GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.--No 154
The following Annual Report from the Postmaster General is published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 28th April, 1883.
No 40
1882
W. H MARSH,
Colonial Secretary
GENERAL POST OFFICE
HONGKONG, April 18th, 1883
SIR,-I have the honour to report on the British Postal Service in Hongkong and China during
2 There is not much to record in the way of changes, extensions, or improvements of the larger kind. Costa Rica has entered the Postal Union, and the establishment of a British Colony in North Borneo has added one more to the list of places which more or less depend upon Hongkong for the transmission of their correspondence.
3 It must not be supposed however that the immense impetus given to Postal reform by the institution of the Union is wholly expended. Improvements, not of course on the striking scale of those effected at first, are still being consolidated and developed. A Postal Congress will probably be held at Lisbon this year, to review the experience of the service since 1878, and to recast the regulations by which all Union offices are now bound. That such a Congress will consider current Postal questions in a wide and liberal spirit is certain. It may be hoped however, on behalf of small administrations like that of Hongkong, that the desire for absolute uniformity which is nearly sure to find place in an assembly of specialists, will not be allowed to add to the somewhat formidable list of burdens, financial and other, already laid upon small offices. A multitude of ingenious devices which may be appreciated in Europe, Return Receipts, Post Cards with prepaid reply, &c, &c, fall absolutely dead upon a Colony like this, and their compulsory adoption simply increases working expenses without any commensurate result. The same remarks apply to a few rather microscopic regulations as to the compulsory exchange of collections of stamps, the vexatious minimum charge at present fixed for packets of commercial papers, &c. Now that Postal work is becoming organised on the same lines all over the world, what is most to be avoided, it seems to the writer, is a spirit of pedantry, the sort of idea apt to get hold of the expert in every profession, that the procedure is everything, the result comparatively nothing.
4 The striking extension of the Money Order relations of Hongkong may be pointed out as one consequence of the fresh departure effected in Postal matters. A few years ago this Colony exchanged Money-Orders with one country only, exchanges are now carried on with eleven. During the year under review Money-Order conventions have been concluded with Victoria and Ceylon, and thus, besides the United Kingdom, remittances of small sums can be exchanged with India, Ceylon, all Australia, Tasmania, the Straits Settlements, China, and Japan.
5. The Indian Money Order system, which had been just commenced when the last Annual Report of this Department was submitted, has been a great success. It is steadily used by Sikh Police, Gun Lascars, Gaol guards, and other Indians for remitting money, sometimes in considerable sums, to their native places. The fact that these men are now constantly at the Post Office where unfortunately nobody was able to communicate with them in their own language, has led to the employment of an Indian clerk, not only to act as Interpreter, but also to deal with letters which arrive here addressed in Indian characters only.
6 The establishment of a Savings Bank, not only for these frugal and thrifty Indians, but also for any others of the community who might be disposed to avail themselves of it, is a subject which has been again and again considered in this Department. There has always been one obstacle or another in the way. It is believed now, however, that the only insuperable difficulties have been overcome, and there is room for hope that before another Annual Report is presented the Bank may have been established.
7. A distributing Agency of this Office has been established at Tientsin, thus effecting an extension of the service long and much needed. So long as the British Post Office remains the only really organised Postal administration in China, it is certainly not creditable that the Ministers at the capital should have no Postal facilities nearer than 700 miles'. An application has been made to the London Office to allow £100 a year for the establishment of a completely equipped Post Office at Tientsin, and £50 a year for an assistant at Amoy, the want of such assistance being at present severely felt. It is hoped also that ere long something may be done to organise regular Postal communication with Bangkok, Siam, at present is a break in the chain of Postal establishments which otherwise would extend round Asia from Aden to Japan.
罩
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.--No 154
The following Annual Report from the Postmaster General is published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 28th April, 1883.
No 40
1882
W. H MARSH,
Colonial Secretary
GENERAL POST OFFICE
HONGKONG, April 18th, 1883
SIR,-I have the honour to report on the British Postal Service in Hongkong and China during
2 There is not much to record in the way of changes, extensions, or improvements of the larger kind Costa Rica has entered the Postal Union, and the establishment of a British Colony in North Borneo has added one more to the list of places which more or less depend upon Hongkong for the transmission of their correspondence
3 It must not be supposed however that the immense impetus given to Postal reform by the institution of the Union is wholly expended. Improvements, not of course on the striking scale of those effected at first, are still being consolidated and developed. A Postal Congress will probably be held at Lisbon this year, to review the experience of the service since 1878, and to recast the regulations by which all Union offices are now bound. That such a Congress will consider current Postal questions in a wide and liberal spirit is certain. It may be hoped however, on behalf of small administrations like that of Hongkong, that the desire for absolute uniformity which is nearly sure to find place in an assembly of specialists, will not be allowed to add to the somewhat formidable list of burdens, financial and other, already laid upon small offices A multitude of ingenious devices which may be appreciated in Europe, Return Receipts, Post Cards with prepaid reply, &c, &c, fall absolutely dead upon a Colony like this, and their compulsory adoption simply increases working expenses without any commensurate result The same remarks apply to a few rather microscopic regulations as to the compulsory exchange of collections of stamps, the vexatious minimum charge at present fixed for packets of commercial papers, &c Now that Postal work is becoming organised on the same lines all over the world, what is most to be avoided, it seems to the writer, is a spirit of pedantry, the sort of idea apt to get hold of the expert in every profession, that the procedure is everything, the result comparatively nothing.
4 The striking extension of the Money Order relations of Hongkong may be pointed out as one consequence of the fresh departure effected in Postal matters A few years ago this Colony exchanged Money-Orders with one country only, exchanges are now carried on with eleven During the year under review Money-Order conventions have been concluded with Victoria and Ceylon, and thus, besides the United Kingdom, remittances of small sums can be exchanged with India, Ceylon, all Australia, Tasmania, the Straits Settlements, China, and Japan
5. The Indian Money Order system, which had been just commenced when the last Annual Report of this Department was submitted, has been a great success It is steadily used by Sikh Police, Gun Lascars, Gaol guards, and other Indians for remitting money, sometimes in considerable sums, to their native places The fact that these men are now constantly at the Post Office where unfortunately nobody was able to communicate with them in their own language, has led to the employment of an Indian clerk, not only to act as Interpreter, but also to deal with letters which arrive here addressed in Indian characters only
6 The establishment of a Savings Bank, not only for these frugal and thrifty Indians, but also for any others of the community who might be disposed to avail themselves of it, is a subject which has been again and again considered in this Department There has always been one obstacle or another in the way It is believed now, however, that the only insuperable difficulties have been overcome, and there is room for hope that before another Annual Report is presented the Bank may have been established.
7. A distributing Agency of this Office has been established at Tientsin, thus effecting an extension of the service long and much needed So long as the British Post Office remains the only really organised Postal administration in China, it is certainly not creditable that the Ministers at the capital should have no Postal facilities nearer than 700 miles' An application has been made to the London Office to allow £100 a year for the establishment of a completely equipped Post Office at Tientsin, and £50 a year for an assistant at Amoy, the want of such assistance being at present severely felt It is hoped also that ere long something may be done to organise regular Postal communication with Bangkok Siam at present is a break in the chain of Postal establishments which otherwise would extend round Asia from Aden to Japan
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