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The temperature at the high levels of the Peak District is from 3 to 8 less than at the Observatory. At Victoria it is practically the same. The rainfall and humidity are considerably greater at the Peak than at Victoria, the Observatory, or Tai Po (New Territories).
The total rainfall for the year was 76025 inches, as compared with an average of 82-85 inches during the ten preceding years. The wettest month was July with 1541 inches, the driest, January, when 0-345 inch fell. The greatest amount of rain which fell on any one day was 489 inches on the 19th October while no rain fell on 219 days of the year. The mean relative humidity of the atmosphere for the year was 77%, or 1% less than for the ten preceding years. The average daily amount of sunshine was 55 hours, being 45% of the possible duration.
X. POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH SERVICES.
The total revenue from the Postal Service in 1915 amoanted to $308.457.77, being $31,542.23 less than that anticipated, which is mainly due to the reduced sale of postage stamps in consequence of the war.
The result The expenditure amounted to $403,609.02 of the year's postal transactions shows a debit balance of $35,151.25.
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Two branch post offices were opened during the year; one in The Wantsai district on 1st March and one at Yaumati on the mainland on 1st July.
The Telegraph branch of the Harbour Departinent was trans- ferred to the Post Office on 29th June The Radio-telegraph Station at Cape D'Aguilar was opened to public traffic on 15th July. The number of radio-telegrams forwarded was 157 and received 310 and the revenue collected for the period amounted to $2,184.30. Advices of ships signalled at the lighthouses for the year yielded $438.00 and semaphore messages $1.00 making a total of $2,623.30 for the telegraphic service. The expenditure amounted to $4,112.07 for the General Post Office Station.
Radio-telegrame have been exchanged between this Colony and French Indo-China through the intermediary of the Cape D'Aguilar and the French Government radio station at Quang Trheon Wan.
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XI-GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
Throughout the year the Province of Kwangtang was generally speaking peaceful, the influence of His Excellency Lung Chai Kwong as Chiang Chun or Military Governor having a salutary effect. Depredations by pirates and armed robbers on the West River and other waterways in the delta, however, occasionally caused trouble, the chief local sufferers being the t'onservancy Contrnetore for
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the City of Victoria and Kowloon, whose junks were held up on several occasions between Bocca Tigris and Wong Lin while being towed to the depôts at Wong Lin Village in the Shun Tak District. It appeared on investigation that for years past the contractors had been in the habit of paying considerable sums to the bands of pirates and robbers who infeat the reaches of the Canton River in the neighbourhood of Bocca Tigris in order to obtain immanity from molestation, and on a refusal to pay increased demands the juuks were attacked. Representations were made through H.B.M.'s Consul-Gaueral at Canton to the Provincial Author- ities, which resulted in protection being afforded by patrola and in the punishment of some of the marauders.
There were no other serious acts of piracy during the year affect ing the trade of Hongkong, or the lives and property of residents in the Colony, and this immanity must be attributed to the successful steps taken by the Provincial Government and in some measure to the successful working of the Piracy Prevention Ordinance referred to in the report of last year under the head of Legislation.
2. Even greater damage than in the previous year was caused by floods in the West River during the month of July. The water rose to a height unknown for seventy years, and the City of Canton itself was submergel to a depth of several feet.
The Government again contributed a sum of $50,000 to the Relief Fund, which was at once organized, while the large sum of $551,238 was raised by public subscription including subscriptions from Chinese abroad. The credit for this fine result is due to the generosity of all sections of the community and to the commendable and efficient exertions of the Tung Wah Hospital.
The Committee appointed to administer the fund worked with great energy in affording immediate relief to the starving population, and measures are under consideration for carrying into effect engi- neering works which it is hoped will lessen the disastrous results of these periodical inundations.
3. The various relief funds in connection with the war were well supported during the year. It was decided to close the Prince of Wales' Fund on the 31st December, on which date the total sum raised in the Colony and its vicinity was £31,447. 48. 3d.
A committee representative of all sections of the community was constituted, with the title of the War Charities Fund Com- nittee, to receive subscriptions from the public to War Charities in general and to support such charities as may be considered desirable from time to time, any subscriptions specially earmarked for a particular charity being applied as desired.
4. During the your good progress was made with the winding up
of enemy firms in the Colony. Dulness of trade and difficulties in bringing forward cargo from enemy steamers which had sought refuge on the outbreak of war in neutral ports imposed inevitable delays.
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