Post_Office_1956-1957 — Page 8

items. The current tendency to switch from surface to airmail still continues.

18. There was some improvement in the number of undeliver- ed letters referred to the Dead Letter Office which showed a reduction of 5% to 344,850. The number is, however, still too high although a further improvement can be expected with the stepping up of resettlement and housing schemes.

Surface Mails

19. The Suez incident seriously disrupted many of our major despatch routes and every effort was made to avoid the additional delay occasioned by re-routing of ships via the Cape. Frequent use was made of the Gulf Ports and overland route to the Mediterranean areas with success. The service to Egypt was closed on 1st November, 1956, but was re-opened via Italy on 27th December, 1956.

20. Closed direct despatches were inaugurated for the first time with such widely diverse places as Gilbert & Ellice Islands, Hanoi, Brazil, Indonesia, Iraq, Venezuela, Argentine, Nauru, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Nyasaland, Pretoria, Germany, Madras, Delhi, Phnompenh and Seoul.

21. The service to North Vietnam was re-opened on 25th February, 1957, but was restricted to unregistered mail.

22. Violation of parcel despatches continued, no less than 13 cases having occurred during the year. It is regrettable that the major cases occur on the Pacific routes.

23. 8 Bags of parcel mail despatched on 9th June, 1956, by Japanese vessel to Accra were stolen whilst the vessel lay off Dawes Island, Nigeria.

China Mails

24. There is no change in the circulation of mails for the China Mainland, the Railway continuing as the main medium. 25. The advent of airmail for China, which circulates by surface transport between Kowloon and Canton, coupled with the re-opening of services to North Vietnam via Canton, in- creased traffic with China to 94,490 bags, an increase of 5% over 1955/56.

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