R 2
The parcel receptacles handled showed a decrease compared with the figures for 1914 of 949.
Full details appear in Table I.
3. REGISTRATION AND PARCELS BRANCH.
Registered articles and parcels handled in Hongkong amounted to 784,590 as compared with 910,496 in 1914. The decrease of 125,906 articles and parcels handled is mainly due to the war.
Registered articles despatched and received via Siberia totalled 54,536 as compared with 58,995 in 1914.
A detailed statement is given in Table II.
4. REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.
Table III contains a statement of Postal Revenue and Expenditure for the year. Revenue amounted to $368,457.77, a decrease of $29,968.61 as compared with the year 1914. The decrease in the sale of Postage Stamps was due to the war and in Boxholders Fees to the abolition of the Private Letter Boxes carried by the Canton Steamers necessitated through the entry of China into the Universal Postal Union. The expenditure amounted to $403,609.02, an increase of $31,962.96 over that of the previous year when certain arrears of outstanding transit dues were recovered.
The balance of expenditure over revenue amounted to $35,151.25.
Table IV shows the total stamps, etc., of each denomination issued for sale in Hongkong during the years 1914 and 1915 respectively.
Table V shows the Revenue and Expenditure of the General Post Office for the 10 years 1906 to 1915.
Table VI gives the Sale of Postage Stamps during the 3 years 1913, 1914 and 1915. A comparison of the figures for the period August to December in the years 1914 and 1915 shows a steady improvement in the sales during the latter period of 1915 which is likely to be maintained.
5. MONEY ORDERS.
During the year under review greater confidence has been shown by the Chinese abroad in availing themselves of the Post Office as the medium for the transmission of money remittances to China, than in the first year of the war. An increase of Inward Money Orders to the amount of £4,413 has taken place but the year's working shows a decrease of £9,431 in the Outward remittances, principally for India and the United Kingdom due to the