FOREWORD
THE 116th year of the Hong Kong Post Office has been momentous in many respects. Our old friend "broken records" inevitably rears its head again but, on this occasion, there have been some far-reaching contributory causes.
2. Firstly, the introduction of self-accounting, one immediate effect of which was to enable remittance services to be extended to most offices. Secondly, the opening of the first new Post Office for 41 years, thus permitting not only a sub-division of delivery areas but the extension of parcel services also.
3. Congestion is still, of course, acute, and my grateful thanks are due to the General Manager, Kowloon-Canton Rail- way, for the loan of a godown as a mail storage centre. Expedients included the occasional hire of junks to augment the 'fleet" of mail launches. Other measures in view are discussed in the body of the report.
4. In the radio field, the same progress is apparent with another marked increase in licences issued of 6,307.
STAFF
5. The total authorized establishment of the Department at the close of the year was 736, or which 253 were pensionable, 1 supernumerary and 482 non-pensionable.
6. Mr. G. A. Cuppleditch, Controller of Posts, assumed duty on 27th July, 1956, on transfer from Singapore.
7. Messrs. E. A. Ribbeiro, M.B.E., and LAU Chuen Huen, Assistant Controllers of Posts, retired on 2nd October and 26th December, 1956, respectively after combined service totalling 69 years.
8. Mr. GоH Kong Hooi was promoted Assistant Controller of Posts on 2nd October, 1956.
9. Mr. H. C. Conception was promoted as Postal Accountant on 1st October, 1956, after having undergone one year's account- ing study in the United Kingdom Post Office.
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