XN000022-1991-09-03 — Page 6

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1991

5

POST OFFICE GEARS UP FOR HARD WORK FOR ELECTIONS

IMAGINE A SCENE WHERE 3,000 MEN LIFTING 200 ELEPHANTS AND CARRYING THEM DOWN THE STREET.

RECORD.

YOU MAY WONDER IF THESE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO BREAK THE WORLD

A NEAR SCENARIO MAY BE WITNESSED IN HONG KONG IN THE COMING DAYS LEADING TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS ON SEPTEMBER 12 AND 15.

THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE TOUGH GUYS ARE THE POSTMEN AND "ELEPHANTS" ARE ELECTION PUBLICITY MATERIALS IN PIECES.

THE

AS A SOUPED-UP EFFORT OF THE GOVERNMENT TO PROMOTE THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS, THE POSTMEN WILL HAVE TO CARRY AN EXTRA LOAD OF 1.05 MILLION KILOGRAMS OF "ELECTION MESSAGES" TO BE DELIVERED TO THE 1.9 MILLION VOTERS IN THE RUN-UP TO THE ELECTIONS.

THIS LOAD IS EQUIVALENT IN WEIGHT TO 200 ELEPHANTS WEIGHING 5,000 KILOGRAMS AND 2.5 METRES IN HEIGHT.

WITH BACH

THE EXTRA LOAD IS ON TOP OF THE NORMAL 18-KILOGRAM STUFF THAT A POSTMAN HAS TO DELIVER EACH DAY.

MAILING

THE POST OFFICE ESTIMATED THAT THE NUMBER OF LETTERS SENT BY MILLION THE GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CANDIDATES WILL TOP 21

CAMPAIGN MATERIALS WHEN THE DEADLINE FOR THE SECOND FREE POSTING OF CLOSES TODAY (TUESDAY).

THE MATERIALS, WHEN PUT TOGETHER, COULD FILL THREE 10-HECTARE HONG KONG PARK.

IN TERMS OF WEIGHT, THE 21 MILLION LETTERS WILL AMOUNT TO MILLION KILOGRAMS IF EACH LETTER DOES REACH THE MAXIMUM GRAMS.

1.05 LIMIT OF 50

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AN ELECTION, TWO FREE POSTINGS ARE

SEND PROVIDED BY THE POST OFFICE TO HELP CANDIDATES

THEIR PERSONAL PROFILES AND ELECTION FORUMS TO VOTERS.

THERE WAS ONLY ONE FREE POSTING FOR CANDIDATES OF THE PREVIOUS

ELETIONS.

THE POST OFFICE RECEIVED 6.64 MILLION LETTERS FROM THE CANDIDATES IN THE FIRST POSTING WHICH ENDED ON AUGUST 21.

ASIDE

$2.17 MILLION TO THE REGULAR STAFF, THE HIRING OF 25

TO THE

THE FINANCE BRANCH HAD ALSO SET POST OFFICE FOR THE PAYMENT OF OVERTIME EMPLOYMENT OF 280 CASUAL STAFF FOR SORTING LETTERS AND EXTRA VEHICLES FOR MAIL CONVEYANCE.

/IN THE