TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1976
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HK BEGINS A NEW ERA IN ITS POSTAL HISTORY
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HONG KONG'S POSTAL SERVICE WILL TURN A NEW PAGE TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) WHEN THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE OPENS THE $43 MILLION NEW G.P.O. BUILDING AT CONNAUGHT PLACE.
BUILT ON A 40,000 SQ.FT. SITE AT THE WATERFRONT, THE FIVE- STOREY BUILDING PROVIDES A TOTAL OF 170,000 SQ.FT. OF FLOOR SPACE -- MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT IN THE 65-YEAR-OLD G.P.O. BUILDING
IN PEDDER STREET WHICH WILL BE PULLED DOWN TO MAKE WAY FOR MTR WORK.
THE HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED MECHANISED SYSTEMS IN THE NEW COMPLEX PUT HONG KONG'S MAIL HANDLING FACILITIES ON A PAR WITH THOSE IN ADVANCED COUNTRIES.
ITS CHAIN CONVEYOR SYSTEM -- OVER 1,000 FEET IN LENGTH IS SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO TAKE PHYSICAL EFFORTS OUT OF CONVEYING MAIL BAGS AROUND THE BUILDING, PROVIDING AUTOMATIC DISCHARGES ALONG ITS ROUTE.
ANOTHER MODERN MECHANICAL DEVICE IS THE HIGH-SPEED LETTER TRANSPORT SYSTEM WHICH CAN CONVEY LETTERS FROM THE SORTING OFFICE TO THE P.O. BOX PROCESSING AREA AT A RATE OF 45,000 ITEMS AN HOUR.
THE LOADING AND UNLOADING OF MAIL LAUNCHES BERTHED ALONG- SIDE THE PIER ADJOINING THE BUILDING IS ALSO DONE BY AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL DEVICES.
THE MOST MODERN EQUIPMENT IN THE SORTING OFFICE IS THE +STAMP CANCELLER MACHINE+ WHICH IS CAPABLE OF SEGREGATING AND STAMPING 25,000 LETTERS AN HOUR.
THE OPERATIONS OF ALL THESE DEVICES TOGETHER WITH OTHER MODERN EQUIPMENT IN THE BUILDING ARE MONITORED BY CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION.
THE NEW FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED POSTAL COMPLEX IS PROVIDED WITH A CENTRALISED VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEM THE FIRST EVER USED IN HONG KONG.
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APART FROM SERVING AS THE NERVE CENTRE OF MAIL HANDLING, THE NEW BUILDING ALSO HOUSES THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE POST OFFICE.
A SPACIOUS PUBLIC HALL WITH COUNTERS FOR STAMP SALES AND ACCEPTING REGISTERED MAIL IS LOCATED ON THE FIRST FLOOR WHICH IS LINKED WITH THE GROUND FLOOR BY ESCALATORS AND THE ADJOINING BUILDINGS INCLUDING THE CONNAUGHT CENTRE BY ELEVATED PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE.
THE NEW