and parcels. Sha Tin Office was inundated by the tidal wave which hit the town and was out of commission for six days during which time service was maintained by the special mobile relief van. During inter- ruption of the rail service between Tai Po and Sha Tin for the same period mails were carried by lorry from Kowloon to Fanling.
Temporary Service
68. As in previous years a temporary office was opened at the 20th Exhibition of Hong Kong Products during the period from 27.11.62 to 4.1.63.
69. A temporary Post Office named 'Jaycees' was set up at the XVIIth Junior Chamber Industrial World Congress at the City Hall from 5th to 10th November, 1962 inclusive.
ACCOMMODATION
70. Three new post offices were opened:
Sha Tau Kok on 16.4.62
Tai O on
Kwun Tong on
14.5.62 3.12.62
and two existing offices were moved into new buildings:
Aberdeen on 3.7.62 Airport on 2.11.62
The construction of eight other offices started and by the end of the year three of these were almost completed.
71. Business done at new offices ranges from $1,400 monthly at Tai O to $38,000 at Kwun Tong. (This is from the sale of stamps and wireless licences and the commission on postal orders and money orders). The opening of new offices does not merely reallocate an invariable amount of business within the Colony; it is becoming apparent that people buy more stamps, post more packets and make greater use of the postal order and money order services when they have a post office near to hand.
72. In any event, it is being made considerably more convenient for the public to transact their essential post office business; Kwun Tong which is issuing 160 wireless licences ($20 each) monthly is a case in point. With all this, recurring expenditure is kept at a reasonable level. Staff costs are the chief element and at Kwun Tong, for example, they are about $2,500 monthly (receipts $38,000).
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