The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1851-4] HONG-KONG POST OFFICE. 257
paper and print alone has been diminished by 1,100 per annum ;
while the abolition of separate advices of each transaction has
economised the number of letters by 46,000 weekly. The upshot
is, that these economical reforms have effected a saving in the
Money. Order Office alone equal to ^17,000 per annum"
As a supplement to the foregoing extracts I quote from my
Journal the following statistical record:
Order Office for
"June ?th t 1853. The accounts of the Money
1852 show an increase of profit of ^4,227, making a total for the
year of ^11,664. In 1847, when I took to the department, there
was a loss of ; 10,600 a year; so that the effective saving is up-
wards of ^22,000 a year."
GENERAL ECONOMIC MEASURES.
Various improvements noticeable under this head (some of them
of considerable importance) are omitted here as being more con-
veniently mentioned under other categories, as Money Orders,
Conveyance of Mails, Packet Service, &c.
The following, though of economic tendency, was, as will be
perceived, more beneficial in another : respect
"
October 2gth, 1831. A clerkship at Hong Kong having become
vacant by death, the Postmaster-General has, on my recommendation
. . . determined not to fill it up, and to employ part of the saving
thus effected in giving to the postmaster and each of the remaining
clerks in turn leave of absence for a year and a half, with full salary
and an allowance of ^100 towards the expense of the voyage. By
these means, while ample force will still be left, the poor fellows will
have the opportunity of recruiting their health, and a saving will be
effected of ^183 a year."
By merely entering into negotiations for substituting
coach for
railway train we obtained from the Belfast and Ballymena Railway
Company a voluntary reduction in charge of more than ^2000
a year, and this with some gain in time ; again, by substituting car
for coach between Limerick and Galway, we obtained another
reduction of ^1,200 a year.
Another measure provided for some immediate and a large
prospective saving in the cost of guards, the duties of many
amongst whom I found, on examination, to be so light as not to
occupy, on the average, more than three or four hours per day.
It is a curious fact that I was led to the examination resulting in
this discovery by an application for increased force.
VOL. II. S