CO129-368 - Acting Governor May - 1910 [8-9] — Page 284

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therefore mean that this Colony would lose the sum of

$24,528 during 1910, and perhaps larger sums in future

years, in connection with Postal Services rendered to

communities in a Foreign Country. Taxpayers in this Colony

would strenuously oppose such an arrangement which requires

them to provide funds to pay on account of a service from

which neither they nor this Colony reaps any advantage, and

I regret I do not see how it could be justified if the

question is raised in Legislative Council. Besides this

the proposed system would mean that it would not be to the

advantage of this Colony to grant any further facilities

at these Agencies, as the loss would be in direct pro-

-portion to the amount of business done; it would in fact

constitute a premium for the discouragement of any business

whatever.

4.

On the other hand, the saving of

time resulting from the use of the Siberian route is

making it increasingly popular with European residents in

this Colony, though of course it is comparatively little

used by the Chinese Community which forms the bulk of the

taxpayers. As regards Hongkong alone, the Postmaster-

-General estimates that, on the basis of the present

amount of correspondence going by this route, for the next

three