XN000022-1985-02-12 — Page 10

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1985

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POSTMAN WITH 38 YEARS ON THE JOB

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THE RAPID POST-WAR DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG AND ITS POSTAL SERVICE CAN BE WRITTEN IN VOLUMES, BUT HOW DOES A POSTMAN, WHO HAS SERVED MORE THAN 38 YEARS, FEEL ABOUT IT?

WALKING ALONG THE WATERFRONT OF WAN CHAI WITH ITS HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS, POSTMAN TSE KWONG-YUI SAID, +THIS AREA WHERE I'VE SERVED FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS HAS CHANGED BEYOND RECOGNITION.+

GONE ARE MOST OF THE THREE-STOREY PRE-WAR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WHERE HE USED TO CLIMB UP RICKETY STAIRS WITH A HEAVY MAIL BAG ON HIS BACK,

+I HAVE LITERALLY WATCHED THE WAN CHAI SHORELINE BEING PUSHED FURTHER INTO THE SEA AS THE TEMPO OF RECLAMATION QUICKENED, MR TSE SAID.

HIS OLD BEAT FROM ARSENAL STREET ALONG THE WATERFRONT RIGHT DOWN TO PERCIVAL STREET HAS ALSO BEEN SUB-DIVIDED SEVERAL TIMES TO MEET THE WORKLOAD POSED BY THE POPULATION EXPANSION AND THE GROWTH OF WAN CHAI INTO A COMMERCIAL CENTRE.

AT PRESENT, THE SAME AREA CONSISTS OF 15 BEATS, A BEAT BEING A WELL-DEFINED AREA WHERE A POSTMAN DELIVERS HIS MAIL. THE SIZE OF EACH BEAT IS DECIDED ACCORDING TO THE MAIL VOLUME, THE DELIVERY TIME AND THE HOUSEHOLD DENSITY IN THE DISTRICT,

MR TSE KWONG-YUI JOINED THE POST OFFICE IN 1946. HIS FIRST JOB WAS TO UNLOAD MAIL BAGS FROM INCOMING SHIPS AT BLAKE PIER AND CARRY THEM TO THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, WHERE THEY WERE FURTHER DISTRIBUTED TO VARIOUS DISTRICTS IN THE TERRITORY.

HE SAID HE MISSED SOME OF THE OLD LANDMARKS, SUCH AS THE RED-BRICK GENERAL POST OFFICE, BUT THAT THE WORK WAS PRETTY STRENUOUS IN THOSE DAYS. WE DIDN'T HAVE ADEQUATE TRANSPORT FACILITIES AND HAD TO CARRY MAIL BAGS ON OUR SHOULDERS OR BY HANDCART, HE RECALLED.

AT THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, MAIL WAS PROCESSED AND SORTED MANUALLY. BESIDES WORKING AS PORTERS, MR TSE AND 30 OTHER COLLEAGUES HAD TO HELP WITH HAND-STAMPING THE LETTERS.

+ IT BECAME A TIRESOME JOB, ESPECIALLY DURING THE CHRISTMAS OR LUNAR NEW YEAR RUSH WHEN ONE HAD TO HAND-STAMP MORE THAN A THOUSAND LETTERS A DAY+, HE SAID.

IN ADDITION, POSTMAN TSE AND HIS COLLEAGUES HAD TO COLLECT LETTERS AND OTHER ITEMS FROM PILLAR BOXES, IN RAIN OR SHINE.

NOW, WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY, THE POST OFFICE HAS BEEN MECHANISED AND THE JOB OF A POSTMAN HAS BECOME EASIER.

/IN THE

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