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parried on under the Consul's immediate supervision, so that the most satisfactory, and in fact, the only arrangement practicable is to place the Agency with some established business firm as is done in England and other Countries, allowing such firm a fixed monthly or annual Allowance for their services. I have made enquiries, and find that Messrs. Curtis Brothers, one of whom Mr. F. J. Curtis, has recently been appointed Lloyd's Surveyor here, would be willing to undertake the duty at a fixed monthly Allowance the rate of which would have to be determined. The firm consists of two brothers who carry on business as General Storekeepers and Commission Agents and who are highly respected in the Community; their place of business is in the heart of the Foreign Settlement and therefore most suitably situated in all respects. Another great advantage is that the nature of their business makes it necessary for them to maintain a Steamlaunch, besides pull-away boats, and a large staff of boatmen, which they are willing to place at the disposal of the Postal Service on such reasonable terms that I believe the total disbursements on account of the Agency would compare very favourably with those incurred by your Office at Hankow, Amoy and other ports.
It is difficult, as Messrs. Curtis Brothers point out, to fix a sum to cover the expense before it is seen what will be needed; but you will observe that in the letter they have addressed to me on the subject, copy of which I beg to enclose, they estimate the Allowance which they consider would remunerate them for their services, at One Hundred Dollars - $100 per month - such sum to cover Office rent, services of Postal Clerk, postmen, boat-hire and in fact practically all Agency Expenses. This cannot be considered an exorbitant estimate if the services which it is intended to cover, be taken into consideration; but with the support of the Colonial Government of Wei-Hai-Wei, which is anxious to have a British Office in Chefoo owing to the stress laid both by the War Office and the Colonial Office on mails being sent by British vessels (and through British hands) alone, I think this outlay might be still further reduced as far as your Office is concerned. As a general rule Mails for Wei-Hai-Wei are despatched from Shanghai via this port owing to there being no regular communication direct, and this makes it necessary for the Colony to have an Agent here to receive and re-transmit their bags. At present this duty is done by the Chinese Imperial Post gratuitously, but from what I have gathered from a correspondence which passed between myself and the former Acting Commissioner, I am led to believe they would gladly avail themselves of your Agency were one established here, and have no doubt they would readily contribute to its maintenance, if approached by you on the subject.
I may inform you however that I understand the Colonial