GENERAL POST OFFICE. HONGKONG, April 12th, 1881.
1. I have the honour to report on the British Postal service in Hongkong and China during 1880.
2. The main feature of interest has been the steady extension of the Postal Union, until it may now be said that only two groups of countries of considerable importance are not included in it. These are the Australasian and South African Colonies. With regard to the former, a Postal conference was to assemble at Melbourne in November last to discuss the Union and other questions. It is much to be hoped the result may be the entrance of these important Colonies into the Postal system which now embraces almost all the rest of the world.
3. In the case of the Australasian group, local circumstances have enabled the Government of this Colony to reduce our outward postage, by the principal route, to the Union tariff, thus effecting one more considerable step towards uniformity. It is curious to observe, however, that the more simplicity is attained, and the easier Postal arrangements become, by far more mistakes are made, not only by the public, but also by the Departmental Staff. When each country in Europe was treated on a special and different Postal tariff, some with a half ounce unit, some with a quarter ounce, people were forced to acquaint themselves with the various rates of Postage, and knew more about them than they do now. When newspaper postage from England was twopence by one mail and a penny by the other, newspapers were prepaid with fair correctness and regularity. Now that the postage is three halfpence by either route, the very simplicity of the arrangement seems to carry it beyond the comprehension of the average poster of newspapers, for the sacksful of short paid papers which arrive (and the new Tariff is now a year old) attest that it is as far from being generally understood as ever. Even when the three-halfpenny postage has been mastered, the senders appear to have no idea that three halfpence will only pay for four ounces, but post papers weighing twelve and fourteen with apparently every confidence as to their free delivery.
These short paid papers have proved a serious impediment to the rapid sorting and delivery of mails. About this time last year the English public was just beginning to discover the French mail to be the cheaper opportunity of the two, and though this is no longer the case, the consequent augmentation of the mail will probably continue for years. The time required to sort the French mail, which had once been (under exceptionally favourable circumstances) as little as half an hour, crept up to an hour and a half. Then the short paid papers began to arrive, and the hour and a half threatened to become two hours. Even when the mail was sorted, its delivery was much retarded. Everybody had to pay two cents at least, and nobody had two cents ready. The difficulty has been met by leaving the short paid papers to stand over till there is time to deal with them, and if the consequent delay in their delivery induces more care in prepayment, the object of this Office will have been attained.
5. The sale of Post cards has exceeded all expectations. They were introduced because it was obligatory to issue them, but it was not expected that more than a few dozen would be sold. Some difficulty was experienced in keeping pace with the demand. At least two-thirds of those purchased, however, have gone to gratify the mania for Stamp-collecting, which seems to increase with the obstacles surrounding it. It is difficult to make votaries of the grand science of Philately understand that Post Offices exist for any other purposes than to supply them with every conceivable variety and shade of Postage stamp. The object of a Postal Administration, on the other hand, naturally is to get rid of all odds and ends, temporary or obsolete issues, and such like, as quickly as possible.
Page 2
6. After twenty years of existence as a Colonial Post Office, this Department has at last succeeded (in eliminating pence from its dealings with the public. As late as last year the charges on all unpaid correspondence were made in pence, the accounts were kept in Sterling, and the Postage Stamps in use represented sixpences, shillings, &c. We have now got something like a decimal series, adapted to the Colonial currency. It may be possible to improve it as years go on.
7. The general Statistics taken in November 1879 may be said to have been fairly successful. There has not been one-tenth as much correspondence and misunderstanding arising from them as was the case with the Statistics of 1877. Those to be taken in May of the present year will, it is to be hoped, pass off with all the smoothness of routine.
8. The general principle of the Statistics is, to observe carefully during one calendar month the actual weights of correspondence forwarded, which are multiplied by 12 to give an approximate total for the year. This Colony was very unfortunate in the fact that during the Statistical month of November 1879 there were three departures of the French Contract packets (November 1, 15, and 29), so that Hongkong had to pay during 1879 and 1880 as if there were 36 French mails in each year, whereas there are only 26. The appropriate multiplier would have been, but though this Department received the sympathy and support of the London Post Office in its endeavours to establish that multiplier, the French Administration (supported, it must be admitted, by the letter of the documents authoritative in the matter) declined to accede to this reduction. Such a case indicates a defective principle, which would be remedied by extending the Statistics over 28 days only, and multiplying the results by 13.5. It is to be hoped this proposition will be brought forward at the next Postal Congress; it has already been suggested by this Office.
1 Since the above was written this conference has been postponed.
* As in a letter from a distinguished Philatelist.
