571
cd Arc
persons
known to the Christ
Pertmen not by their names,
their names, but by
the Chinese names of the houses they
reside at which have no phonetic
connection with the English of the firm's; further residents here are constantly shifting, not only from
one house to another at
Shanghai, but also from post to post in China, Japan, and if the postmaster is not thoroughly acquainted with the Chinese names of houses, with the residences of the community, with the position of the street, the movements of individuals, and with the details of the Coast and River Mail services,
1277
(as for Shanghai to a centre from
which steam routes radiate in
all directions) much inconvenience
and
delay
would necessarily be
the result.
The Trade conducted by the residents at Shanghai amounts in value to nearly £40 Millions sterling per annum; that trade is affected to a certain degree by
the
satisfactory administration of the post office, we submit therefore that it is desirable that a postmaster at Shanghai should
have peculiar qualifications and Experience such as those possessed by the late lamented Mr Martin
kind