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Attack
Times. 11.9.09.
THE BRITISH POST-OFFICE AT
TIENTSIN.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PEKING, SEPT. 10. The British Government are apparently establishing a new principle in Imperial govern- ment-namely, that each community should bear the cost of the maintenance of its own post-office. Tientsin, one of the most im- portant treaty ports in China, has a British concession and a British post-office. The latter was established on October 1, 1906, and has since been maintained at an annual loss, half the deficit being borne by the local munici- pality and half by the Imperial Treasury. The community now decline to continue their half of the payment, which, they rightly contend, should be an Imperial charge, not a local burden, and the British Government announce that in consequence the office will | be closed on October 10. five times as much mail matter is sent from England to Tientsin as from Tientsin to England. British manu- facturers know the untiring services rendered to British trade by this enterprising British community, whose activities, extending oven to the Tibetan border, are one of the most admirable features of Far Eastern trade. It is regrettable that they should be deprived at this juncture of the right of cheap postal communication with British possessions, especially in view of the energy of our com- petitors. Germany, France, Russia, and Japan have post-offices both at Tientsin and Peking; the British have one at Tientsin only. There
is much dissatisfaction at the threatened closure.
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