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COMMUNICATIONS
outlying islands. Most of these offices handle both normal counter business and delivery services. One of the two new Offices was opened on Peng Chau Island in a composite building which also accommodates the local Fire Station and the Urban Services staff. It serves a community of about 4,500 people whose occupations include fishing, farming and match making. Peng Chau is the second of the islands to have its own Post Office and a third on Lantau Island was under construction at the end of the year. Although these outlying island offices are small and usually staffed by only one clerk and one or two postmen, they are able to bring a full range of post office counter facilities to a rural community which had previously been restricted to buying stamps from an authorized agent.
The second office to be opened was at Sai Kung in the eastern part of the New Territories, where the Post Office staff are sharing a field office with the New Territories Administration, until a permanent Post Office is built.
In addition, the main Kowloon Post Office at Tsim Sha Tsui was expanded during the year when the Army and Royal Air Force Movement Control Offices moved out of part of the accom- modation in Salisbury Road which they had previously shared with Government. The new accommodation, which was available as the result of this move, was converted into a parcel delivery office, an extension to the letter sorting office and a van parking
area.
Normal Post Office counter business such as the sale of stamps, handling foreign parcels, registration of mail, sale of money orders, postal orders and wireless licences is done at most of the offices in the Colony. There are also a number of special postal services used mainly by business houses, such as business replies, COD collections, provision of private boxes, private bags and pre- paid postage services, including postage franking machines. Mail delivery is carried out twice a day (excluding Sundays) in all but the more remote rural areas. In these more isolated parts and most of the islands, mail is distributed by an authorized agent who is paid a monthly fee by the Department. At all centres parcels are delivered over the counter.
Direct communication is maintained with as many foreign Post Offices as possible so that when there is sufficient correspondence,