Post_Office_1965-1966 — Page 10

pared with 1964-65 and an increase of $319,879.70 in the value handled by this service.

29. A total of 1,183,484 Postal Orders were issued and cashed representing $56,093,926.48. This compares with a preceding year's total of 1,225,660 Orders worth $51,142,503.35. The trend over the past two years was thus continued; the number of orders decreasing, though to a lesser extent, whilst the value of the remittances further increased. A large proportion of these remittances continues to be sent by emigrants in Great Britain to their families in the New Territories.

30. The combined postal remittance services therefore covered a total sum of $60,994,672.78, an increase of $5,271,302.83 over the previous year.

31. Commission earned from these services totalled $197,883.76, an increase of $8,228.85 over the 1964-65 figure.

Stamp Vendors

32. A total of 402 stamp vendor permits were in force at the end of the year, an increase of 24 in the number of premises licensed to sell postage stamps and air letters.

Stamps

33. Three special issues of stamps were released during the year:

Release date

17th May, 1965

Issue

Values

Sale Period

International Telecommuni- cations Union Centenary

10%, 50¢

One month

25th October, 1965

24th January, 1966

United Nations Inter- national Co-operation Year 'Sir Winston CHURCHILL' Commemoratives

10%, 50¢

One month

10¢, 50e,

2-3 months

$1.30, $2

34. Official First Day Covers for each issue were placed on sale at all post offices a few days before the stamps were released. 49,830 covers were sold for the International Telecommunications Union Centenary issue, 59,690 for the U.N. International Co-operation Year issue and 81,950 for the issue commemorating Sir Winston CHURCHILL.

35. A further First Day Cover was issued for British Week in Hong Kong (3rd-12th March, 1966) and a total of 20,000 covers were sold at the central post offices.

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