million pieces of mail each year.

Postmaster General Clevelyn Crichlow this week said increasing public awareness of this and other facts about "that great institution, the post'' was the goal of Post Office Awareness Week which began on Monday.

The General Post Office has opened its doors to let the public look behind the scenes of an institution "which has singularly been the greatest impetus for development, socially and economically, over the centuries'', said Mr.

Crichlow.

"It is a time when we let the public know that the telegraph did not make us obsolete, the telephone did not make us obsolete, and neither will e-mail, IBC, Federal Express and a host of other competitors make us lay down and expire.'' He noted that the Post Office was not without its problems, but remarked how the public attacked its inefficiency when a letter was late.

"The Bermuda Post Office handles some 25 million pieces of mail every year and unfortunately a small proportion of that mail will reach its destination late, or even worse, be lost,'' Mr. Crichlow said.

"Postmen get sick and relief postmen also get sick. Cycles and transport vehicles breakdown. Aeroplanes do not fly at times or, at times, bump our mail or drop it off to the wrong destination.

"For any number of reasons, our delivery objectives may be compromised or stymied. However, we make no excuses.

"We will soldier on, trying to do the job the best we can with the resources at hand.

"Our motto, to go the extra mile to be pleasant and respectful to all of our customers, to sort the mail accurately and efficiently, to deliver your mail on time, is still the motto we ascribe to and try to live up to.''