The letter which appears in our correspondence columns to-day commenting upon the new tariff to be introduced by the Chinese postal service on November 1 is probably the fore-runner of much criticism. Increased charges in any direction are never popular, and in this pat-Soules snsenes. the public will doubtless grum! and pay up.
The reasons offered by the Post Office authorities for the increase are the all round increase which has taken place in the cost of the service, particularly wages and transport; and there is the further reason that the new scale is in accordance with the Postal union agreement of last year. The new scales have already been put into force by most members of the Union, and it is pointed out that China is ona of the last to act upon. the authority of the Union. We are assured that an opinion now current, that the increases are connected with the taking over of the foreign post offices by China, is entirely without foundation. The new scale has been in contemplat tion for some time, and its adoption has nothing whatever to do with the transfer of administration, We give below a summary of the new charges:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.