275
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24. It was suggested in the Chamber of Commerce here on the 9th August last, that, on account of the vast importance of the trade of Foochow and the great revenue which the Imperial Government derives from the duties on Tea exported therefrom, and also because it sometimes occurs that the Foochow Steamer reaches Hongkong just after the homeward Mail has departed, or in too short a time before her departure, to enable the Merchants to do their business and save the Mail, that the Steamers should be subsidized for carrying the Mails to and from Hongkong at the cost of the Imperial Post Office, and I understand the Chamber intends making some communication to the Government on the subject.
25. Whatever the claims of the Foochow Community or those of their agents here may be to such an advantage, I look upon the matter as one of some importance to this Colony, and I feel satisfied that unless some step is taken to improve the Mail service, much of the business which comes to the Colony now will, with the frequent and regular communication afforded by the four Steamers running to Shanghae, diverge to that place.
26. There are two lines of Steamers in existence between Hongkong and Foochow each calling at Swatow and Amoy on both their up and down trips, one belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and the other to Messieurs Douglas Lapraik and Company, the former, I believe, run at somewhat irregular intervals and the latter very regularly.
27. I feel satisfied that an arrangement might be made, at a moderate cost, with Messrs. D. Lapraik & Co., for their vessels to leave here for Foochow (calling at Swatow and Amoy) say 48 hours after the arrival of each British Contract Packet with the Mails from home, and to leave Foochow for Hongkong (calling at Amoy and Swatow) so as to arrive here say at least 48 hours before the departure of each homeward British Contract Packet.
28. The arrangement I would suggest is that an offer be made to the owners of one or other or both of the lines of Steamers to give them half of the revenue derived from the local correspondence carried to and fro, conditionally upon all letters being duly handed over to the Post Office Agents at each of the Ports touched at, with a penalty of $20 for each letter otherwise conveyed save and except (such as are exempt by Law,) the letters of the owners or of the consignees of cargo then on board the vessel.
29. Such an arrangement would, I am satisfied, materially increase the Colonial revenue, experience having fully convinced me on my recent journey from Foochow that immense numbers of letters are systematically carried in Lapraik's vessels and handed over to the Steamer's Agents at each of the ports named, and, I believe, that many are almost as regularly brought here in the same manner and delivered by the Agents to the persons to whom they are addressed.
30. On my arrival on the 4th instant in the Steamer Kwang Tung, within the limits of the harbor, I took possession of 326 Chinese letters and 250 letters addressed to foreigners in Hongkong, which I found on board and which had I not been a passenger, would doubtless have been delivered from the Office of the Agents, although, as I took care to ascertain, there were only fifty-four consignees of cargo entered on the ship's manifests at the three Ports; the revenue accruing to the Colony on these letters amounts to $111.96 viz.: $60.48 postage on the Chinese letters, and $51.48 postage on those for foreigners, less a gratuity of four cents each letter to the Master of the ship, making the net revenue say $88.92.
1
£
[6]
31. As the sum mentioned would not be sufficient to induce the owners of the Steamers to accede to the above, the Imperial Post Office should be called upon to contribute a further sum in addition to the proposed payment from local funds towards the maintenance, as suggested, of a regular communication with Foochow in connexion with the Mail Steamers. The more especially so as the greater part of the correspondence to be forwarded to and from Foochow would consist of letters upon which the Imperial Post Office would receive a large proportion of the revenue accruing. A sum of £3,000 or at the rate of £1,000 for each of the three Steamers to perform the service effectively would, I think, suffice.
32. The estimated distance from Hongkong to Swatow is 180 miles; from Swatow to Amoy 120 miles, and from Amoy to Pagoda Anchorage 175 miles.
33. The voyages are at present generally made thus: the Steamers leave Hongkong at say 2 P.M. and arrive at Swatow at about 8 A.M. the next morning, leaving Swatow for Amoy at 5 P.M. and reaching that Port at 5 A.M. the next morning, they then leave Amoy for Foochow (Pagoda Anchorage) at 3 P.M. and reach there at 9 A.M. the next morning, giving a steaming time of about 48 hours, and 19 hours in port at Swatow and Amoy.
34. The vessels generally remain at Foochow 3 or sometimes 4 days, and return to Hongkong in about the same time as that occupied in the upward voyage, generally arriving back in Hongkong on the 9th or 10th day after having left here, and they usually remain for 5 or 6 days discharging and loading for the return trip.
35. The prompt transmission from Hongkong to Foochow of the Mails from home is not of the same importance as the regular dispatch of Mails from Foochow to Hongkong, whilst to the steamer owners it is most important to have a liberal allowance of time at Hongkong after the arrival of the English Mail, and the time of departure from Foochow is not usually of much importance as the cargo carried from Foochow to Hongkong is insignificant when compared with that carried in the contrary direction.
36. So far as the bulk of the Mails is concerned, that will be a matter of little or no consideration, as the Mail for Swatow seldom exceeds one bag, that for Amoy is never over three bags, and the Mail for Foochow seldom numbers over three bags.
37. Under these circumstances, therefore, the payment of any subsidy would really be for the privilege of dispatching the Steamers from Foochow at times convenient to the Mail services and to the requirements of the foreign Merchants. At present, the vessels of Messrs. Lapraik & Co., notably arrive and depart at intervals of about the same extent as would be required of them for the Mail service, but the owners, of course, now hasten or delay their departure as best for their own interests, the Chinese being large shippers, as I understand, and the arrival and departure of English Mails not being of much moment to them.
38. The terms of any Contract should be assimilated, I think, where possible, to those contained in the Contract made between the Postmaster General of Great Britain and the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company on the 19th November, 1867.
39. I have thrown out these suggestions with a careful regard to all legitimate interests and the ever-growing wants of the Public.
40. At Ningpo, Post Office Agent Henry F. Holt, Esq., the Consulate is situated a mile and a quarter from the business quarter, but the Agent carries on the Postal work at his residence in the centre of the business part of the place; the Office is, however, chiefly availed of by the public for the transmission of such of their correspondence as is carried by the Contract Packets.