CO129-292 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [6-8] — Page 284

No.77.

Enclosure.

COPY

882

21463

RECO

Ref 14 AUG 19

General Post Office,

HongKong 20th. June, 1899.

Sir,

I enclose herewith a letter to myself from the Super-

intendent of the Registration Branch dated 29th. ultimo a peti- tion from the clerks in the Registration Branch dated 13th.ins-

tant, two memos, from the Superintendent of the Registration

Branch dated respectively 14th. and 15th. idem, and a letter of even date, also a list of the hours the clerks in the Registra-

tion Branch have worked during the last two weeks.

2. These papers not originally intended for your peru-

sal are enclosed as the simplest way of showing the inadequacy

of the staff.

3. An average of upwards of 1,800 registered letters

a day for delivery in the Colony pass through the Registration

Branch besides four to five hundred forward letters. It is no

unusual thing for 2,000 letters to be dealt with in one day

besides parcels.

4. It is not proposed to enter into details, beyond

the enclosures, though they can be supplied if necessary, suf-

fice it, the business is in arrears and the clerks have been

worked until they are addle pated.

5. Three of the senior clerks have been transferred

from the Registration Branch on claiming their right to promo- tion as Marine Sorters, and one of the seniors (who waived his claim) has been sent from the General Post Office to the Regis-

tration Branch.

The Honourable,

The Colonial Secretary.

&c.

80.

&c.

6.