344
4.
The third query refers to a sum of $109.02,
for Recovery of 1922 Expenditure. This was a genuine over- payment to a Contractor in respect of the accounts for
September 1922 which was observed by the Auditor and
recovered in February 1923.
5.
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The fourth query and the most important one deals with the credit under the head of Transit Charges
of the Post Office for the years 1920 1922 of the sum of
$171,898.38. Hongkong has to undertake the transit of
Closed Mails sent from other Administrations of the Postal
Union, and is in the first instance responsible to the
Shipping Companies etc. concerned for their onward
conveyance from Hongkong. Payment is recovered from the
Administrations of origin of such mails at periods decided upon at the Postal Congress, and at the Maritime transit
rates fixed by the Postal Convention.
6.
The Statistics taken in May 1921 were
applicable to mails despatched during the years 1920/1923
inclusive; and the transit payments payable on the basis of those Statistics were not finally agreed upon until
late in 1922. The first payments to Hongkong in respect of the years 1920/1922 were received here in 1923. Transit
accounts are as a rule settled annually and are always
one year in arrear and this Government, therefore, loses
the interest on the money paid by it for that period. The
sum of $272,164.11 was recovered from China and other
Administrations in 1923 for the years 1920-1922.
7.
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The actual rates of payment made locally are slightly lower than those collected under the Postal
Convention. This must of necessity be so, in order to
provide for any abnormal increase in the number of Transit
Closed Maila between the Statistical periods, and for the
expenses