H. M. Post Office maintains, under very great disadvantages, eight Post Offices in China. They are worked (except at Shanghai) by Consular Officers, whose consular duties naturally have to take precedence.
I admit that most of these gentlemen are able and diligent. However, their frequent transfers, removals, and the pressure of other duties inevitably stand in the way of the attainment of any very high degree of efficiency. By the time a Postal Agent has learnt his duties, he is due for transfer to another port.
The Post Office at some of the Ports, being in the Consulates, are too far removed from the business parts of the Settlements to be really efficient. Only this morning, while looking into a question relative to Swatow, I am reminded that a letter cannot be registered there without sending a messenger across a (frequently tempestuous) stretch of sea, which under the most favourable circumstances it takes an hour to cross.
Another great disadvantage is that the Hongkong Government, of course, cannot enforce any Postal Regulations in Chinese Ports. The residents send their letters by the mail if they think fit to do so; if not, they generally send them on board the steamers. Too often, the chief function of the Post Office seems to be to take the blame if anything goes wrong.
The Customs Authorities propose to replace this inadequate service with Post Offices at 2-3 ports (including all those at which this Office maintains Agencies). At most, if not all, of these Ports, all the facilities this Office offers would be given to the public, and I cannot doubt that those facilities would eventually be much extended.