by the higher percentage increase of 26% for this category than the overall increase of 17%.
49. No loss or violation of air mails which could be attributed to the Hong Kong Post Office was reported during the year.
China Mails
50. A total of 442,034 bags of mail originated in the Colony were despatched to China during the year of which 400,687 were conveyed by the Kowloon-Canton Railway. The remainder were sent by motor- ized junk to Canton and by ship to Shanghai.
51. Postings of small packets to China were fewer in comparison with the previous year but still continued at an estimated rate of more than one million a month.
Forces Mail
52. Mails for Army, Naval and Air Force Units continued to be dealt with by the British Forces Post Office and the Fleet Mail Office in close liaison with this Department.
53. Mail arrangements for various visiting foreign warships were made according to the wishes of their respective national postal ad- ministrations.
Christmas and Chinese New Year Postings
54. Christmas postings reached a new peak with approximately 8,000,000 items being handled during the 10-day period from 18th to 27th December, 1962. The heaviest day was the 21st December when an estimated 1,300,000 items were posted.
55. A casual force of thirty clerks and eighty labourers was em- ployed for the two weeks preceding Christmas.
56. During the eight-day period over the Chinese New Year a total of 2,003,761 items were machine stamped compared with 1,535,851 over the same period in the previous year. Temporary labour was also employed at this time.
Parcel Post
57. Parcel post traffic continued to rise, a total of 1,497,442 (includ- ing 31,141 parcels in transit) being handled during the year showing an increase of 138,031 parcels or 9.6% over the previous year's figure.
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