Sessional_Paper_1908 — Page 336

HONGKONG.

No. 1908

15

REPORT OF THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, FOR THE YEAR 1907.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, May 28th, 1908.

STAFF.

1. The staff of the Hongkong General Post Office including that at Kowloon and the Western Branch consists of 74 staff, clerks, and sorters, and 99 postmen, messengers and launch crew.

2. Of the higher Officers Mr. L. A. M. JOHNSTON, the Postmaster General, was on leave from March 23rd until December 31st, and Mr. T. H. MARTIN, Superintendent of the Regis- tration Department, was on leave from July 31st until the end of the yehr. Mr. E. C. LEWIS, the Assistant Postmaster General, returned from leave on January 17th and Mr. A. J. REED, the Accountant, on February 19th.

3. During the absence on leave of the l'ostmaster General, his duties were performed by Mr. S. B. C. Ross from March 23rd until July 28th, and for the remainder of the year by Mr. C. McL. MESSER.

4. Amongst the remainder of the staff there were 11 resignations, 2 deaths, 1 dismissal, 1 invalided, 3 transferred to other departments and 4 new appointments. In Shanghai there were one resignation and two deaths.

OFFICE ALTERATIONS.

5. The Chinese distributing office has been removed to the basement under the Local Delivery Room, and the space so rendered vacant has been made into a room for the storage of mails in transit through Hongkong.

6. An electric exhaust fan has been placed in the Foreign Mail room with the result that sickness due to impure atmosphere has been very greatly reduced.