Table VII gives the revenue from the sale of postage stamps for the years 1914, 1915 and 1916. The increase of revenue from this source in the year 1916 over that of the year 1915 amounted to $35,612.75.
5.-MONEY ORDERS.
The growing activity in the money order service reported in 1915 has continued with unabated vigour throughout this year. The Chinese remittances from the United Kingdom have increased by the large amount of £12,380; and the increases from India, Japan, Straits and Malaya are due to the same causes. The high rate of the dollar accounts for the increase under the head of orders issued, especially £10,080 of orders sent to India. There was only one decrease of any consequence, viz., £2,336 for New Zealand. In 1915 a large remittance of £2,000 was made in consequence of the repatriation of some Chinese from Apia, Samoa; no such remittance was made in 1916. The increase, therefore, reported in 1915 was not maintained in 1916.
Taken on the whole the transactions are very satisfactory, showing a net increase of £53,905. 14s. 11d. over those of 1915. The interchange of telegraphic money orders with the United Kingdom began on the 1st October but the cost of the transmission of the messages is too high to ensure its general use except for the maximum amount (£40) and only few orders were recorded for the year.
The sale of Postal Orders, both Imperial and Local, was almost the same as in 1915, and has not shown such a large shrinkage as in 1915. In that year the decrease in Postal Orders as compared with the year 1914 amounted to £6,870.
Inward Postal Orders showed an increase amounting to £3,337. Full details appear in Tables VIII, IX, and X.
6. CHINESE CORRESPONDENCE.
Chinese Delivery Section General Post Office.
During the year this Section handled 1,777,123 ordinary letters, 303,433 other articles, and 9,634 postal hong packets. The registered articles delivered amounted to 234,238 of which 145,510 were from the United States of America and Canada, and 88,728 from China and other countries, showing an increase of 24,115 as compared with 210,123 in 1915. 1,932 insured letters were dealt with as against 1,221 in 1915.
The Hong Licences of 24 Chinese Postal Hongs were renewed. During the year two postal hongs ceased to carry on business and their licenses were accordingly withdrawn and cancelled.
Owing to the demand for private letter boxes by the members of the Chinese Community an order for 261 new private box-holders' boxes was given early in the year. The new boxes arrived in Hongkong in October and by the end of the year 173 boxes had been let.