,536.20
1898,.
337,179.99
95,618.47
12
""
The deficit $20,000 of 1889 has become in 1898 a surplus of $95,000.
The working expenses of 1889 $43,164.80 rose in 1898 to $58,831.05.
In ten years, since the building of a new Post Office was first urged, this Department has paid into General Revenue $278,189.11.
18. Revenue for the first 4 months of 1898,
*
""
1*
.... |
1899,
Sale of stamps for the first 4 months of 1898,
"J
1
11
·
1899,
$107,475.51
115,382.89
$7,907.38
$75,126.70
82,270.23
7,143.53