32. It must be remembered, however, that throughout the whole year, two rival Offices in Japan and the North of China have been offering communication with America and Europe at rates less than half of ours (5d. on letters for instance us against 1s. 2d.) and that, for Shanghai and Ports North of Shanghai, the route via San Francisco is at least as speedy as that via Suez. At Yokohama alone nearly 10,000 letters and 6,000 papers less were posted for the Suez route in 1876 than in 1875. It has been learnt that the Mail despatched from that port via San Francisco has been as much as bags by one Packet. Much of the contents would no doubt be papers, &c., which but for the low rates would not have been posted at all; but a few years since all the rest would have passed through this Office.
fifty
33. The usual tables are appended. After what has been said above they call for no special remark, except to point out the large decrease of £2,530 in the total amount remitted to England by Money Orders, a decrease due, no doubt, to the extremely unfavourable rates of exchange, which have been as low as 3s. 64d per dollar.
34. The quickest passages home have been made by the Messageries Packets, the Mail carried by which vessels four times reached London in 35 days. The P. & O. Packets have delivered the Mail in 38 days six times. The Oceanic left for San Francisco on December 4th, and reached that port in 23 days.
35. The quickest passages out have been made by the P. & O. Packets, which have delivered the Mails eight times within 36 days. The Messageries Packet Sindh arrived on August 5th with the Mail 37 days from London. The Oceanic arrived on May 13th after a voyage of 26 days from San Francisco.
36. Tables B. & C. afford the following averages:—
British Packets, Outward, French Packets, Homeward, French Packets, Outward,
British Packets, Homeward,.
Average voyage taken.
Average voyage.
allowed. 401 days. 424
384 days.
38
"}
11
40%
>>
19
423
41
41
37. It is to be hoped that the next Annual Report will be more encouraging, if not with regard to Revenue (for Revenue is in all probability a thing of the past) at any rate in something to show for the Revenue which may have ceased to exist. The chief characteristic of 1876 has been waiting for better times. It must not be expected, however, that the Postal Union machinery will work smoothly all at once. Much experience and a vast deal of correspondence will be required to settle things into their new groove. Perplexing questions are almost sure to present themselves. It is hoped that public forbearance will be extended to delays which, vexatious as they are, are inevitable where correspondence with distant Offices is involved.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
The Honourable II. E. WODEHOUSE,
I
Acting Colonial Secretary,
HONGKONG.
APPENDIX.
(A.) GENERAL RETURN OF POST OFFICE BUSINESS.
1875.
SENT.
1876.
Books
INCREASE. DECREASE.
Booke
Books
1876.
Books
Alfred Listen,
Postmaster General.
RECEIVED.
1870.
INCREASE. DECREASE
Books
Books
Boski
Book
Papers.
Papers.
l'aper
Letters. and Lettera And Letters and Letters and Letters and Letters' and 'Letters and Letters and
I'mport.
Гарств.
Papers
Paper
Papers,
No No No No 3.9454,889 record record record record
UNITED KINGDOM.
l'er British Packets,
Por French, Puckets,
135,625
89.898 98,787 131,580 62,879 27,335 07,020 27,722 8,241
827
A
...
**
H
IH
i
⠀⠀
B
-
Th
United Kingdom,
United StatKS.†
Per United States Packets,
REGISTERED CORRESPONDENCE.
81,670 42,414 32,827 46,821 | 1,157 |4,407
Tid
19.970
H
20,003
IF
3233
4,178
8,871
307
2.454
சந
2,169
--
285
+
Continent,
wakikuvak
622
648
26
D$4
-
---
87
127
40
805
+
+
Ports of China and Japan, Straits, Ceylon, India, &c.,
785
1,240
40-1
ww
1,108
923 480.
1,189
---
---
મા
...
BG
037
795
158
1,000
咖啡
1,771
211
Total, Registered Correspondence,
6,309
6,690
807
0,350
6,638
478
290
Total
do., Incrense or Decrease,
881
182
Laeroana.
(Increase
Ship Mails,
1,571
1,939
868 Increase.
1,710
1,606
Дес
† Including a very small Bail for Yokohama by each U. S. Packet.
·
Registered Papers, Books, and Patterns, not being numerous, are included under Registered Letters.