ENG-1964 — Page 222

COMMUNICATIONS

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orders, postal orders and wireless licences is done at most of the offices in the Colony. There are also a number of special postal services used mainly by business houses, such as business reply, cash on delivery, private boxes, private bags and pre-paid postage services, including postage franking machines. There are two mail deliveries a day (excluding Sundays) in all but the most remote rural areas. In the more isolated parts, including most of the islands, mail is distributed by an authorized agent who is paid a monthly fee by the department.

A Postal Training School was opened during the year in order to train recruits in sorting office and counter duties.

Direct communication is maintained with as many foreign post offices as possible so that when there is sufficient correspondence, direct despatches can be made, thus speeding up the transmission of letters or parcels. The thousands of mail bags handled daily by the Post Office are conveyed to and from ships and across the harbour by launch. The train service between Kowloon and Lo Wu remains the main link for mails to and from the People's Republic of China.

A considerable amount of transit mail was received from various other countries for re-despatch to Indonesia during 1964. Prior to this these mails had travelled either in direct ships or via Singapore. A new service to Macau was introduced on 22nd April 1964 when the hydrofoils commenced carrying first class mails.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Telecommunications Division of the Post Office licenses and inspects installations, investigates interference and monitors trans- missions for compliance with the terms of licences. The division also acts as adviser to government departments on telecommunica- tion matters.

The shore-end of SEACOM, the South East Asia Common- wealth Cable, was received at Deep Water Bay in November. With COMPAC, the Commonwealth Pacific Cable, already in operation through Sydney, telegraph, telex and telephone services with the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada and the United States have very much improved. With the advent of SEACOM, it is expected that there will be a marked increase in the use of these services, especially telex and telephone.