GENERAL POST OFFICE. HONGKONG, April 12th, 1881.
Sts. I have the honour to report on the British Postal service in Hongkong and China during 1880.
2. The main feature of interest has been the steady extension of the Postal Union, until it may now be said that only two groups of countries of considerable importance are not included in it. These are the Australasian and South African Colonies. With regard to the former, a Postal con- ference was to assemble at Melbourne in November last to discuss the Union and other questions. It is much to be hoped the result may be the entrance of these important Colonies into the Postal system which now embraces almost all the rest of the world.
3. In the case of the Australasian group, local circumstances have enabled the Government of this Colony to reduce our outward postage, by the principal route, to the Union tariff, thus effecting one more considerable step towards uniformity. It is curious to observe, however, that the more simplicity is attained, and the easier Postal arrangements become, by far more mistakes are made, not only by the public, but also by the Departmental Staff. When each country in Europe was treated on a special and different Postal tariff, some with a half ounce unit, some with a quarter ounce, people. were forced to acquaint themselves with the various rates of Postage, and knew more about them than they do now. When newspaper postage from England was twopence by one mail and a penny by the other, newspapers were prepaid with fair correctness and regularity. Now that the postage is three. halfpence by either route, the very simplicity of the arrangement seems to carry it beyond the compre- hension of the average poster of newspapers, for the sacksful of short paid papers which arrive (and the new Tariff is now a year old) attest that it is as far from being generally understood as ever. Even when the three-halfpenny postage has been mastered, the senders appear to have no idea that three-halipence will only pay for four ounces, but post papers weighing twelve and fourteen with apparently every confidence as to their free delivery.
hese short puid papers have proved a serious impediment to the rapid sorting and delivery of mails. About this time last year the English public was just beginning to discover the French mail to be the cheaper opportunity of the two, and though this is no longer the case, the consequent augmentation of the mail will probably continue for years. The time required to sort the French rail, which had once been (under exceptionally favourable circumstances) as little as half an hour, crept up to an hour and a half. Then the short paid papers began to arrive, and the hour and a half threatened to become two hours. Even when the mail was sorted, its delivery was much retarded. Everybody had to pay two cents at least, and nobody had two cents ready. The difficulty has been met by leaving the short paid papers to stand over till there is time to deal with them, and if the consequent delay in their delivery induces more care in prepayment, the object of this Office will have
bera attained.
5.The sale of Past cards has exceeded all expectations. They were introduced because it was obligatory to issue them, but it was not expected that more than a few dozen would be sold. Some difficulty was experienced in keeping pace with the demand. At least two-thirds of those purchased.. however, have gone to gratify the mania for Stamp-collecting, which seems to increase with the obstaes surrounding it. It is difficult to make votaries of the grant science of Philately understand that Post Offices exist for any other purposes than to supply them with every conceivable variety and shade of Postage stamp. The object of a Postal Administration, on the other hand, naturally is to get rid of all odds and ends, temporary or obsolete issues, and such like, as quickly as possible.
2
6. After twenty years of existence as a Colonial Post Office, this Department has at last succeeded (in eliminating pence from its dealings with the public. As late as last year the charges on all unpaid correspondence were made in pence, the accounts were kept in Sterling, and the Postage Stamps in use represented sixpences, shillings, &c. We have now got something like a decimal series, adapted to the Colonial currency. It may be possible to improve it as years go on.
7. The general Statistics taken in November 1879 may be said to have been fairly successful. There has not been oue-tenth as much correspondence and misunderstanding arising from then as was the case with the Statistics of 1877. Those to be taken in May of the present year will, it is to be hoped, pass off with all the smoothness of routine..
(8. The general principle of the Statistics is, to observe carefully during one calendar month the actual weights of correspondence forwarded, which are multiplied by 12 to give an approximate total for the year. This Colony was very unfortunate in the fact that during the Statistical month of November 1879 there were three departures of the French Contract packets (November 1, 15, and 29), so that Hongkong had to pay during 1879 and 1880 as if there were 36 French mails in each year, whereas there are only 26. The appropriate multiplier would have been, but though this Depart- ment received the sympathy and support of the London Post Office in its endeavours to establish that multipler, the French Administration (supported, it must be admitted, by the letter of the documents anthoritative in the matter) declined to accede to this reduction. Such a case indicates a defective. principle, which would be remedied by extending the Statistics over 28 days only, and multiplying the results by 135. It is to be hoped this proposition will be brought forward at the next Postal Con- gress; it has already been suggested by this Office.
1 Since the above was written this conference has been postponed.
* Sie in a letter from a distinguished Philatelist.
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