38 pounds, the exact figure being £E.1,052,255. The rural branch of the Savings’ Bank has failed to gain the confidence or interest of the peasantry, for whose benefit it was instituted, and has almost ceased to operate.

The postal staff was reduced in 1915 from 3,096 to 2,928, but numbered 3,399 on tlie 31st December, 1919.

The loyal behaviour of the staff during the disturbances of March and April 1919 was warmly appreciated by the public, particularly in the districts affected by the destruction of the railways. No effort was spared to cany on the distribution of mails by all sorts of means: water, wheeled transport, riding animals, farmers’ carts, &c., and the energy and initiative displayed by the Egyptian district superintendents was worthy of much praise. In the face of threatening and sometimes violent opposition the staff refused to strike (except in Cairo,_ where after sixteen days, the majority joined the other Government employees), giving as their reason that politics were not their business, but that their work was of international importance, although they were in sympathy with the general political movement.

In the course of 1919 the pay or the staff was improved to assist them in meeting the heavy increase in the cost of all necessaries of life; the wages bill was thus carried from £E. 210,820 for 1918 to £E. 235,077 for 1919, and the amount paid in war allowances from £E. 54,824: to £E. 112,072.

Budgetary receipts in 1919 amounted to £E. 415,222, to which must be added credit given to other Administrations, £E. 75,000, making a total of £E. 490,222. The expenditure, inclusive of war allowances to staff (£E. 112,072) came to £E. 507,333, which with £E. 34,000 for services rendered to the Post Office by other Administrations, made a total of £E. 541,333, being an excess of expenditure over receipts of £E. 51,111. The total of values dealt with by the Administration during the year is estimated at £E. 59,867,000.

The losses sustained in the March disturbances amounted to £E. 14,450. At the close of the year there were 2,501 post offices and stations throughout the country.

56. Ports and Lights. The revenues of the Ports and Lights Administration from 1914 to 1919 have been as follows: 1914-15. 1915-16. 1916-17. 1917-18. 1 1918-19.

I i Light dues .. Tonnage dues, Alexandria. Accostage dues, Alexandria Graving dock, Alexandria. Other receipts Total £E. 89,049 82,952 19,661 3,474 130,421 325,457 £E. 65,171 45,401 9,985 11,536 18,623 1.50,716 £S. 43,516 30,611 7,560 9,800 24,034 115,521 £P. 19,461 15,107 4,503 11,259 18,903 69,233 £B. 27,898 19,210 6,771 11,853 27,312 93,044 The marked diminution of the revenues of the Administration in the year 1915-1916 was due to the transfer to the Budget of the Customs Administration of certain sources of revenue whiclii had' produced receipts in 19141915 as follows ; quay dues (import), Alexandria, £E. 62,069; quay dues (export), £E. 43,387; lease of land, Alexandria, £E. 10,446; and storage dues (Alexandria), £E. 4,915.

During the war Ports and Lights Administration was heavily engaged in naval work. Until the end of February 1916 the Administration, whose Director-General, Admiral Pobinson, had been appointed Principal Naval Transport Officer for Egypt, carried out both naval transport duties and other naval work in Egyptian ports, such as the requisitioning of merchant steamers, dealing with detained enemy shipping, and the charge and conversion into transports, &c., of enemy prizes. .

During this period 1,757 transports, of 11; million tons, and 203 men-of-war, of 876,000 tons, entered and left Alexandria Harbour; 1,239 transports and men-ofwar, totalling over 8 million tons, transited the Suez Canal, and 965 transports, 43 hospital ships, 36 store ships, and 307 Admiralty colliers were dealt with at Port Said. Fifteen merchant steamers were requisitioned and chartered through the Ports and Lights Administration, which altered and equipped them for troop and horse transport. This Administration also converted five troop ships into hdspitd ships, and others for horse transport, made and laid out the defence for Alexandria House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online. Copyright (c) 2006 ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.