13. On 1st June, 1955, it was necessary to increase the fees for Registration, Inquiry and Advice of Delivery, from 30 to 404. From the same date also the postage on Aerogrammes (Air Letter Forms) was raised from 40 to 50%.
14. A stamp selling machine for use with 10 coins, and the first of its kind in the Far East, was installed in the General Post Office on 9th June, 1955. Unfortunately, the structure of this building is such that the machine could not be installed on the outside walls for use after business hours. It was therefore specially mounted in the main hall and is now not only extremely popular with purchasers of small quantities of stamps, but goes far to reducing the hitherto long queues at the stamp counters.
15. A similar machine was installed at Kowloon Post Office on 28th November, 1955, but in this case external installation was possible and the all night service is much appreciated. Further machines are on order.
16. The question of excessive humidity as affecting the rolls of stamps was solved departmentally, and with such success that inquiries as to our method have been received from such distant Administrations as the Belgian Congo,
SERVICES TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS
17. The value of free services to other Departments rose sharply to $330,478.30 mainly as a result of a heavy increase in the use of Registration Services.
POSTAL SERVICES
18. General. The total number of bags of mail handled reached the record figure of 341,659, an increase of no less than 51,912 over last years figure which in itself had been a record. Of the total for 1955/56, 62,301 bags were received from the China Mainland.
3
Page 10Page 11