CO129-286 - Acting Governor Major Gen Black Governor Sir Blake & Public Offices - 1898 [11-12] — Page 31

674

? Hayhon,

with British stamps from China should continue at 10 cents which would prevent the anomaly referred to by the Postmaster General.

I have the honour to be

Sir, Your Most Obedient Humble Servant,

W Back

Major General, Administering the Go-

vernment.

COPY.

Mo any or

lette

Unelter

Sie

76504

ENCLOSURE.

Report by the Postmaster General.

Hon. Acting Col. Secretary.

28

&

UEC SE

The cost of transit of each letter to England

by the English Mail just now is nearly 10 cents. If the rate

were reduced to 4 cents (equivalent to 1 d.) the total loss to

the Colony in postage as estimated by the London Office would

J

be $21,000. But it must be understood that the London figures

are based on old statistics and that our correspondence here

has increased more than 25% over last year so that the total

loss to Revenue would approach $30,000.

2. Again a letter sent from any British Post

Office in China or from the Imperial Chinese Post Office with

Hong-Kong stamps thereon would bear only a 4 cent stamp where-

as the Colony would have to pay almost 10 cents for its tran-

sit thus practically giving a bounty to all non Colonial re-

sidents in the Chinese Empire, who correspond with England.

3. A distinction would have to be made against

letters arriving from China and if 1 d. letters from the Agen-

cies, which are virtually Imperial Post Offices, be allowed, the

Imperial Government should at the very least make up to this

Government the loss they incur by transmitting the correspon-

dence of residents in a foreign country.

4.

!!