New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-03
THE CHINESE POSTAL SYS1EM.

"IETrER Shop" 4 PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.
The Chinese have not yet established any Cow
eminent postofflces or postal system LOT ,'o
masses Of the people although private en'e'p'.."
has for many years rendered epistoiary c""
cation easy between the people IN All Pa'" " -.
Empire. This is conducted through wha' are ca"e
letter shops" No stamps used but the c"op
Of the keeper of the shop IL always placed upo"
the envelope Imperial edicts and other o"'e'"'
dispatches are carried from city TO city ana p'o,
ince to province by couriers, who are very e~pe'
tious being in some parts provided WIN horSes NJ
convenient relay stations. Dispatches are mus co
waved in cases OF emergency go or 20 miles
day In districts where horses are used' eac" 80
,ionmoster IL required to keep hand from Ten 10
twenty horses or donkeys. and the local onciai 10
held RESPONSIBLE for all delays that occur Ihese
official couriers are not allowed to convey private
dispatches or letters "a,
natives only, but in the Interior or places not
reached by the foreign postal arrangements they
are employed by foreigners well, though cnieny
by missionaries. All letters ard parcels to be sent
NAV be registered and insured. When given IN at
letter shop" the contents OF an envelope are
displayed before II is sealed up and stamped with
the chop of the shop. Charges for the trans
mission of valuables are made on percentage OF
declared value and. as ID the Gaze with letters
differ according TO the distance to be carried re-
ceipt Is given and the shopkeeper then becomes re-
sponsibe either for its safe delivery. with unbroken
CHOP" or seal at its destination or for its return
to the sender. In some parts OF the Empire ABOUT
two-thirds Of expenses Of transmission are PAID
by the sender the remainder being collected from
the receiver. Thus the shop Is secured against en-
tire loss from transient customers ana the sehder
has guarantee that his letter VIII be conveyed
with dispatch. The other feature. much appreciate
ed by the native merchants. is that OF keeping an
open account with the shop Charges for service
rendered are entered against regular customers.
and settlements made lilly. In case OF loss
IL is seldom necessary TO call in the aid OF the
courts the force of competition being sufficient to
insure reasonable settlement There are said to Dc
nearly 200 letter shops In Shanghai. though IN
many remote villages there none. The employees
of the several shops earnest in working up pat
ronage and go from house to house seeking GUS
toners.
The Taotai Shcng. at Chefoo. lately offered prizes
for the four best essays on How TO Establish
Chinese Imperial Postoi!:ce' There were about
fifty competitors and the prizes were duly delty-
cred Some OF the essayists proposed the enlarge
ment Of the courier system, others the use OF tho
offices and employees of the telegraph companies
C ThsrG ihey ed's noon aRS yse One
ment for the establishment of Government sys:
sa NOW goes into the hands Of the French Eng
lish. American Japanese and German postal agents
at the treaty ports. There are two kinds OF stamps
known among dealers Chinese stamps The first
of these was introduced by Sir Robert Hart, and ~
used only in the customs service. The other Is
local Shanghai stamp used by company carrying
letters about the city OF Shanghai and to outpoets
where there are foreign consuls. chiefly on the
Yangtze River and to the ports OF Ninso and
Fuchan in the South, and Chefco rientsn and Pc
kin in the north These two systems are entirely
in the hands Of foreigners. Letters OF foregners
are conveyed from China to other nations by the
postal systems OF the several countries. all consuis
being regarded as postmasters for their own coun.
tries Letters may he sent to and from China by
the use OF the stamps of any country through their
respective consuls. but these are only available az
treaty ports Foreigners living in the interior or
away from treaty ports must make arrange ments
for getting their letters from the nearest CONSUL
or authorize some Chinese letter shop to transmit
letters for them