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11. Registered Articles and Parcels.-The number of registered articles handled amounted to 680,360 as compared with 691,046 in 1933—a decrease of 10,686.
12. The figures for insured letters were 16,316 and 20,232 respectively—a decrease of 3,916.
13. Parcels, ordinary and insured, which were dealt with reached a total of 150,309 as against 143,064 in 1933—an increase of 7,245.
14. The Railway had a successful year in 1934 in spite of the trade depression. Features were the growth of terminal through traffic to and from Canton and the decline of local and sectional through traffic.
15. The principal event was the introduction of a new working agreement for through traffic between the British and Chinese Sections. This came into force on October 1st and superseded the old working agreement which, although drafted in 1911, had never been ratified. The new agreement is comprehensive and flexible and is expected to lead to increased efficiency through co-operation and mutual goodwill. Its main proviso is that the British Section's share of terminal through traffic receipts has been reduced from 35% to 28%.
16. The manner in which the track on both Sections has been maintained enabled the express services to be accelerated, the journey from Kowloon to Canton being reduced by thirteen minutes to two hours fifty-seven minutes from October 1st. A new mid-day fast terminal through train was instituted at the same time and has proved very popular.
17. The three 4-6-0 express locomotives obtained for the Chinese Section are still operated by the British Section. The Chinese Section made twelve monthly cash payments of $10,000 each in respect of these locomotives. Haulage charges continued to be paid by the Chinese Section.
18. The total steam train mileage run amounted to 433,868; this includes trains hauled by British Section locomotives over the Chinese Section. Motor Coach mileage was 14,519. Passenger journeys were 2,683,444 as against 2,765,726 in 1933.
19. Revenue for the year totalled $1,689,775 as against $1,630,610 in 1933. Net revenue amounted to $696,604 as against $711,052.42 for 1933, but the former figure would have increased to $727,917 had the percentage earnings from terminal through traffic remained at the same level throughout the year.
20. There are 377 miles of roads in the Colony, 161 miles on the Island of Hong Kong and 216 miles in Kowloon and the New Territories. Of the total mileage 293 miles are constructed