1904-1919
HONG KONG, 1906.
X.-POSTAL SERVICE.
21
The total receipts paid into the Treasury in 1906 by the Postal Department amounted to $557,278.26, from which sum $136,824.22 was transferred to other heads of General Revenue under which fees and duties are paid in stamps, which are now sold exclusively by the Post Office, leaving the sum $420,454.04 as revenue of the Postal Service. The total expenditure amounted to $359,484.08, which, after deducting $420,454.04 as revenue, leaves a profit of $60,969.96.
An arrangement for the transmission of insured letters direct between the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong came into force on the 1st December, 1906.
A direct exchange of money orders with Cape Colony came into force on 1st January.
The new Post Office at Kowloon was occupied in September. The Western Branch Post Office was re-opened on 1st October.
Shanghai British Post Office was enlarged.
A postal agency was opened at Tientsin on 1st October.
The pillar box system in Hong Kong was considerably extended during the year.
XI-MILITARY FORCES AND EXPENDITURE.
(A.) REGULAR FORCES.
The following return shows the number and composition of the forces employed in the Colony during 1906:-
Corps. Europeans. Indians. Chinese. Officers. W. O.'s, N. C. O,'s & Men. Native Officers. W. O.'s, N. C. O.'s, & Men. N. C. O.'s & Men. Totals. General Staff (Officers only) 4 4 Garrison Staff (W. O., N. C. Officers only). 6 11 46 Royal Garrison Artillery 19 664 683 Royal Engineers 11 243 65 319 2nd Royal West Kent Regiment 9 419 428 Army Service Corps 4 27 31 Royal Army Medical Corps 43 51 A. O. Department and Corps 6 31 37 A. P. Department and Corps 2 10 Hong Kong & Singapore Br. R.G.A. 10 9 7 405 431 3rd Middlesex Regiment 2 75 77 119th Infantry 15 750 774 129th (D.C.O.) Baluchis 15 753 777 Indian Subordinate Medical Department. 1 4 5 Total 93 1,525 38 1,912 65 3,63371