17. An improvement, suggested by NOEL TROTTER, Esq., of the Straits Settlements Post Office, has been introduced into the sorting of the French Mail. It is based upon the fact that, in sorting letters to many addresses, more time is consumed in walking to and fro than in the actual placing of the correspondence. It is therefore an economy to detach two officers to perform a preliminary sorting of the correspondence into Sections, which Sections are then sorted, without walking about, by the others. Although the staff is necessarily weakened by two, and though each letter is sorted twice, the plan is found to save about fifteen minutes out of two hours. It may be possible eventually to apply it to newspapers also.
18. A table will be found in the Appendix shewing the amounts of correspondence posted in the Pillar boxes at the West End of the Town, which are cleared three times a day. As will be seen, the numbers are not large, but the boxes are maintained, as it is desirable to have frequent communication along so long a line of road. Should the Town spread much more to Westward a subsidiary Office near the Gas works will probably become necessary.
19. The quickest transits between Hongkong and London or vice versâ have been 32 days, the Mail having twice arrived here within that period by P. & O. packet, and having twice been carried home in 32 days by French packet. The slowest passage was 43 days (Oxus, with Mail of November 11th), but this was due to four days' detention in the Suez Canal. There have been eight transits of 40 days, of which six were by consecutive homeward P. & O. packets (Mails of April 28th to July 7th inclusive). The following are approximate averages for the year:—
P. & O. Packets, Outward, ... 34.3 days.
French Packets, Homeward, ... 35.1
French Packets, Outward, ... 36.3
P. & O. Packets, Homeward, ... 37.1
Taking both lines together, and the Outward route with the Homeward, this gives as nearly as possible thirty-six days as the average Mail passage.
I have the honour to be,
The Honourable M. S. TONNOCITY,
Acting Colonial Secretary,"
&c.,
&c.,
&c.
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
ALFRED LISTER,
Postmaster General,
APPENDIX.
(A.)—TRANSMISSION OF SAMPLES OF SUGAR.
GENERAL POST OFFICE, HONGKONG, 14th October, 1881.
SIR, I have had the honour to receive your letter No. 144,306 of September 6th on the subject of certain samples of Sugar forwarded from Swatow through this office.
Before issuing a notice to foreign residents in China prohibiting the sending of samples of sugar, however packed, I venture respectfully to ask your favourable consideration of the question whether sugar, when packed in tin, really does contravene Article V (3rd sub-section, 2) of the Convention of Paris.
Nothing can be more objectionable, I admit, than sugar when packed in paper or other porous material. But whilst a very large number of samples of sugar in tin have passed through this office during the last few years; not a single complaint of practical inconvenience has been received, except your representation that it is not easy to inspect the contents. This, however, would apply still more strongly to the samples of tea which are despatched from China by thousands every year, and I need hardly say that any attempt to prohibit the sending of muster tins of tea would cause a great outcry. At present rates of Postage, there is little inducement to anybody to insert letters in sample packets, and especially nobody would do so in packets of sugar, as the letters would be rendered illegible and the sugar discoloured.
If people were prompted to send sugar through the Post merely by the trifling motives which lead them to send bride-cake and other such unsuitable matters, I would not say a word in defence of the practice. There can be little doubt, however, that sugar refining is going to be an enormous business in China, probably second only to the trade in tea. Within the last few years, this industry (quite a new one) has increased in the most striking manner.
Such being the case, I beg to submit that the prohibition of a practice so vitally bound up with successful business as the sending of samples is rather a serious matter, and, in face of the fact that some offices even allow the transmission of liquids, would certainly provoke grave discontent.
The sender of the packets in question (which would seem to have arrived perfectly dry) was wrong in affixing so much information to his tin boxes, but otherwise he had taken considerable pains to comply with the stipulations of the local Post Office Guide, which I append.
Whatever your decision in this matter may be, I hope that any samples of sugar arriving in good order up till the time when I shall have received your answer and acted upon it may be delivered.
I have &c.,
SA BLACKWOOD, Esq., C.B.,
Secretary to the Post Office,
&c.
&c.
&c.
LONDON.
(Signed)
ALFRED LISTER,
Postmaster General.
The above averages are taken from not quite all the year's voyages, but would probably not be materially affected by those remaining.