Sessional_Paper_1889 — Page 90

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13. The date on which this Report has to be sent in makes it impossible to detail the Revenue of the Department for 1888, which will not be definitively ascertained for some months to come. Revenue for 1887 is as follows:-

Gross Revenue 1887,

..$141,324.08

Share of United Kingdom, Share of other countries, Conveyance of Mails, Working expenses, Balances,...

..

$141,324.08

The

$ 51,085.18 6,824.82

6,572.45

35,971.74

40,869.89

$141,324.08

14. The loose ship letters received show a considerable decrease. Although this mode of trans- mission may be convenient for those who postpone correspondence until the last moment, yet it is not considered secure.

15. There were several instances of fraudulent enclosures of letters and embroidery &c. in news- papers. These were taken out and forwarded, letter rate being charged.

16. Money Orders may now be exchanged with Bangkok.

17. A renewed effort was inade to have the mails by the French Packets sorted on board between Singapore and Hongkong. I understand that the question has been forwarded to the proper Authori ties at home, strongly supported by His Excellency the Governor and the Consul for France. Should it meet with the success it deserves, it will be a great boon not only to the Hongkong community but also to the communities at the Coast Ports, for it frequently happens that during the North East Monsoon the Coast steamers cannot wait until the mail is sorted, and the consequence is Coast mails have to be kept back till the following steamers. Again during the present year the French mails have on several occasions arrived on the same day, on which the homeward mail leaves and to get it delivered so that letters may be answered by the outgoing packet, puts us to the greatest possible inconvenience and deranges the business of the Office completely.

18. On the 29th November a Peak delivery was introduced which is, as far as I can judge at present, a great convenience to the public. Of course during the winter months very few residents live at the Peak and the amount of correspondence must naturally be small. During the summer months, however, I feel convinced that this service will be a source of revenue.

From the 29th November the number of local letters despatched is 296, and those received, 70. I take this opportunity of recording my thanks to Mr. FINDLAY SMITH, Manager of the High Level Tramway Company, for his courteous assistance in this matter, especially in allowing our postmen to travel free.

19. The Postmaster General in his report for 1887 pointed out very strongly the urgent necessity for increased and improved accommodation, and made a proposal for remedying the growing evils of the present building and it is hoped that early steps may be taken to effect such an alteration as will be considered suitable to cope with the ever increasing work of this Department. The present building was constructed in the year 1865 to meet the requirements of the Colony at that time. Since then work has year by year considerably increased until every available space is occupied. A Pillar box system and a house to house dilivery are very much needed and to carry out these improvements satisfactorily, it is necessary to almost double our Chinese staff, but then we have no place to house them. The present staff are herded together in a most inconvenient manner. It is true a small allowance might be granted them to live outside, but for obvious reasons it is preferable that they should reside on the premises. We also require separate stamp windows for Europeans and Chinese. A visit to the Post Office on a mail day would convince anybody of this.

.

20. A steam launch has been sanctioned for this Department subject to the approval of the Secretary of State, and by its means the landing and delivery of mails will be very much accelerated. We shall also be in a position to establish a Kowloon delivery. The sooner the building of this Launch is put in hand the better, so that the above improvements in the Postal service may be commenced with as little delay as possible.

21. The smuggling of Chinese letters still goes on to a very large extent and a considerable number of secret Post Offices exist. The revenue is in consequence defrauded of a large amount. On this matter, however, I have already reported, and I understand it is engaging the attention of the Government.

22. Our Postal Agents have applied for an increase of salary. They rest their claim not so much on the loss brought about by the fall in exchange. Its strength rests on the fact that their predeces- sors of 1868 received for the work they were then required to do, the same sum as they receive now.. Since then they have been called on to undertake in addition the work of the very heavy duties neces- sarily laid on them by the introduction and extension of the Postal Note and Parcel Post system. Their work has been multiplied indefinitely while their pay, expressed in dollars remains the same,

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