PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Referance,
C.O. 133
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHI~~NOT TO] BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON |
25 AULIC RECORDERMISSION OF THE
17. The following statements will shew that, during the past, as in previous years, all efforts have been made towards the progress of the service, and that whilst the establishment of the system of sorting the Mails at sea, the introduction of the Money Order system, and the various other improvements inaugurated, have, of necessity, caused some increase of expenditure, the Revenue which has accrued, both to the Colony and to the Imperial Office, has been augmented, and I trust the general results will be found satisfactory.
18.
Total Revenue collected in 1888,
Comparative Statement of Revenue,
.£30,402.11.10} #$174,833.45
Add amount received from Imperial Post Office towards the maintenance of Postal
Agencies at the Ports in China and Japan,.
Total Revenue collected in 1807,
Total increase in 1868, as compared with 1807,.
Amount of Imperial Revenue collected in 1868,.
Da
du.
do 1867,
Increase in 1809, as compared with 1807,
Amount of Colonial Revenue in 1968,
Do
do.
1907,
Increase in 1868, as compared with 1807,
032.10. 0 =$ 4,572.00 £37,373, 1.10 =8179,400.45 34,787.10. 0j =$166,082.17
.£ 2,587. 2.10 =$ 12,418.28
£24,502.11.11 $118,044.48 2008.15, 0 =$108,52,00
=$ 9,592.48
£ 1,983.16.11
-S 61,355.09 58,400.17
.$ 2,895.82
19. The amount of uncollectel Rerenne due to the Culony at the end of 1868, was $1,169.25 in excess of that which was outstanding at the end of 1997, therefore the Colonial Revenue of 1×63 is actually $4,550.07 more than that of 1867.
20. The whole revenue of 1918 isông $19,418.28 in excess of the revenue of 186, it may be fairly assumed that, to some con-iiderable extent, the system of Marine Sorting, and the atter laut neceleration in the delivery of the letters, has had some efect in checking their illicit converance, although it has not entirely eradicated the practice.
21. The expenditure in the year 18, including a sum of $2.29751, paid for the conveyance of Muils by private Ship, amonats to 81.217.21, of which 84.572 has been contributed by the Imperial Office, in aid of the charges for maintaining Post Offices at the Ports, which reduces the amount forming a charge upon the Colony to 6,643.21, or $366.26 in excess of that of 1967.
42. I append a return, markel A. of the Gross and Net Revenue for the Eight clear years the Department has been under the control of this Government, which shews its general progress.
23. The Colony's share of the Pustage on Mails from the United Kingdom in 1863 amounts to £1,265.122 or £175.88 in excess of the sum received from the same source in 1967.
24. The number of Letters and Papers sent from Hongkong to the United Kingdom in 1808 was as follows, viz. :—
BY BRITISH PACKET.
Dr FRESCA PACKET.
In 198,
Letters. Papers and Prices Current, 203,590
161,173
In 1868,
Ja 1887,....
.104,201
145,597
In 1987,
Letters. 9,003 30,507
Papers and Prices Current.
2,148
4,428
+
Excess in 1862,
33,819
15,570
Excess in 1867, .... 1,504
2,280
25. The weight of Letters seat to the United Kingdom in 1868, is as follows:-
PER BRITISH Packet.
Tun.
ext.
Via Southampton,..............0
13
gre
1
2
8
Via Marseilles,
13
..
1
+
Total,......2
16
3
3
12
PER FRENCH PACKET. ext.
1bc. gra.
二品
20. The weight of Letters received from the United Kingdom in 1868, is as follows:-
PER BRITISH Packet.
Ton cxt.
grs.
Via Southampton,- Via Marseilles,
.1
3
Ibs. 4
02.
12
.1
5
3
4
Total,
9
0
9
3 25
30. The number of Mails received by private Ships during 1863 is 1,102, against 1,170 in 1807 while those despatched 26 show a decrease of 475 in 1808 as compared with 1807, the numbers being, in 1887, 1,747, and in 1863, 1,273.
31. The number of Letters on official business sent from the Department to the Public, the Agents at the Ports and the various Public Offices, during the year 1868 has increased by 305, the number in 1807 being 855, against 1,220 last year, and
a corresponding increase has taken place in the number of those received.
32. From the returns appended, marked B. and C., it will be observed that, the British Contract Packets have arrived with the Mails from home with more punctuality than hitherto during the past year, and, that although the average time allowed from the royages has been shorter than formerly, the average time occupied has been a few hours less by Southampton, and a few hours more by Marseilles; 15 Mails having arrived before their due date, 6 on their duo date, and only 5 after the time set down for arrival, and that 23 days were gained on the voyage, and 7 list, in the transmission of the Mails ri Southampton, and 7 days were lost, and 23 gained, in the transmission of those vil Marseilles, against 42 days gained, and 10 lost, in the year 1867, and that the quickest time in which a Mail was brought from London to Hongkong við Marseillem was 30 days, against 33 days in 1807.
