Q 3
the reduction of the British Garrisons in the East. The vagaries of the silver market and the puzzling fluctuations in the silver dollar currencies obtaining in each China Port and Hongkong would account for the greater demand for Local Postal Notes (increase about $9,000) for postal remittances. Further details appear in Tables VI, VII, and VIII.
6.-CHINESE BRANCH OF THE GENERAL POST OFFICE.
The total number of Chinese registered articles handled by this Branch amounted to 216,132 as compared with 247,462 in 1913, a decrease of 31,330. Of these articles 136,824 were received from the United States of America and Canada and 79,308 from China and other countries.
The figures for the last three years are as follows:—
1912 1913 1914 From U.S.A. and Canada, 156,541 160,794 136,824 China and other countries, 77,613 86,668 79,308 Total, 234,154 247,462 216,132The Hong licences of 27 Chinese firms who had previously held such licences were renewed. No new licences were issued.
7. SHEUNGWAN DISTRICT BRANCH POST OFFICE.
(Formerly Western B.P.O.)
This office deals with the bulk of the Chinese correspondence passing between Hongkong and Canton. During the year 1,000,657 letters, 10,530 other articles and 4,127 registered letters were despatched to Canton and 973,978 letters, 5,284 other articles and 4,599 registered letters were received from Canton. The number of letters, other articles and registered letters despatched exceeded the figures for 1913 by 214,720 but as in 1913 the total letters, other articles and registered letters received show a decrease which amounts to 101,376 for the year under review. This decrease can only be accounted for by the fact that the Chinese Post Office in Canton apparently prefers to send its Chinese mails to the General Post Office direct rather than to forward them to Sheungwan Branch Post Office. The total number of Chinese letters received in Hongkong shows no general tendency to decrease. Statistics of ordinary Chinese correspondence are now being kept in the Chinese Branch of the General Post Office so that it will in future be possible to give the total number of Chinese letters despatched from and received in Hongkong.
The number of postal hong packets despatched from this branch amounted to 7,331 and the number received to 9,075 as compared with 7,590 despatched and 362 received in 1913, and 8,815 despatched and 9,879 received in 1912.
*Note.—The small number received in 2013 was due to the despatch of most of the hong packets from Canton to the Chinese Branch Post Office, General Post Office, where no postal hong statistics were kept.