The Coroxtar Treastren—There was no salary. The fees average $14 a mouth. I simply held the office because no one else wanted it, and I did not wish to throw it up on the sole ground that it did not Boruner's duties were done entirely out of y and w. worth keeping. The otice hours, so that those duties did not interfere with the duties of the Assistant Harbour Master.
What the present Colonial Treasurer was at that time, is not stated, but we presume he was not then Postmaster-General, in which case he would have been dreadfully hard worked, if he was Postmaster-General and Assistant Harbour Master (with the pay of both these offices) in office hours, coroner out of office hours, and sheriff at $7 an hour for two hours a mouth. Ultimately, of course, the vote was passed, as a Captain Hastings has been appointed Assistant Harbour Master, and is on his way from Jamaica to take up the Next comes the Assistant Postmaster General's Report for 1889, which is prefaced by a very weighty letter from Mr. Lister, the Postmaster-General, dilating on the heavy task imposed on Mr. Travers, the author of the report, and the "strain on endurance and physical strength in this exhausting climate", which the Postmaster at Hongkong has to put up with; Mr. Lister himself, while he was putting up with it, having however, we believe, managed to carry on some other offices with it. We learn from the Report that a new Post Office is urgently required; and it is explained that everything was arranged in June last for the sorting of the mails on board the French packets, as is done on the P. & O. ships, when the Agents des Postes found that they had no authority to hand the mails over to the Hongkong officers before arrival in Hongkong. 'This is French red tape The matter' was again referred to the French Post Office, but up to the present time no reply has been received. The Hongkong community is then congratulated on the establishment of what Shanghai has had for years, a local delivery; and it is noted that the postal agents are to have their salaries raised to the equivalent in dollars of £100 a year at the larger, and £50 at the smaller offices. The next paragraph of the Report is worth giving in full, and we also hope that Sir Robert Hart has not abandoned his scheme for the establishment of a Chinese Post Office:-—
Nothing further has been done, so far as Cknow, with regard to handing over our Agencies in China to the Custuins, and it seems only too probable that they will continue in the hands of the Assistants at the Consulates for some time to cou This is much ty be regretted, as it per tuates x crippled and make-shift service which can never, by any diligence or care on the part of the Oficers employed, develop into a properly organised Postal System. Tam bound to say, however, that, bad as the existing organisation is (and hope this year will see it a little better) the Agents at the ports have done the best work possible under existing circumstances, There are two things that otherwise virtuous people cannot: be persuaded is wrong, to smuggle, and to cheat the post office. Mr. Travers mentions in this Report:—
Among the many instances of fraudulent enclosures in newspapers, &e,, the following way be mentiones China, posted a newer single paper, but cons k handkerchiefs. China, addressed a news: paper to a lady, containing six pairs of gloves and three letters.
These were duly forwarded, letter rate being charged, and I have no doubt the addressees would. much rather they had not been sent, Unfortunately the venders could not be discovered, He adds that: several parcels falsely declared were confiscated bythe Customs authorities. As to this we should have been glad of a little more detailed information, for, as nearly everything used by foreigners is duty' free, it would be interesting to know what those parcels contained.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.