Sessional_Paper_1892 — Page 301

HONGKONG.

No.

297

21

92

THE POSTMASTER GENERAL'S REPORT FOR 1891.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 9th May, 1892.

GENERAL POST OFFICE,

HONGKONG, April 6th, 1892.

SIR,-I have the honour to transmit my report on the British Postal Service in Hongkong and China during the year 1891. From the approximate Statistics annexed, it will be observed at a glance that the work has very considerably increased.

2. The British Postal Authorities having fixed upon the 1st January, 1891, as the date upon which to commence the reduction of letter postage, it was decided that the rate of postage between Hongkong and Countries within the Postal Union should be 7 cents per oz. instead of 10 cents, the rate formerly charged. The 7-cent rate was accordingly charged from the 1st January, 1891, but owing to representations made by the British Postal Authorities, that it was of essential importance to confine the reduced rate for the present to the United Kingdom, the old rates were reverted to on the 30th March, except in the case of Great Britain. I hope to be able to report very shortly that this reduced letter rate has been extended to all other countries.

3. The Australasian Colonies, namely, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, British New Guinea, Tasmania, New Zealand and Fiji having entered the Universal Postal Union on the 1st October, correspondence from that date became liable to the Union rates of Postage, viz. :--- Letters 10 cents per oz., Post cards each 3 cents, Books and Patterns per 2 ozs. 2 cents, Newspapers and Prices Current each 2 cents, Registration 10 cents, Return Receipt for Registered Articles 5 cents. 4. A contract was entered into between the Postmaster General, London, and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, for the conveyance of Her Majesty's Mails, &c., between Quebec or Halifax and Hongkong. The first vessel employed under the contract, the Empress of India, left Hongkong on the 7th April. In connection with this service, it is only fair to the Company to record the delivery in London of Mails despatched from Hongkong on the 11th August per Empress of Japan in 29 days.

5. At His Excellency the Governor's request, and with a view of increasing postal facilities, I prepared an Indent on the Crown Agents for one dozen Pillar Letter Boxes. On arrival I would suggest their being distributed as follows:-

Eastern Market, Tramway Station, Albany, Seymour Terrace, Neighbourhood of Richmond

Terrace and Caine Road (near the Italian Convent).

Two Boxes already exist, one at West Point and the other near the Harbour Office. Five should be placed at the Peak instead of the present wooden ones and should be distributed as follows:-

Tramway, Mount Kellet, Church, Plantation Road, Magazine Gap.

The remaining Box might be placed at the Kowloon Wharves. Those in the Town District might be cleared four times a day and those at the Peak and Kowloon twice.

6. A system of Parcel Post Insurance between Hongkong and the United Kingdom was introduced on the 18th July last (vide Government Notification No. 312). Up to the 31st December, 74 Insured Parcels have been despatched and 124 received. This system has since been extended to India.

7. The number of Parcels received and despatched during the year under review was as follows:-

Outward.

Total.

By P. & O. Packet, By German Mail,

Inward. .10,078

383

10,461

5,240 = 15,318

160

543

5,400

15,861

The total number received and despatched in 1890 was 14,844 or 1,017 less than in 1891. The heaviest outward mail was the Christmas Mail which consisted of 488 parcels outward and 734 inward.

8. Arrangements have been made for the direct exchange of parcel Mails with Egypt, British North Borneo and New South Wales. The question of a direct exchange with Canada is still under consideration.

9. Complaints have been prevalent of the want of adhesiveness in the Postage Stamps. No blane, however, can be attached to this Department. On several occasions this matter has been brought to the notice of the Crown Agents not only by this but other Colonies, and in reply to a letter addressed by them to the Inland Revenue Department, the Secretary states-"I may add that it has been "found to be altogether unsafe, particularly in certain tropical climates, to use more than the quantity "of gum now employed, for, where there is an excess quantity, it is readily liquified by the dampness "at night and so the sheets stick together. The gum now used is considered to be sufficient, but the