TREASURY CHAMBERS,
7 July 1908.
Sir,
I have laid before the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury Mr. Antrobus's letter (22624/1908) of the 30th ultimo in which the Earl of Crewe asks whether Their Lordships are in a position to give any further answer to the letter from your Department of 24th March last respecting the British Postal Agency at Tientsin,
In reply I am to say that the Treasury letter of 7th April last was intended to cover the case of Tientsin as well as that of the other Agencies, for, in Their Lordships' opinion, the question of these Agencies must be dealt with as a whole.
It is not clear that the recent alteration in the scale of weight will affect the receipts of the Agencies to the extent estimated by the Governor of Hong Kong, and Their Lordships do not feel able to give any final decision on the questions involved until They have before Them the results of a year's working on the new weights, together with the other information asked for in Their letter quoted above.
In these circumstances Their Lordships trust that the Secretary of State will agree to invite the Colony of Hong Kong to arrange for the continuance of the Agency at Tientsin (as a purely provisional measure) for one year.
Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office.
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