Ins, Lister's Annual Report on the working of the Post-Office at Hong-Kong, to which we have before referred in these columns, is interesting and important, the more especially as it displays a desire to work in harmony with the mercantile communities, and to remove as far as possible all reason. able causes of complaint. The Poste master-General gracefully acknowledges the assistance rendered to his depart. ment by private firms, and makes several useful suggestions in matters of detail. Not the least curious feature of the report is the table of fluctuations in the Post-Office revenue, which it: is difficult to bring into consonance with any known law. In 1868, the revenue amounted to $140,000; in 1865, to $187,000; and in the next year it dropped to $164,000. Since that, it has fluctuated, though not to the same degree, from year to year, and is now apparently permanently decreasing. The decrease is, however, partly to be attributed to considerable reductions in postage, which the office, for the sake of public convenience and greater facility, seems desirous of introducing as far as possible, At the mesting of the Chamber of Commerce in Hongkong, it was determined to take steps, in connection with the Chamber here, to memorialize the Home Government on the present exorbitant rates of postage charged on correspondence to and from China. At the time when the increased rates were introduced, there was reason for the alteration, The community wished greater facie lities, and to obtain those facilities, the Government had to increase its subsidies, This state of affairs scarcely exists now. The subsidies have been reduced; the French Government has entered the field, with the assistance of the Messageries Maritimes; and the American Government has started a line of mails to San Francisco, Both the French and American Governments have seen the advisability of reducing the high rates of postage prevailing and the British, which was the first Government to recognise the advantage of cheap mails, now remain alone in holding out for high postages. So long as matters remained in statu quo, the residents, notwithstanding the incon. veniently high rate of postage, would always be met by the plea that they were themselves parties to the increase, In the face, however, of the fact that the other Governments interested have acknowledged the necess tions, there is the possibility of bringing some pressure to bear on the' British authorities, to secure an alleviation of the burden. It is satisfactory, there fore, to find that this practical view is taken by Mr. Lister in his report, and that he draws attention to the inequality of the charges. With the practical working of the Post-Office at Hongkong, there are few causes of complaint, and we are, therefore, the better pleased to find that it is in contemplation to introduce measures which will reduce what the report calls the "almost prohibitive" rates of coast postage, Some little matters do not appear, however, to look as well as they might,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.