Post_Office_1972-1973 — Page 14

However, owing to the very small amount of business done it was withdrawn from service on 30th September, 1972.

42. As a result of the very severe rainstorms which occurred during the period 16th - 18th June, 1972, the delivery service to certain premises was suspended because of landslides, closing of roads, and the declaration of buildings as dangerous by the Authorities. Despite considerable difficulties in contacting the addressees who had evac- uated their premises much correspondence was successfully delivered.

Overseas Services

43. The routings of air and surface mails to overseas countries were kept under constant review to make optimum use of the airline and shipping services available.

44. Additional direct despatches were received from the following post offices during the year:

Letter Mail (Air)

Seychelles.

Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Carrasco, Uruguay.

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

Letter Mail (Surface)

Santos, Brazil.

45. Letter mail traffic to other countries showed a decline of 5.1% from 83.7 million in 1971-72 to 79.4 million in 1972-73.

46. The most noticeable decline was in air mail letter traffic to other countries, which was estimated at 44.6 million items as compared with 49.3 million in 1971-72. Part of this decline is believed to be due to an illegal practice which has grown up of despatching letter mail overseas by air freight in contravention of the Post Office Ordin- ance. Three prosecution cases resulted from these activities during the year under review.

47. Surface letter mail to other countries (including small packet traffic) rose from an estimated 34.4 million to 34.8 million. That an increase at all was recorded was largely due to a marked rise in the number of small packets despatched to the People's Republic of China, which totalled some 5.8 million compared with 4.9 million last year.

00