Memorial stamps "Recover of Republic of China" issued on December, 1912, one of
the two sets of stamps issued at the beginning of the establishment of China Post
Chapter 3 China Post in its Establishment and Development Period
In 191l, Dr. Sun Yat-sen led Revolution of 1911 and overthrew the Qing Dynasty. In 1912 Republic of China was founded. The Qing Post was renamed as Post of Republic of China, simplified as China Post. Although the situation was unstable, especially during the Northern Warlord Government period, warlords fought with each other, economy was at a low ebb, all industries were in depression, people struggled for life, China Post maintained its centralized management all over the country. All post income were turned over to the General Post Administration. After 1920, with the legal protection of "Post Regulations", it carried out scientific management on business, finance and personnel, so in over 20 years after it was set up. China Post developed healthily and rapidly, which was the best period of modern post development.
Section 1 Development of Measures and Achievements
Memorial stamps "Recover
of Republic of China" issued on December, 1912, one of
the two sets of stamps issued at the beginning of the establishment of China
Post
China Post administrators attached importance to post construction. Post office and network expanded rapidly. In 1914, one important measure was carried out to further perfect the method of defining post areas by administrative area, there were total 22 post areas all over the country. This method reduced the amount management organizations and personnels, saved expenditure, benefited the development of post offices in all administrative areas, especially the development of post in countryside. By 1914, there were 8,324 administration offices, first, second and third level post offices, agencies of branches, all over the country. By 1924, it reached 1l,800 and there were 30,728 posts in urban and rural areas. Post stations in villages and stamp-sellings were total over 42,500. The development was rapid.
Former
site of Beijing Post Administration
Bureau, built in 1922(now removed)
China territory was vast, development in different areas was unbalanced, and communication vehicles were backward' In developing postal routes, China Post depended on actual situation, suited measures to local conditions. It mainly developed postman lines. In post transposition, it made use of modern vehicles such as trains and ships as well as boats, mules and horses, camels, even sleighs in severe cold areas. So postal routes developed rapidly. Comparing 1924 with 1912, the length of railway lines increased from 9,000 km to 1l,500 km, ship lines from 28,000 kin to 42,500 kin, postal routes from 162,500 km to 250,000 km.
China Post attached importance to developing business. Its business range was wide, including ordinary mails, registered mails, express mail, ordinary express mails, small parcels, assurances mails, business mails, stamp selling, Postal savings, simplified life- assurances, telegraph, newspaper subscribe, book Purchasing, etc. In business operation, it emphasized on rapidness, safety, popularity and service, with low-charges and good reputation. Therefore, business developed rapidly. In 1912, the number of mails of the whole nation was 440 millions and increased to 1.26 billions in 1920. For the statistics of delivered mails, it was 124 millions in 1912, 522 millions in 1924. After 1919, post also opened up savings. Because post was a state-run industry, with good reputation, stable and reliable, during Northern Warlord Government period, several financial crisis happened, many clients rushed to banks to cash their savings, only postal savings weren't be touched. This business developed rapidly. By 1929, the amount of savings had reached l,080,000 Yuan.
Delivery
trucks of China Post
were put to use(1917)
During this period, financial status of post gradually turn better, and realized surplus. Since the beginning that customs set up post, post was self-sufficient, its deficit was paid by customs.
By 1912 when China Post was set up, its deficit was 490,000 Yuan. China Post carried out a set of strict management regulations in finance, which was highly centralized to the General Post Administration. Administration office in each post area had only authorities on small incident expenses. In each post area, there was a general accountant to manage financial work. It set up check and inspection regulations, tried hard to increase its income, strictly control financial expenditure, persistently opposed to corruption and waste, therefore the financial status of post turned better year by year. By 1915 its income was 6.79 million Yuan, its expenditure was 6.55 million Yuan, which became surplus. Later the increase of income, especially that of postal savings were mainly used in best-benefit industries, played an important role in the surplus of post. By 1924 post income was 23.25 million Yuan, expenditure was 20. 50 million Yuan, surplus was 2.75 million Yuan. Later the highest surplus reached 4 million Yuan. During this period, capital of China Post was also increased, and reached 20 million Yuan by 1929.