In 1905 the Chinese Post Once handled 15 million letters million "printed matter" packets (including newspapers). I issued $1 rullion worth of money orders and cashed about the same amount. It carried} 2ggao0 persis and employed "4.000 ical Cinel Postmen). " In, 1981 the same administration employed 29,000 ofcials, carried 6 million pareele issued and cashed about $155 million worth of money orders, "handled 72 million "printed matter" packets and 501 million, letters. These statistics attractively, show the remarkable progress of the department and they are taken from an authoritative article by M. A. M. Chapelain, the Postal Commissioner, of Shanghai, in this month's "People's Tribune". IM. Chapelain traces. the gradual progress of the Chinese Post Correspondents have touched on a tender spot in discussing the ten dency of the prices of imported stores [to show little response to movements ft exchange when those movements spear to work in the direction of reduction, There must "be. much Jsympathy with firms who have to operate under the shadow of an ever-bewildering uncertainty due Jexchange. At the same time it is aiffcult to resist the categorical conclusions drawn from' certain data supplied by the complainants. Whether a ce-operative enterprise would
seen. Perhaps some enterprising solve the, aificulty remains to be firm' might. tackle the question its own account, but i is clear that the existence of attendant complexifies in. the form of the. traditions established by that deserving. but—Jgometimes obdurate class, the houseboys, deprives the commentator of the satisfaction of coming to an immediately clear-cut verdict. It_may [be reasonable to suggest that so keen the competition among the various stores that if by price reduction they. can improve gair turnover, they Will not hesitate to adopt that' pleasant measure of advertisement, Here again there may be some inscrutable Influence which actually defies the ordinary rules of economic conflict. Nevertheless ventilation of this Briev-Jance is exceedingly desirable" and may in the long run lead to remedial
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.