§ MR. ANGUS SUTHERLAND (Sutherland)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether, seeing the Highland Railway Company have now expressed their readiness to continue the letter-sorting carriage at present stopping short at Tain on to Helmsdale without additional charge to the Post Office, and seeing this can be done without interference with or prejudice to the general re-arrangements of the mail service in the North of Scotland now under the consideration of his Department, he will without delay give effect to the improvement by ordering the sorting 337 clerks to continue their duties on to Helmsdale?
§ * THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES,) Cambridge UniversityIt is true that the Highland Railway Company have liberally offered to extend as far as Helmsdale, without charge, the journey of the letter-sorting carriage which is now detached from the down day mail traim at Tain, thus increasing the daily journey by 113 train miles. The employment, however, of the requisite sorting force would throw extra expense on the Post Office, and the number of letters which would be benefited is very small. I will consider whether, under these circumstances, I shall be justified in accepting the company's offer.