§ MR. P. O'BRIEN (Monaghan, N.)asked the Postmaster General, Whether the inhabitants of Smithsboro', County Monaghan, some time since applied by Memorial to the Secretary of the General Post Office, Dublin, requesting him to have the post office in that town created a telegraph office, and offering to guarantee the sum of £30 for the purpose, and also to defray the cost of working for one year, the telegraph service to be withdrawn at the expiration of that time if it were found that it did not pay the Post Office to maintain it; whether the Secretary refused to accede to this request by insisting that a seven years' guarantee should be given, and if there is any precedent for making such a demand; whether he is aware that Smithsboro' is a Provincial trading town of considerable trading importance, and is situated on the main line of Railway between Clones and Belfast, and that the post office is only 25 perches distant from the Railway Station, by which several telegraph lines pass, and consequently that the cost of extension would be but trifling; and, whether he will be good enough to have inquiries instituted as to the creating of Smithsboro' Post Office a telegraph office, and if a guarantee is deemed necessary to accept it for one year?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES) (Cambridge University)In reply to the hon. Member, I have to state that about two years ago an application was received for a telegraph office at Smithsboro', and, after some correspondence, it was arranged that two of the residents should enter into a guarantee of £30 a-year for seven years. On a draft agreement, however, being sent for approval, the intending guarantors withdrew from their undertaking —partly on the ground that a reduction had been made in the charge for tele- 938 grams, and partly because, on examining the draft agreement, they found that they would not be credited with the value of messages addressed to Smithsboro'. They were of opinion that the guarantee would prove too onerous; but I cannot find that there was any question as to the period of the guarantee, or any suggestion that the telegraph service should be withdrawn at the end of a year. Guarantees are invariably for seven years, and there is no precedent for a guarantee of one year. A guarantee for seven years is calculated so as to secure to the Department the repayment within the term of the capital expenditure as well as of the working expenses; and it is obvious that if the telegraph office were withdrawn at the end of one year the Department would not secure the repayment of the capital. The neighbouring wires, to which the hon. Member refers, would not be used for the purpose of serving a telegraph office at Smithsboro'. It would be necessary to erect a now wire from Clones. A considerable period having elapsed since the last inquiries were made I shall be very glad to call for further Reports, and I will in due course acquaint the hon. Member with the result.