FOREWORD
THE Hong Kong Post Office in its 117th year, from the 1st April, 1957, to 31st March, 1958, can once again report an increase in business and revenue in practically all sections. Further increases would result if it were possible to provide additional accommodation, particularly in the two main Post Offices at Victoria and Kowloon. Development of postal facilities in the New Territories is also difficult without additional Post Offices from which staff and vehicles can operate. However, for the first time in very many years progress can be recorded in the provision of new Post Offices in outlying districts: the North Point Post Office, Hong Kong Island, was opened by H. E. the Governor on 25th November, 1957; the new Sheung Wan Post Office, Hong Kong Island, was opened on 1st July, 1957; and the Shau Kei Wan Post Office, Hong Kong Island, and the Ma Tau Wai Post Office in Farm Road, Kowloon, were opened on 14th October, 1957. Work was also started in Kowloon by the Hong Kong Telephone Company on their buildings at Mong Kok and Kowloon City which will house Post Offices on the ground floor. It is hoped that this progress in the building programme will be maintained in the following
year.
2. The additional offices made possible the extension to all Post Offices of Money Order, Postal Order and Parcel services. Box facilities were also made available to the public at the new offices. Deliveries were decentralized to save travelling time.
3. The frequency of deliveries was maintained at two a day, except Sundays, in all districts; and additional postmen were recruited to meet the demand arising from the continuous construction of multi-storey buildings and estates throughout the Colony.
4. No increases in postage rates were made, except in the case of a few parcels rates as a result of increased charges made by other administrations or increases in freight rates.
5. A competition was started during the year for new designs for stamps of all denominations. The new issue will be made in 1962, the centenary of the issue of the first Hong Kong stamps in 1862, which
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