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of precaution and supervision been known to have taken place to
jeopardize a loss to the Government. I do not wish to dilate on
the onerous duties of my post but it is sufficient to refer to my yearly balance sheet how the work has enormously grown. In 1890 we had direct exchange with 13 countries only. It has since been
increased to 31 countries. The volume of business was insignifi-
-cant when I joined as the profit on exchange for the second half year of 1890 showed $514 only, whereas it has reached $14,812.00
in 1904.
The Staff of the Money Order Office has not
been proportionately increased with the result that whenever absence of any of the clerks takes place the burden of the work
has fallen on me. It matters not whether the work to be done is
Indian Money Orders or Foreign Money Orders, the issue and despatch
have been successfully coped with without complaints of delay, and
these efforts have only been realised without any ostentatious
display by voluntary work at nights at home, as well as on Sundays
and out of office hours on week days.
In this respect I beg to draw your attention
to the fact that none of the Money Order Office Staff draw extra
allowance for mail work.
When mails from Hurops give extra work to
the General Office, the Australian nails give similar extra work
to the Money Order Office. Hongkong is the clearing house for the
exchange of Money Orders between India, Ceylon, Straits, Borneo
and Australasia with Japan and vice versa.
The greater part of the work of the Money
Order Office is the transfer of Orders from Japanese in Australia
to Japan.
I have not known when it is not the usual
recourse to have to take home night work on the arrival of every
Australian mail. It is only in this way that prompt transfer can
be