1904-1919
HONG KONG, 1917.
401
19
wettest month was July with 30'07 inches, the driest, November, when 0.09 inch fell. The greatest amount of rain which fell on any one day was 8.10 inches on the 15th July, while no rain fell on 234 days of the year. The mean relative humidity of the atmosphere for the year was 75 per cent., or 2 per cent. less than the average for the ten preceding years. The average daily amount of sunshine was 6.0 hours, being 50 per cent. of the possible duration.
X.-POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH SERVICES.
The total revenue from the Postal Service in 1917 amounted to $403,869.87 being $2,127.54 more than that collected in 1916. The expenditure amounted to $259,214.83, being less than that of 1916 by $48,921.50, due to the high rate of exchange prevailing during the year under review. The balance of revenue over expenditure amounted to $144,655.04.
The Shanghai-Bombay Section of the P. & O. Contract Mail Service was suspended as from 1st July. The mails for Europe via Suez were despatched as opportunities offered to Bombay for transmission from thence to Marseilles by P. & O. packets.
Owing to dislocation and uncertainty of the trans-Siberian Railways and the restriction of the Suez route, the mails for Europe were to a great extent forwarded by the Pacific route either via Canada or via the United States.
Arrangements were made during the year with the Canadian Postal Administration for the transmission of parcels for Europe by Canadian services. The first Parcel Mail for Liverpool by this route was despatched on 8th November by the Empress of Japan. This service, although more expensive than that via Suez, is very much appreciated by the public who are using it to an increasing extent.
The revised Postal Agreement with Macao, which provides for the exchange of cash-on-delivery parcels, came into force on 1st September. The revenue collected in 1917 from radio-telegrams amounted to $23,311.55 being $14,616.51 more than that collected in 1916; the excess being mainly due to press messages sent to Indo-China. Advices of vessels signalled at the lighthouses yielded $503.35 and semaphore messages $2.50, making a total of $23,817.40 for the telegraphic service. The expenditure amounted to $39,174.38, of which sum $17,905.71 was in respect of the emoluments of the wireless staff at the Cape d'Aguilar Station for the period from 15th July, 1915, to 31st December, 1916. The number of radio-telegrams forwarded during the year was 846 consisting of 106,114 words, and 1,028 received consisting of 13,853 words.
XI.-GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
The unrest in the province of Kwangtung which recommenced in 1916 continued to be a source of uneasiness to the local Chinese residents. During the year some of the Southern provinces of China declared their independence of the Central Government and constant collisions between the Northern and Southern factions led to considerable chaos. Troops of both parties ransacked villages near the New Territories frontier and much trouble was caused by armed robbers
1904-1919
HONG KONG, 1917.
401
19
wettest month was July with 30'07 inches, the driest, November, when 0:09 inch fell. The greatest amount of rain which fell on any one day was 8.10 inches on the 15th July, while no rain fell on 234 days of the year. The mean relative humidity of the atmosphere for the year was 75 per cent., or 2 per cent. less than the average for the ten preceding years. The average daily amount of sunshine was 6'0 hours, being 50 per cent. of the possible duration.
X.-POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH SERVICES.
The total revenue from the Postal Service in 1917 amounted to $403,869.87 being $2,127.54 more than that collected in 1916. The expenditure amounted to $259,214.83, being less than that of 1916 by $48,921.50, due to the high rate of exchange prevailing during the year under review. The balance of revenue over expenditure amounted to $144,655.04.
The Shanghai-Bombay Section of the P. & O. Contract Mail Service was suspended as from 1st July. The mails for Europe via Suez were despatched as opportunities offered to Bombay for transmission from thence to Marseilles by P. & O. packets.
Owing to dislocation and uncertainty of the trans-Siberian Railways and the restriction of the Suez route, the mails for Europe were to a great extent forwarded by the Pacific route either via Cânada or via the United States.
Arrangements were made during the year with the Canadian Postal Administration for the transmission of parcels for Europe by Canadian services. The first Parcel Mail for Liverpool by this route was despatched on 8th November by the Empress of Japan. This service, although more expensive than that via Suez, is very much appreciated by the public who are using it to an increasing extent.
The revised Postal Agreement with Macao, which provides for the exchange of cash-on-delivery parcels, came into force on 1st September. The revenue collected in 1917 from radio-telegrams amounted to $23,311.55 being $14,616.51 more than that collected in 1916- the excess being mainly due to press messages sent to Indo-China. Advices of vessels signalled at the lighthouses yielded $503.35 and semaphore messages $2.50, making a total of $23,817.40 for the telegraphic service. The expenditure amounted to $39,174.38, of which sum $17,905.71 was in respect of the emoluments of the wireless staff at the Cape d'Aguilar Station for the period from 15th July, 1915, to 31st December, 1916. The number of radio-telegrams forwarded during the year was 846 consisting of 106,114 words, and 1,028 received consisting of 13,853 words.
XI.-GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
The unrest in the province of Kwangtung which recommenced in 1916 continued to be a source of uneasiness to the local Chinese residents. During the year some of the Southern provinces of China declared their independence of the Central Government and constant collisions between the Northern and Southern factions led to consider- able chaos. Troops of both parties ransacked villages near the New Territories frontier and much trouble was caused by armed robbers
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