XN000022-1975-11-25 — Page 6

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1975

POST OFFICE READY FOR CHRISTMAS RUSH

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THE POST OFFICE IS ONCE AGAIN MUSTERING EXTRA MANPOWER AND FACILITIES TO MEET THE RUSH OF CHRISTMAS MAIL.

MORE THAN 120 TEMPORARY LABOURERS AND 25 TEMPORARY POSTAL OFFICERS ARE BEING DEPLOYED IN THE VARIOUS SECTIONS AND COUNTERS OF THE POST OFFICE TO MEET THE SEASONAL PRESSURE, AND SEVEN ADDITIONAL MAIL VANS WILL BE USED TO CONVEY CHRISTMAS MAIL.

FROM EARLY NEXT MONTH TO THE VERY EVE OF CHRISTMAS, STAFF OF THE POST OFFICE WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO TAKE LEAVE EXCEPT FOR EXTREMELY URGENT REASONS, SO THAT THE SEASONAL GOOD-WILL GREETINGS CAN BE DELIVERED IN TIME.

THEIR BURDEN CAN BE MADE A LITTLE LIGHTER IF ONLY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD REMEMBER NOT TO LEAVE THEIR POSTING TO THE LAST MINUTE.

+THEY CAN ALSO HELP NOT ONLY THE POSTMEN BUT THEMSELVES TOO, BY ENSURING THAT THEIR LETTERS ARE PROPERLY STAMPED AND ADDRESSED,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE POST OFFICE SAID,

EACH YEAR AN AVERAGE OF SOME THREE MILLION DEAD LETTERS ARE UNDELIVERABLE BECAUSE THEIR ADDRESSES ARE INSUFFICIENT OR INCORRECT.

+AS IN PAST YEARS, THE LATEST POSTING DATES FOR OVERSEAS CHRISTMAS MAIL ARE PUBLICISED WELL IN ADVANCE IN THE PRESS AND OVER THE RADIO,+ THE SPOKESMAN CONTINUED.

THE POST OFFICE HAS BEEN KEPT BUSY HANDLING THE UPSURGE IN LETTERS AND PARCELS DESTINED OVERSEAS, AND LATEST DATES FOR SENDING SURFACE MAIL IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS TO MOST COUNTRIES HAVE CLOSED, HE SAID.

THE BUSIEST TIME HOWEVER IS YET TO COME NEXT MONTH WHEN GREETINGS FROM BOTH OVERSEAS AND LOCALLY FROM AMONG THE COMMUNITY ARE PRESSING TO BE DELIVERED.

LAST DECEMBER, ABOUT 25 MILLION ITEMS OF OUTGOING AND INLAND LETTERS WERE HANDLED BY THE POST OFFICE AN INCREASE OF 9 MILLION OR 56 PER CENT OVER THE AVERAGE MONTHLY VOLUME.

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INCOMING LETTERS TOTALLED 6.1 MILLION, 1.8 MILLION OVER THE AVERAGE MONTHLY FIGURE.

/OUTGOING AIR .....

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