In the report on the working of the Chiness Post Office for 1919 which has just come to hand, M, Picard-Destelan, the Ca-Director General, states that the articles of mail matter posted during the year amounted to no fewer than 340,000,- 000, an advance of 3° millions over the previous year. Of this total over 300 millions were ordinary articles, over 24 millions registered, and over four millions were express letters. The parcel post took charge of no fewer than 3,551,- 000 parcels of a total value of $54,602,207. In practically every instance the figures for last year show gratifying increases aver those of the previous 12 months.
Coincident with this welcome increase in the use of the postal service comes an increase in the number of post offices and agencies throughout the republic and at the end of the year the various classes of offices and agencies totalled no fewer than 9,762 as compared with 9,267 the previous year, the mail lines being 559,000 li, covered by courier. steamer and boat and railway. Revenue amounted to over 11} millions of dollars which gave 2 surplus over working expenses of $2,440,000.
Speaking of Shanghai in partic-war the report. saysi—The year in Shanghai has again been @ successful one, although many causes have combined to militate against smooth working. The number of articles of mail matter posted was over 71 millions, total greater than that for all {China in 1907. Articles posted for local delivery greatly increased in number, while those collected from letter-boxes, etc., were almost doubled, giving striking testimony ublic confidence in these useful auxiliaries. On parcels handled there was a substantial advance, which would have been greater but for the adverse exchange conditions, the internal disorder in important interior markets, and the effect on trade of the boycott of certain foreign products. Though a general strike of Shanghai shopkeepers, due to political agitation, took place in June, and though at the same time the employees of many factories and public institutions refused to work. the Shanghai Post Office was able to carry on without interruption. The year closed with a surplus greater than that of 1918 by 56 per cent.; of this surplus Inland. Offices and Agencies—accounted for fully a third. To the great educational value of their official duties. the Shanghai postmen have had superadded, during the past year, a certain amount of mural training in special lasses. By these classes the men have been incited to self-help, and the result. has been a raising of the qualifications of the whole postmen staff.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.