Mar. 16, The fact that the Chinese Post Office report on events in 1926 is only available to readers by the third month of 1928 is evidence enough of the crisis through which China has been The report, says its has been unavoidably and he looks forward hopefully to a better showing for 1927. Nevertheless he finds it necessary to add:—
The Chinese Post Offic passing through a more difficult period than has been experienced at any time since its inception in the early seventies; it i hoped, however, that the present policy of economy and retrenchment, coupled with the loyal support of the senior Chinese staff, who have remained faithful to the best traditions of the Service notwithstanding the machinations of disruptive elements by which the less experienced have allowed themselves to be sw: will enable the Administrati er come the difficulties now being faced, and will allow the Service earned reputation for efficiency and expedition.
On thig there will be something to say later.
For the moment it is to be noticed that, while articles of mail matter posted increased by 20 millions as compared with 1926, parcel post fell off by 629,797 pieces, due to civil war and banditry; and "indemnitis paid for losses of mail matter and parcels exceeded by 50 per cent. the amount paid out during the previous year." The revenue collected during the year was $28,311,261, but after payment of working expenses, capital expenditure and "remit: tances to the Ministry of Communications of $1,986,000," there was a deficit onthe year of $163,775.
Part Two of the report containg pathetic reading. Here we have records, province by province, from more than half of which comes a monotonous tale of warfare, anarchy and collapse of business. Thus under Peking:—For fully five months places the capital were the scene of mil tary operations. Conditions thus prevailing made temporary suspension of the money order, parcel and heavy mail services' to and through places affected by the civil war During the year eight offices and twelve agencies were plundered by bandits, resulting in the losses of articles' of mail and parcels Further on, under the general report for the province of Chibi, we find "an actual decreas~ of nearly six millions, er fifteen per cent, in articles of mail posted."
At Tientsin parcels posted decreased from G40,000 to 550,000, a satisfactory result considering that the parcel service with Sinkiang, Shensi, and Kansu, Tientsin's great market for piece ' goods, was suspended practically throughout the whole year. As in the case of mails, the decrease: was much more marked inland, -In 1925 26,000 parcele were received from Sinkiang. Owing to the suspension of the service this trade was brought almost to a standstill, Honan, as may generally be supposed, was particularly bad:
Lawlessness has greatly increased, the records of previous years having been surpassed. Fifteen Offices, 67 Agencies, and 81 Rural Box Offices were looted. It is estimated that there are now over 50,000 bar roaming about in this district, thus making the less frequented routes extremely unsafe for travellers.
And of Shensi the report says:—
The year 1926 closed upon one of the most tumultuous and disastrous periods to be recorded in the ann: of the history of Shensi; civil war, attended by the unrestrained activities of bandits, was continuous throughout the whole period; an in the cities as well as the country devastation was general and all business paralysed, The provincial capital, Sian, was closely besieged for over six months—from May 17 to November 28—during which no communication with the outside world was permitted by the investing forces. The inhabitants were reduced to most appalling circumstances, no less than 30,000 deaths being caused by starvation or malnutrition, The province of Kansu seems to have been relatively tranquil itself, but ig to military operations which disorganized all" ines. connecting Kansu with the coast, this province was without mails for nearly two months, and delays of two, three, and four weeks frequently occurred. For the best part of the year under review only a partial and extremely irregular service was available.
Sinkiang, beat of its remote-nes "enjoyed a year of peace if not of prosperity.
Fengtien was a good deal disturbed by bandits and the parcel post in raw skins and ginseng fell off badly. In Shantung The political strife between rival factions continued almost uninterruptedly throughout the year and paralysed trade, Brigandage and looting inland were never 80 rampant, not less than 100 Postal establishments suffering losses from such attacks.
And to make matters worse the Yellow River broke through' its dykes and caused much devastation, In Hunan and Hupeh, 8 in Kiangsi, progress was fairly maintained until the autumn when the advance of the Cantonese armies to the Yangtze had the usual inevitable result.
Fukien and Chekiang made a respectable showing, particularly the latter. Kueichow also did fairly well as did Kuangsi in spite of banditry, and Kuangtung in spite of labour trouble Szechuan, leading a life apart not. unlike Sinkiang, showed satisfactory results. But the only two provinces which come in for unqualified commendation are Kirin and Heilungkiang, the northern provinces of Manchuria, of which we read:
This district enjoyed a year of peace which resulted in progress in almost all branches of postal business. The crops were stood and the population continued to show every sign of relative prosperity.
Distressing as the report is the Chinese Post Office is indeed to be congratulated on what it has succeeded in doing in the face of late discouragement. Although no fewer than twenty-two couriers were killed, courier lines throughout the country were increased by 2,254 miles The Post Office moved into it new premises in Kiaochow Road, Shanghai, in April, 1926, where the disposition of buildings and mechanical arrangements brought additional efficiency and economy. The printing department was also most active and during the year "publications, official circulars, post-cards, forms, ete., printed represented a total of nearly three hundred million sheets." In all this there is evidence of vigorous brains and effective organization. But in view of certain episodes in 1927 it is necessary to emphasize that a Post Office which forms part of the Postal Union has an international duty to perform that admits of no trifling. This illustrated by the number of international "collect on delivery" parcels coming _inté China in increasing numbers every year and amounting to 66,124 in 1926 at an, average charge of $2643 per parcel. Under such conditions a miutinous staff and a weak Commi sioner may mean heavy losses to innocent people abroad, which are certainly not to be called unavoidable. In the remote interior brigandage may be plead~ ed in excuse of delay and loss, but not in such a town as Shanghai, where, during 1927, episodes occurred that have left a serious blemish on the records of this fine institution. These days are passed and we sincerely hope will never recur, but the lesson of them is none the less to be remembered. Meanwhile, the political outlook has lifted, there is universal hope and pectation of better days in store and, if that hope is justified, may be sure the Chinese Post Office will be alert to profit by
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.