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Registered letters, the local appear to preponderate, especially at Shanghai, over the international.
Allusion is made by the Agent to the labour thrown on his Office in making up mails for Australia and for Vancouver; and on this point I may state that while mails for Vancouver receive nothing, mails for Australia this office only receives the sea postage leaving the residue of the postage collected to the Hongkong Post Office for its share in the duty of collection.
A comparison between the weights of correspondence forwarded in the Hongkong mail in the years 1883 and 1889 respectively does not show considerable growth of any correspondence: it amounts in the six years to about 14 per cent of letters and 27 per cent of other articles.
After full consideration of all the circumstances brought to his notice, Mr. Raitis does not feel that he should be justified in recommending the Treasury to increase the contribution now made towards the support of the Postal Agencies and thus augment in China the already considerable loss sustained by the Imperial Revenue in maintaining the mail service.