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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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No. 36.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
His Excellency SIR RICHARD GRAVES MACDONNELL directs the publication of the subjoined Annual Report of the Hongkong General Post Office, for the Year 1867.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 20th March, 1868.
CECIL C. SMITH,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
Ne. 19.
GENERAL POST OFFICE,
I
SIR,
HoNoxona, 7th March, 1888.
I do myself the honor to hand you the Eighth Annual Report on the Post Office being that for the Year 1887, 2. It is satisfactory to remark that, in the declining and disturbed state of trade, the Revenue of 1867 has exceeded that
of the previous Year by the sum of $3,089.37, and the subjoined statement shews that whilst the Imperial Share of the Revenue collected in 1807 is £730.4.10į less thing that collected in 1800, the Colony's share has improved by 90,594.54,
at the same time it must be borne in mind that the amounts (exclusive of Postage Stamps) outstanding and due to this Office from the Post Office Agencies at the Ports in China and Japan is $5,019.22 cents less at the end of 1867 than it was at the end of 1806, and therefore the increase in the Colony's Revenue for 1867 is really only $1,675.82 in excess of the previous Year, which may be accounted for by improved arrangements at Shangbae, and, in some measure, to the Colonial Revenue derived from Mails carried by the new line of Pacific Steam Ship Company's Vessels, running between this place and Yokohama and San Francisco, which was inaugurated in February last Year.
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Comparative Statement of Revenue. Total amount of Revenue collected during the Year 1867,
Do.
do.
do. 1860,
Total excess in 1867 as compared with 1800,
Total amount of Imperial Revenue collected in the Year 1860,
Do.
do.
do. 1867,
Total deficiency in 1887 as compared with 1806,
Total amount of Colonial Revenue collected in 1866,
Do,
do.
do.
1887,
Total excess in 1867 as compared with 1866,
..£
.£34,787.19. 0} =#166,082.17 34,144. 6. 8 103,892.80
643.12. 41 =$ 3,089.37
·£23,338.19.10] =$112,027.17 22,008.15. 0 108,522.00
£ 730.04.10} =$ 3,505.17
g 51,865.63
58,460.17
..8 6,504.54
4. Although, as I have before pointed out, the Revenue of the Post Office is not perfect evidence of the amount of duty performed, it may be looked upon to some extent in that light, and I fully anticipate that so soon as the power, obtained by the Imperial Post Master General under the 22nd Clause of the New Contract which he has entered into with the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, to fit up the Packets running between Singapore and Hongkong, and Hongkong and Shanghae, with the necessary appliances to admit of the Mails being sorted on board the Packets, is exercised, the Revenue will be much increased, as the acceleration in the delivery of the Correspondence, which this sorting en route will bring with it, will take from the Public the plea, if so it may be called, for sending any letters otherwise than through the medium of the Post Office; the necessary arrangements for giving effect to this measure are now under the consideration of the Imperial Postal Authorities and its introduction will, I apprehend, necessitate the remodelling of the Department, for whilst fewer Officers will be required at the time of the receipt or dispatch of an English Mail, a considerable staff will still have to be kept up to work the Mails by the French and Pacific Steamers as well as those by the numerous other Vessels, frequenting this Port
. During the Year 1807, the Postal Agencies at the Ports and those ports where no Agencies of the Post Office exist, but where it was proposed to establish Agencies, have been inspected by myself and Mr. Res from St. Martins-le-grand with a view to assessing the conditions, and completing arrangements for their immediate transfer to the exclusive control of this Government, and much information has been gained and many improvements effected thereby, the carrying out of which either await the authority of Treasury Warrants, which are in course of being obtained, or further consideration at home.
8. A reciprocal Postal Convention has been entered into by the Colony and the United States' Post Office, for the con- veyance of Mails between Hongkong and Yokohama and San Francisco, which, whilst being convenient to the two Postal Departments in avoiding the necessity for keeping accounts, is also advantageons to the Public
7. An arrangement has been made for accounting for the Mails from London to Hongkong and vice versa by bulk. weight instead of Letter by Letter, which has resulted in a great saving of time and the keeping of less complicated socounts without entailing any loss to the Colonial Revenue, and it has also been arranged that the regulation, under which Letters for any places in China and Japan could not be forwarded from the United Kingdom unpaid or insufficiently prepaid, has been abolished, and such Letters are now sent from London to these places, the unpaid postage being charged against this Office and accounted for by it to London.
8. The Mails between the United Kingdom and this Office are now sent in bags instead of Boxes as formerly, a system which has been adopted as a matter of economy. I have been informed that the Mail Boxes for the service generally, cost the Imperial Office upwards of £5,000 per annum, and it is anticipated that the bags will cost considerably less, and it is also said that bags stow in less space than boxes, for whilst they take up no unnecessary room, boxes which it is sometimes necessary to send only partially filled with correspondence take up much more space on board the Packets; the use of bags however is in my opinion much to be deprecated, as they do not afford the same protection as Boxes do, and in many cases it has been observed that Letters are much mutilated by friction in the bags.
9. A concession has been obtained in gaining permission for the Agents of this Department at Shanghas and Yokohama 'o make up Mails for the United Kingdom to be forwarded by the French Packets which has given very general satisfaction, and I hope soon to see that Mails per French Facket will be made up in the United Kingdom for delivery from the British Post Offices at these places.
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