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THE SHANGHAI CHAMBER OF CƠM- MERCE AND GORD CHARLES BERESFRD'S MISSION.
(Daily Press, 19th December.)
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
TAM POST OFFICE.
(Daily Press, 17th December). Among the questions discussed at the
| December 24, 1898. such that there is small cause for surprise that some letters should get wrongly des patched or that others should go wildly Inst-missing. We are not apologising for the failure of the Post Office to give satisfaction;
The Committee of the Shanghai General meeting of the Hongkong Chamber of Com- | but we certainly do think that the want of
Hongkong Post Office possessed the most merce that referring to the working of the
general interest for the community. There individual residents in the colony who have is, we imagine, hardly a firm and not many not suffered more or les inconvenience during the past six months through some lapse by the Post Office, either in the late delivery of letters, the non-delivery or loss of the same, or from having to pay fines respondence consequent on the theft of stamps on cor- It is small wonder that the
and of a trained Postmaster are more re- a specially built and commodious Post Office
unwillingness to improve. Mr. A. M. THOM- ment than any individual shortcomings or sponsible for the breakdown of the Depart-
shine in sonte departments, does not SON, though man of parts and qualified to
work to specially fit him to possess any technical knowledge of postal discharge duties which claim his attention. The Postmaster-General of this colony should, members of the Chamber should have waxed having regard to the stress and urgency of we think, be a specially trained man, and impatient at the continuance of evils which his work, he should never be saddled with have been so productive of annoyance and other and outside duties. At marvellous that there should have been the very important office of Colonial Trea- in many instances of loss. Nor is it
t the present moment, the occupant of the post also filla some difference of opinion as to the policy surer. This combination of posts was es of the course pursued by the Committee. saye before by one of his predecessors, who There seemed at first blush very good there is reason to believe shortened his days embraced the offer made by the Govern-duties and the anxious zeal with which he reasons why the Committee might have
by too close application to his numerous ment, to appoint a Committee to inquire discharged them. Since his time, too, the into the working of the Post Office, but it work has greatly increased, and the resources is evident that the General Committee felt of the Post Office have been still more that they had sound grounds for declining to strained. Whatever recommendations the avail themselves of the invitation, and the late Head of the Executive has sent to large majority of the members, when ap- Downing Street, we trust that mention of pealed to, sustained them in that decision. this important fact has not been overlooked. The remarks made on this subject by Major-
A new Post Office is, we are aware, General WILSONE BLACK, in his valedictory the tapis, but, thanks to the Colonial Office, address to the Legislative Council, also nothing has been settled yet, owing to a be- constitute a good reason why the Chamber lief entertained there that the funds are not should not embark on a long and tedious forthcoming. This is a matter that surely inquiry which will probably be rendered might safely be left to the Colonial Govern- unnecessary by the recommendations of the gallant General. Moreover, if even there before a new office can be erected. Perhaps
ment. The result is that years
must elapse had proved to be a trio of the members of the Chamber who were willing to devote be taken or temporary ones fitted up. No in the meantime some other premises might the time and trouble necessary for the con- duct of such an investigation, it may be doubted whether they would have possessed the requisite knowledge for such a purpose. It seems to us that only an expert from St. Martin's-le-Grand could ascertain properly wherein lie the principal defects of the pre- sent system and the loopholes through which it is possible the thefts and irregularities are committed with impunity. It would probably take a trained postal official to show how checks should be imposed and precautions taken to prevent abuses and guarantee the safety of correspondence.
