Post_Office_1957-1958 — Page 14

countries via London or elsewhere. The formation of direct despatches has resulted in accelerated transmission.

32. Direct closed surface despatches to Cambodia and Laos were also inaugurated in February, 1958.

33. Examination of sea mails received at Hong Kong showed a noticeable increase in the number of violations of parcel mails, the major proportion of which occurred on the Pacific routes. There were no violations of mails shipped from Hong Kong, and a very strict control continues to be maintained on the stowage of mails loaded by the Hong Kong Post Office.

34. The bridge conveyor across Connaught Road continued to provide an efficient means of loading and unloading mails. With the addition of internal chutes which were constructed in the General Post Office building, mails loaded into slings in the mail lighters were mechanically handled until they reached the sorting office on the ground floor or the transit room in the basement.

AIR MAILS

35. Airmail services continued to expand and the estimated number of items posted showed a record number at 14,891,674 as compared with 14,616,208 in 1956/57.

36. Direct air despatches were introduced to Darwin, Laos and Cambodia.

CHINA MAILS

37. The Railway remained as the main medium for the circulation of mails to and from the China Mainland and the number of bags handled exceeded 100,000, the actual number being 100,028. This showed an increase of 5,538 over the number handled in 1956/57.

38. The Canton/Hong Kong route is still extensively used by the U.S.S.R. as a main outlet for all destinations in the Far East. 75,468 bags were received in transit as compared with 70,972 bags in 1956/57, showing an increase of 4,496 bags.

PARCEL POST

39. There was a decrease in the number of surface parcels posted to most destinations, the figure of 723,536 being 16,250 below that for 1956/57.

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