Sessional_Paper_1892 — Page 302

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"Board would suggest that the sheets of Stamps not in actual use, shall be kept in closed receptacles "which would exclude humidity of atmosphere and thus lessen the probability of the gum becoming "impaired." Notwithstanding these precautions, it has been found necessary to have the stamps re-gummed, and on the 4th of December last I requested the Government once more to draw the attention of the Crown Agents to this matter,

10. In commemoration of the Colony's Jubilee, a Jubilee Stamp was issued to the public on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th January. It was the ordinary two-cent stamp with the words

1841

Hong Kong Jubilee 1891

printed on it. Fifty thousand were purchased, chiefly by Stamp Collectors.

11. For the convenience of the Peak residents three additional Letter Boxes have been placed at the Peak.

12. The amount of Peak and Kaulung correspondence carried during the year is shown by the subjoined figures :—

Peak, Kaulung,

4

Sent to

4,876 2,068

Received from

364

159

Once again I have to thank the Manager of the High-Level Tramway Company for the facilities granted to our postmen.

13. 2,511 Mails were received and 3,001 despatched during the year.

14. The attention of the Government having been drawn to the fact that numbers of letters were conveyed to Macao by the Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Company's steamers free of charge, it was decided to enforce the law. The result of this has been a trifling addition to the Local Revenue.

15. A list of articles which it is forbidden to send to the United States through the Post on account of their being liable to Customs Duty will be found in the annexed Government Notification.

16. Under the new Postal Convention which was signed at Vienna on the 4th July last and which will come into force on the 1st July, 1892, the issue of Reply-paid Post Cards by all Union Countries will be obligatory, so far as regards the international service. The necessary indent for such cards has been made upon the Crown Agents, and all other necessary steps will be taken to give effect to the new arrangement before the date specified for its coming into operation.

17. Steps are being taken for the establishment of a Postal Note System between Hongkong and the various Ports of China at which Postal Agents are stationed. From the frequent enquiries made at the Agencies respecting the existence of some method of remitting money otherwise than by means of Postage Stamps and Bank Notes, I am convinced that the institution of the system proposed will supply a much-felt want and will be appreciated by the communities at the different Ports. The values proposed are 25c., 50c., $1, $2, $3, $4, $5 and $10.

18. The Revenue for 1891 was as follows:

Sale of Postage Stamps,

Unpaid Postage,...........

Boxholders' Fees,

REVENUE.

Commissions received on Money Orders,......

Profit on Exchange on Money Order trans-

actions,

EXPENDITURE.

$181,287.87

Share of United Kingdom,

5,086.40

Share of other Countries,*

*

2,418.34

Commissions paid on Money Orders,

3,177.36

800.06

Conveyance of Mails,

Working Expenses,

Balance,

$142,770.03

Contribution towards P. & 0. subsidy,

* $23,373.58 paid France for the years 1889 and 1890.

19. The Revenue in 1890 amounted to Do. in 1991 amounted to

23,200.07 28,749.24

737.79

37,770,50

6,909.34

42,798.07

2,605.02

$142,770.03

$148,459.98 $142,770.03

[

Decrease,

$ 5,689.95

>>

The decrease is partly due to the reduction of postage to the United Kingdom, and partly to the new system of keeping the accounts in the Treasury adopted in accordance with instructions from the Controller and Auditor General in London, by which the amount of outstanding "Refund of Postage for 1890, collected from other Countries by this Office in 1891, instead of being credited as in previous years to

Postage" has been passed to the credit of "Miscellaneous Receipts.'

20. The number of local deliveries has been considerably increased. In the Town Districts letters are now delivered every two hours commencing at 8 A.M. and finishing at 6 P.M. In addition to these letters are delivered at private residences three times a day.

21. As I remarked in my last report the number of Dead Letters which have to be opened in order to discover the sender is considerable. The work would be greatly facilitated if the writers of letters would be careful to give their addresses, and to sign their names in full, as it frequently happens that initials only are given.