4
[12]
88. The number of Foreign inhabitants at Yokohama is 437 (exclusive of Naval and Military.)
89. The cost to the Colony of the maintenance of this Agency is about $2,000 per annum, which is $818.70 more than the sum contributed towards its mainten- ance by the Imperial Post Office.
90. It is, however, a matter for consideration as to whether the Imperial Post Office should not be called upon to bear the salary of £150 per annum to the recently appointed Clerk, and also whether any or all the cost of the new Post Office should not also be claimed from that Department. Yokohama is now and must, for a lengthened period, continue to be the centre of commerce and the Metropolis of Japan, and the necessity for supplementing the Postmaster by a second Officer in case of sickness, &c., is I submit an exigency which the Imperial Post Office ought to bear. It however be argued that, upon the same principle,
may, the Agents at other places should have a second Officer attached to them, but I maintain that the postal work being comparatively light at all the other Agencies could, in case of emergency, be performed by the Consul or one of his assistants, whilst the business of the Yokohama Office being of much greater magnitude could not be efficiently performed by an Officer wholly unacquainted with the duty without very great inconvenience to the public.
91. The annual gross revenue of the Office is about $22,500 nearly the whole of which goes to the Imperial Post Office.
92. Looking, however, at the subject from a broader point of view, although the Colony apparently only profits from the Agencies in China and Japan about $5,096.52 per annum, thus:-
Profit at Swatow,
.$ 777.68
1,719.82
[13]
public convenience. At present the system is confined to letters and packets sent between the Agencies on the one hand and the. United Kingdom, France, America or India, (as well as a few other places,) on the other hand. I would, however, solicit sanction to the system being authorized between the Hongkong Post Office and each Agency thereof in China and Japan, and also between any two of the Agencies, both as regards articles sent in the Mails by Private ships and those sent by the British Contract Packets.
95. The charge, I submit, should be eight cents for registering each letter, and a postage of six cents per four ounces for Books and sample Packets, which should be eligible for transmission under the same restrictions as those which apply to the transmission of such articles in the Contract Mails.
96. The revenue arising from registered letters and Books, &c., when carried by the Contract Packets goes to the Imperial Post Office, and when carried by Private ships to the Colony.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant, -
(Signed,)
F. W. MITCHELL,
Postmaster General.
Amoy,
Foochow,
Canton,
Shanghai,
Loss at Ningpo,
Nagasaki,
Yokohama,
Nett profit,
1,497.04
358.92
1,753.52
$6,106.98
$44.76
147.00
818.70
1,010.46
.$5,096.52;
it is proper also to remember that the net profit the Colony derived from the Post Office Department generally last year amounted to $34,710.78, and I do not anticipate much less profit this year notwithstanding the Commercial depression which is said to reign throughout China and Japan.
93. In consequence of the imperfect knowledge which the Consular Officers, who are Post Office Agents, evinced of their duties, I have prepared and forward with a separate letter, a complete code of instructions for their guidance, to which I solicit His Excellency's sanction.
94. During my travels it was urged that the extension of the system of regis- tration of letters and other descriptions of correspondence and also the transmission of Book packets and packets of samples at low rates of postage would be a
123