8. There is another subject to which report after report from this Department has called attention. To no other Department of the Public Service, I presume, is room of more importance than to the Postal Department, yet there is no Department in which there is less space in proportion to requirements. It is only necessary to point to the extensive postal premises at Sydney, with a population of 225,000, at Singapore, with a population of 180,000, and at Durban, with a population of 25,000, to demonstrate that Hongkong with a population of 200,000 is not marching with the times in the matter of a commodious Post Office. The Assistant Postmaster General has to be content with a high stool and a desk in a recess which overlooks a stand frequented by cacophonous chair bearers.
When the European and American Mails are despatched on the same morning, the throng of people attempting to buy stamps and post letters has necessitated the stationing of an officer to divert the stream of Chinese to the back of the Post Office where a counter for the sale of stamps has been extemporised. The internal dimensions of the Post Office, which may have sufficed for the necessities of a quarter of a century ago, are now wholly inadequate, as may be seen by any one, who likes to spend an hour contemplating the sorting and disposal of a French Mail.
9. The number of Dead Letters which have to be opened in the Department to discover the sender is considerable. In many cases there is neither an address nor a signature: it then becomes necessary to peruse the body of the communication in search of some indication of the source of the letter. In this way no little time is consumed and much that was intended for a private view comes under the official gaze. Where the letters emanate from mercantile houses, their origin can almost always be traced by the presence of initials stamped on the envelope, and if private individuals would only put their names on the cover of every letter they wrote, they would have the satisfaction of receiving back their undelivered correspondence in an unmutilated condition. Soldiers' and sailors' letters always bear the name of the sender on the envelope with the result that the members of Her Majesty's land and sea forces have their dead letters restored to them intact.
10. I have to chronicle the reduction in rates of Postage to the Cape Colony which began on the 23rd of August and by which letters are now carried for 20 cents instead of 30 cents the half ounce.
11. Negotiations are now in progress with the object of establishing a system of Parcels Post Insurance between Hongkong and the United Kingdom, and of instituting a direct exchange of Money Orders and closed Parcels between this Colony and the Dominion of Canada. The Insurance scheme is sure to command public favour whilst the advantages of a direct exchange with Canada by means of the new "Empress" Steamers over the devious route via London are palpable.
12. For the benefit of the Peak residents, a new mail signal station has been inaugurated at the Mount Gough Police Barracks, which are in a central position and visible to all houses on the southern slopes, even to those situated at Magazine Gap.
13. Another familiar topic is that of the French Mail and the Marine Sorters. In my report for 1889 I said "a settlement of the question in the direction desired may be expected very shortly." I was guided by a letter from the French Consul dated the 22nd May 1889 to His Excellency the Governor (copy attached). Since then, however, a further letter (copy attached) has been received withdrawing this concession.
14. As I pointed out in my report for 1889, it would accelerate the delivery of mails very much if this Department were placed in direct communication with Cape Collinson and Green Island. The arrivals of steamers could then be telephoned or telegraphed and the launch would at once be despatched to convey the mails on shore.
15. International Statistics to regulate the payments for sea and territorial conveyance of mails during three years were taken during the month of May.
16. The early period of the year at which this report is submitted precludes the possibility of giving a detailed statement of the finances of the Department for 1890.
The Revenue for 1889 was as follows:- Gross Revenue 1889, Deficit,..
18. The amount of Peak and Kaulung correspondence carried during 1890 is shown by the subjoined figures :—
Peak Kaulung Sent to 4,802 1,813 Received from 8 128I have pleasure in thanking the Manager of the High Level Tramway Company for the facilities granted to the Peak Postmen.
19. Approximate Statistics for 1890 are annexed and are conspicuous for the gratifying decrease in the number of unpaid and short paid articles. They also point to a large increase of ordinary correspondence, postcards, newspapers, registered articles and parcels.
I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient Servant,
ARTHUR K. TRAVERS,
Postmaster General,
The Honourable W. M. DEANE, C.M.G.,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
APPROXIMATE STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 1890.
DESCRIPTION OF CORRESPONDENCE INTERNATIONAL LOCAL TOTAL COMPARISON WITH 1889 Despatched Received Despatched Received Increase Decrease Ordinary paid Letters 643,000 525,700 1,325,760 22,800 Unpaid and short paid Articles 15,750 900 150 16,330 1,283,700 Letters on Postal Business 1,550 3,250 1,800 8,100 250 1,500 Newspapers, Periodicals, Books, Circulars, &c. 11,100 6,300 4,500 Patterns, Registered Articles 1,900 24,300 13,700 with Return Receipts Parcels 150 6,200 1,900 10,000 3,700 750 60 50 Post Cards 1,450 2,200 5,150 3,700 25,050 17,030 8,020(Translation.)
FRENCH CONSULATE,
VICTORIA, HONGKONG, 22nd May, 1889.
SIR,
The French Government have been pleased, in response to the expressed wishes of the Colony of Hongkong, to entertain with favour the delicate proposal made to them of placing a British Mail Agent on board the packet boats of the Messageries Maritimes for the purpose of sorting, between Saigon and Hongkong, correspondence intended for the latter Colony or for transmission to North China.
Such officer would be taken on board on the following conditions :
The upper mail room in the "batterie" would be placed at his disposal, and would be fitted up for use as an office, but only between Saigon and Hongkong. The agent would besides have the free enjoyment of a first class cabin from Singapore to Hongkong and vice versa, and would be admitted to the same table as first class passengers upon payment of one half of the usual tariff.
Instructions have been sent by the Messageries Maritimes Co. to its agency at Marseilles to effect the necessary alteration on board the packets of the Indo-China line.
$142,309.11
Share of United Kingdom, Conveyance of Mails, Working Expenses, $12,136.83 Contribution towards P. & O. subsidy 45,870.31 Share of other Countries, $54,041.89 7,913.37 43,164.86
I shall be obliged if His Excellency will inform me whether the Colonial Government consents to these terms, and, if it does, from what date they may come into operation.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
BEZAURE.
$163,127.26
$36,656.29 paid France for 23 years from April 1886 to December 1888.
$163,127.26
His Excellency Sir GEO. W. DES Vœux, K.C.M.G.,
Governor of Hongkong, &c., &c., &c.
17. The number of Parcels received and despatched during the year is as follows:-
Inward Outward By P. & O. Packet 9,219 349 By German Packet 5,125 151 Total 14,344 500 9,568 5,276 14,844The total number despatched and received in 1889 was 13,173. The heaviest outward mail was despatched at Christmas and consisted of 510 parcels, whilst the heaviest inward mail was the New Year Mail by which 772 parcels were received.
(Translation.)
FRENCH REPUBLIC, PARIS, 5th February, 1890.
Sir,
This Administration has just learned that the Colonial Authorities of Hongkong, in the name of your office, have recently taken fresh steps to secure the admission on board the packet boats of the Messageries Maritimes of a British Agent who would start from Singapore and sort correspondence intended for Hongkong.
In its great desire to contribute as much as lay in its power to the improvement of the Postal Service of Hongkong, this Administration had actually taken the scheme into consideration, notwithstanding the very serious inconveniences which might result to the French Service from its adoption.