Chamber of Commerce have passed a re- solution, which has been forwarded to Lord CHARLES BERESFORD, to the effect that in the opinion of the Committee the interests of both China and the Foreign Powers having commercial relations with her require that the equality of rights as secured by the existing treaties be strictly safeguarded against any changes of an exclusive or preferential nature in favour of different nations in any part of the Empire, and fur- ther that it is desirable that in order to effect this end a general agreement be en- tered into between the Powers interested guaranteeing the equality of commercial rights and privileges to all nations alike. As an expression of opinion in favour of the policy of the open door this resolution will command the support of all Britishers In China and probably of all or nearly all merchants of other nationalities. The Committee has confined itself strictly to the commercial aspect of the question and has not touched it upon its political side, being apparently unconcerned with regard to political spheres of influence so long as an open door for trade is secured. As an inter- national body the Chamber has perhaps not been more than prudent in eschewing political controversy, though it might ossi- bly have safely ventured on some expression of opinion with regard to the measures of internal reform required in China. The China Association, being an exclusively -British body, will have less reason than the Chamber of Commerce for reticence in recommending a definite line of policy for adoption. Like the Chamber of Com- merce it will naturally favour the policy of the open door, and may think that that can be best secured by a general agree ment amongst the Powers, but it would -be advisable to go a little
further and lay down the lines apon which that agreement should proceed. The disease from which China is suffering is internal, and it can only be cured by a radical reform of the administration. The crucial question is, who is to effect that reform? For the Powers simply to guarantee the integrity of China and then leave her to follow her own devices would be equivalent to guaranteeing the continuance of barbarism, and foreign life and property in the iuterior would become even more unsafe than they have been hitherto, for if the Peking Government were satisfied that no reprisals need be feared in the event of the murder of foreigners there would be little solicitude displayed for the prevention of outrages. When the Kucheng massacre occurred there was not a single Briton in China, we think, would not have held our Government justified in exacting reparation in the shape of territorial concessions, and what would be held justifiable in our own case we must hold justifiable under similar circumstances in the case of others. The seizure of Kino- chow by Germany, for instance, as reparation for the murder of German missionaries, was both justifiable and prudent. If the integrity of China is to be preserved, therefore, steps must be taken to remove the cause which
who
That many errors and shortcomings are the result of ignorance of a proper system of work may be taken for granted. Not one of the present staff, we believe, has ever served in an English Post Office, and fron the Postmaster-General downward the em- ployés of this department may be sail to be amateurs at their work. This was all very well in the early days of the colony when mails were few, correspondence light, and the re- cipients confined to a mere handful. All that is changed. The mails are numerous, often exceedingly heavy, and only too frequently arrive together. The number of residents has largely increased, the garrison has trebled, the Navy has been doubled, and the work of sorting of letters has augmented tenfold. The Post Office mean- time, with the exception of a small exten- sion formed by taking in a portion of the ground floor of the Supreme Court some two years ago, remains the same, and is now so inadequate for the requirements that it is really not fair to expect the work to be properly carried on in such quarters. fusion which attends t the despatch or re- ception of several mails, synchronously is
-
looked for while the work has to be great improvement in the service can
be
on in the existing building and De
No
ieting staff. There are, however, sonie few improved upon. Indeed, we understand matters that can be rectified, perhaps, or that precautious against theft or open- with what result we shall see anon. ing of correspondence are n
now adopted, doubt also greater care in sorting is exercised; let us hope so.
being There is, how- assist in putting a stop to the pilfering of ever, something the public might do to
facing the postage stamps before or on affix- stamps from the letters. We mean by de- ing them to the letters. Some of the Banks and Hongs do this by perforating them with within the reach of all. If the Government initials or marks; but this method is not
would, as we believe is done in India, sanc- posting the letters the community generally tion some kind of pen. cancellation prior to could co-operate by disfiguring their stamps It is of the greatest importance that the and so removing temptation from the way. incentive to these stamps robberies should be removed, and it would appear that en cancellation before posting would serve to effect this desired consummation, and so save much complaint as to non-receipt of correspondence.
Mr. Pritchard Morgan, M.P. was present at the annual installation meeting and dinner of the Royal Sussex Lodge, Shanghai.
The Penang Khean Guan Insurance Com- pany held its thirteenth ordinary general meet-
threatens its disintegration, which can only | is not nearly sufficient room and the cong there on the 8th December. Accounts for
be done by the establishment of a strong and honest administration,
:
the year ending on the 14th October last were submitted, showing a profit of over $45,000. The declaration of a twelve per cent, dividend was sanctioned.