THE POST OFFICE IN CHINA

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3020, 21 November 1891, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE POST OFFICE IN CHINA

For many centuries public despatches have been conveyed through China by means of a department of the Board of War. Post roads, originally excellent but now disgraceful, radiate from Pekin to all parts of the empire, and at distances regulated by the nature of the country are stations where a supply of horses is supposed to be kept—much as in Siberia—for the furthering of official correspondence. Despite the badness of the roads, and the generally dilapidated condidition of ttie ponies (they are hardly big enough to bo called horses), suprising distances are, on urgent occasions, covored by this means. In theory the greatest speed is some 200 miles a day, and it is claimed that this is often actually attained. But in this, for China, rapid means of communication the general public is not permitted to share, any more than it may in England avail itself of the services of a Queen's Alesenger. It is not to be imagined that a seritable nation of shopkeepers like the Chinese would remain, owing to this refusal of their Government to convey their correspondence, desitute of a postal service. They had indeed a very complete system of their own, entirely independent of the state. Iu every tawn of any size may be seen ton or a dozen shops with the sign Hsin Chit,''letter ollice," or postal establishment, saspended outside. Their business is to carry not letters only, but small parcels, packets of silver, and tlit, like 1 usually to other towns in the same province 'but also on occasion to other provinces. They are, in fact, general carriers, or, perhaps it would be fairer to say, they occupy much the same position iu China now as did the "agents" at Harwick or Dover of the Postmaster-General at the beginning of the eighteenth century—so miscellaneous are tho packages committed to their charge. They bad no fixed tariff varying according to wight, and there appears to be no limit within reason to the size of letters or parcels they will carry. The charge for letters is fairly consistent, but in estimating the cost of conveyance of parcels the sine and shapo alone seem to be taken into account, A rough calculation is then made, which the sender is at liberty—if he can—to abate. In fact, the transmission of paroels is regarded as being quite as much a matter of bargaining as the purchase of a pig. As there is in monopoly, each postotfico tries.tounderbid its rivals, and competition sometimes verges on tho ludicrous. Since the institution of fomale post-olliee clerks in England how many complaints (doubtless quits groundless) have there not been irom would-be purchasers of stamps who havo been kept waiting at the counter while tho postmistress and her assistant compare notes on last Sunday's fashions ? In China this deplorable state of things is reversed. There, , each post ollice has its touts, who go round at, very short interals to each place of business to beg for tho priviledgo of forwarding their lettors. The bankers are the best customers, and as post time draws near (post time is fixed at the open potts hy the de parture of tho local steamer) you will fee a tout enter a bank and interrupt the clerks with an entreaty to be allowed to canvoy the letters I hey have not copied, lie is dismissed for half an hour, and mean while two or three rivals will appear with the same request. Tho lucky man is lie who happet.s to come in as the letters are sealed. Prepayment is optional, no fine being le. i il on unpaid letters. Postage is knowu euphemistically as '-wine allowance,'' and on the cover of the letter is always noted the amount paid or due. Postage stamps have never, apparently, beon thought of. Some diy it will dawn upon 0110 of theso bonighted j-enple how vast are the benefits ot our stamp system. He will then hasten to supply

him-elf with a varicl .-md pif-tu• (■ ->jll.. which he will diVin.ciif to n i uljrnm ini ic-< .at a hii?hiv -at ist c" ~ v profit. M ■ i:r.\ hi!.- lii.i native en ; v as a rulr> > t'., 11 <,r. .-repay tb'-ir p --! ■ because a i,i-i • in h*t.s< l-> piy .„it money w!c?n h" cm prc-ibiy avoid n, .mil partly !».»» m,,., lli ii hi-. !■■'.. r is far more lik-dy to bo e irrc-d na-i Hoe-dily to its destination if tin: car riers have an interest in its prompt ■!•■< livery. l'lie quesrion is not. an was ;h" ease in Kngland tifty or six..y years :ir,, ill any Way a sentimental one. ,\u Chinaman is so unreasonable as to foci insulted at having nothitit; to pay on his letters. Custom only r<vjuirnt two d-i>s»s of correspondence to lie prepaid in fullletters to indigent, relatives and lie-'irinif opistles.—'Cornhill Mayazine,'