33. I append a return, marked D. of the dates of arrival and departure of the French Packets in the year 1868, by which it will be seen that the shortest time occupied in conveying a Mail from London to Hongkong in 1868 was 39 days, against 30 days in the two previous years.
34. And I also append a Statement, marked E. of the arrivals and departures of the United States Mail Packets at Hongkong during the year 1868.
33. The amount realized by the sale of Postage Stamps during the year 1808 was g133,802.12, of which Stamps of the ralue of £77,770.20 were sold in Hongkong, and the remainder, viz.: $50,031.80, at the Ports, shewing a decrease of $2,580.70 in those sold at Hongkong and an increase of $8,206,58 in those sold at the Ports, as compared with 1867; I aanes a list of the number and value of each kind of Postage Stamps sold in 1868, viz.:----
2 Cent Stamps..
+
M
0 n
8 "1
"
12 "
227,464.
191,293.
132,001.
169,528.
6,357.
7,870.
.18
"
19
100,584.
24 "
12
92,817.
.30
"}
32,631 25,001.
48 "
静
.96
ק
4,540.28
7,651.72
7,950.66
.19,502.24
7,002,84
1,417.08
24,140.36
.27,845.10
.15,014.88
24,058.58
$133,802.12
36. The Money Onder system betweco Hongkong, Shanghae and Yokohama and the United Kingdom, has clearly proved itself of great convenience to the Public; during the three months of its operation, 388 Orders having been issued in Hongkong on the United Kingdom amounting to £2,150.14,4; 91 at Shanghai amounting to £442.6.11, and 54 at Yokohama amounting to £920.16.4; the Balance of Commission which accrued to the Colony on account of these Orders is as follows:--
Hongkong, Shanghзe,. Yokohama,.
TOTAL
$10.93 cents
9.08 3.74 n
"
...$53.80 cents;
it will therefore be seen that, although the advantage to the Public has doubtless been great, the system, so far, has not been remunerative.
37. One Order only (for £7.0.0) was drawn in the United Kingdom upon Hongkong, and one (for 15x) upon Shanghai, during the three Months of the Year.
33. The Local Money Order system between Hongkong, Shanghae and Yokohama, which was commenced on the 1st November, has not been much availed of yet, 3 Orders only having been issued in Hongkong on Shanghae, amounting to $110 and 3 on Yokohams amounting to 874: whilst One Order was issued at Shanghae upon Hongkong for $18: and 4 Orders were issued at Yokohama on Hongkong amounting to $17.81; the Commission received by the Colony on account of Local Money Orders amounts to $2.10.-I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant,
F. W. MITCHELL, Postmaster General.
PER FRENCH PACKET. ext.
Ibs. gri.
The Honorable J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
&c.,
Colonial Secretary.
gc.,
jc.
2
0 18
27. The weight of Newspapers, either sent or received, is not taken, neither is the number of Letters received taken because the time which would be occupied in this work would protract the delivery of the correspondence to the Public, # pointed out in the 15th paragraph of the last annual report.
28. The Letters received in the Muils from the United States, San Francisco and Yokohama, by the Pacific Mail Steamers during the year 1963, number 4,9933, and the Papers 10,679, whilst those sent by these vessels to Yokohama, San Francise and the United States generally, have been 11,200 Letters and 9,224 Papers, and the amount received by the Colony kị postage on Mails despatched is, approximately, $1,311.09; the revenue on the Mails received is retained by the United State Post Unce; during 1988, 19 Mails were received and 10 Mails were despatched, whereas in 1807, only 5 Mails were dispatched and 5 received, on this account, therefore, no comparison can be made between the two years; it has however been observe that, fewer Letters and Papers are now both sent and received in the Mails by this route, than those which were carried at the
outset.
99. The Registered Letters received from London during 1868 numbered 1,099 or 114 in excess of those received in the previous year, whilst those sent have increased by 523, the number in 1863 being 1,346, against 821 in 1867. In connexio with the security afforded by the Registration of Letters it may be useful to remark that, the Post Office fails occasionally convey Registered Letters uninjured, because the public themselves not unfrequently post them very badly secured, and, duri the year 1933, two notable exsimples have been observed, in which very thin boxes of wood, one containing a silver watch, a the other a ladies bonnett, or head dress, which both escaped from the packages and were found loose in the Registered Lety bags