Appendix R.
REPORT OF THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, HONG KONG, FOR THE YEAR 1927.
1.-STAFF.
During the year changes in the Clerical Staff were one dismissed, two resigned and two transferred to other departments.
2.-MAILS.
The number of mail receptacles of Hong Kong origin dispatched, during the year was 35,159 as compared with 31,863 in 1926-an increase of 3,296; the number received was 43,638 as compared with 38,262-an increase of 5,376.
Receptacles in transit, including those to and from British and Foreign Men-of-War, numbered 194,200 as against 186,806 in 1926 an increase of 7,394.
5,792 steamers carrying mails arrived and 6,414 left, an increase of 1,892 and 2,986 over the previous year's figures.
Full details are shown in Table I.
3.-REGISTERED ARTICLES AND PARCELS.
The number of registered articles handled amounted to 833,177 as compared with 880,721 in 1926-a decrease of 47,544.
The figures for insured letters were 17,648 and 20,236 respectively a decrease of 2,588.
The decrease in the number of insured letters was due to the fact that some countries are now forwarding insured letters direct to China in closed sacks.
Full details appear in Table II.
Parcels, ordinary and insured, which were dealt with reached a total of 424,047 as against 555,354 in 1926—a decrease of 131,307.
An increase of 10,451 parcels (attributable to the increase of H. M. Forces) was exchanged with London. This is not the actual increase, as parcels for the Continent of Europe hitherto sent via London were during the greater part of 1927 sent via Marseilles thus increasing the total under the heading of "Miscellaneous" by 6,174.