Post_Office_1962-1963 — Page 14

Services to other Departments

40. The estimated value of free postal facilities allowed to other Government bodies was $1,013,000 as against $932,188 for the previous year. Maintenance of electronic equipment and collection of cash for other departments continued at much the same level.

POSTAL SERVICES

41. Considerable increases were observed in most categories of postal articles handled.

42. The total number of letters and packets posted and delivered, excluding parcel, registered and insured items, reached a new peak total of 204,604,030, an increase of more than 13% over the previous year. This figure does not include an estimated 12,040,130 small packets despatched to China during the year.

43. Letter and packet mail delivered amounted to an estimated 106,802,680 items, an increase of 16%.

44. The number of undeliverable letters disposed of by the Dead Letter Office again increased, the total being 1,290,042.

45. The routings of both air and surface mail to destinations over- seas were kept under constant review to ensure that the greatest expedi- tion combined with economy of operation was achieved.

Surface Letter Mails

46. New direct surface letter despatches were introduced to the following places during the year as more traffic and suitable shipping outlets became available:

Office of Exchange

Freetown

Douala

Auckland and Christchurch

Country Sierra Leone

Cameroun Republic New Zealand

47. Inward despatches were received for the first time from Managua, Caracas, Barquisemeto and Honiara.

Air Mail

48. An estimated 22,442,140 air mail items were posted during the year exceeding the previous year's total by over 34 million items. Letters and cards comprised the bulk of this mail but an interesting feature was the greater use of air mail for printed papers as evidenced

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