from Mr. H. Dr. John Browne the Chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce, being in reply to enquiries from your office. It was the opinions of the Members present at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce held to discuss this subject that as the Japanese postal service has hitherto given entire satisfaction to the Community, there can be no objection to the discontinuance of the British Postal Agency, provided that the department of the Japanese Post Office continues as heretofore to be under the charge of a competent European and the existing Tariff of postage be maintained.
In lieu of the excessive additional postage which is now imposed upon correspondence from the United Kingdom and other Countries from Yokohama to Kobe—a letter weighing half an ounce, although prepaid, say in London, to Kobe, is taxed with the additional postage of two pence between Yokohama and this port—and newspapers are equally charged with extra postage at the rate of one penny each. I cannot but coincide with the opinion given by the Chamber of Commerce, as was also my individual opinion requested by you.
(Signed) A. A. Annesley