Post_Office_1967-1968 — Page 17

Private Boxes

65. A total of 18,835 boxes were available to the public at the end of the year of which 13,639 were rented. Additional boxes provided during the year totalled 4,770.

Temporary Post Offices

66. A temporary post office was set up in the Silver Jubilee Exhibi- tion of the Chinese Manufacturers Association at Hung Hom from 5th December, 1967 to 9th January, 1968.

67. A mobile office was sent to Tai Po daily for the period 18th to 29th January to serve in extension of the Tai Po Post Office to meet the pressure of postal order encashment there prior to the Lunar New Year.

Service Interruption and Mail Losses

68. Because of the loyal and determined efforts of the majority of the staff, the postal services were at no time seriously disrupted during the civil disturbances 1967.

69. Surface mail despatches from Hong Kong to France, Switzerland and Italy which were forwarded in the s.s. 'Nippon' on 20th May, 1967 remain on that vessel which is still detained in the Suez Canal and is unable to move her cargo.

70. Air mails to and from Hong Kong were on board two aircraft which crashed near Kai Tak during the year. On 30th June inward flight TG601 bringing mails from Taiwan crashed into the sea before reaching the runway, and on 5th November on outward flight CX633 for Calcutta crashed on take off. The major part of the mails were salvaged from these aircraft and were delivered.

71. Surface mail which reached Hong Kong from Canada on 17th July was involved in a fire on board s.s. ‘Oronsay' during the voyage from Japan. A number of bags had been totally destroyed, but 190 bags, more than half of the mail, were salvaged and most of the cor- respondence, though soaked and damaged, proved deliverable.

72. Surface mails and air mails to and from Australia were affected by a postal strike in that country from 10th to 22nd January. Outward mails from Hong Kong continued to be despatched but incoming services were interrupted.

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