38. No decision has yet been taken as to the final designs for the stamps commemorating the centenary of the first Hong Kong stamps or the new main issues.
SERVICES TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS
39. The estimated value of free services rendered to other Govern- ment Departments showed a further increase in a total of $495,887.50 as against $480,979.20 for the previous year.
POSTAL SERVICES
40. Despite fluctuations in the Colony's business, traffic in most classes of postal business showed a steady increase. The total number of letters and packets posted and delivered, excluding parcels, registered and insured items, amounted to 141,846,235; representing an increase of 6.4% over the previous year.
41. There was a large increase in the number of undeliverable letters referred to the Dead Letter Office, the total for the year being 536,068 as against 341,452 in 1957/58. Much of this was caused by the failure of a large number of people to notify their change of address, the use of old reference books and telephone directories and the growing habit of using inadequate addresses. The result was that a great deal of time had to be spent trying to trace the whereabouts of persons for whom the correspondence was intended. It is hoped that there will be some response to future publicity in the form of postmark slogans, explanatory posters and press releases indicating the need for clear and correct addressing of correspondence.
SURFACE LETTER MAILS
42. All ocean-going vessels with suitable mail storage accommoda- tion were used for the conveyance of mails and with more outlets to new destinations becoming available a marked improvement was effected. With the excellent shipping and port facilities available frequent despatches were made to most parts of the world. Nevertheless, surface mail correspondence continued to arrive from overseas some- what irregularly and in some cases use did not appear to have been made of the best services.
43. As a result of the acquisition of additional accommodation and with the aid of some mechanization and improved sorting arrangements
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