PARCEL POST BILL.—(No. 223.) (Hansard, 10 August 1882)

LORD THURLOW,
in rising to move that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that it was one of great importance and utility. It was the full realization of a hope long deferred, and supplied a general want. It was the result of the negotiations of many years between the Post Office and Railway Companies, the satisfactory conclusion of which was entirely due to the energy and powers of persuasion of Mr. Fawcett, who had succeeded in convincing them that the new Service would entail no losses on their shareholders, but quite the contrary. Railways would be paid for conveyance of parcels eleven-twentieths of the gross receipts of Post Office parcels so conveyed, and would be at liberty to carry on independent parcel traffic as at present. A Parcel Post had long existed on the Continent, and worked well, parcels being sent from France to Turkey, or from Sweden to Spain for about 2s. On the Continent it was easy of introduction, the railways being so largely owned by, or under the control of, the State. In this country it was necessary to reason with each Company, and convince it that it was ultimately for its advantage to adopt the new scheme. The details of the measure were not so simple as might be imagined, and required the creation of a good deal of machinery, which would probably delay the operation of the Bill till the beginning of next year. The weights and rates fixed in the Bill were subject to revision by the Post Office, as experience or public convenience might dictate; but in the event of any such revision the remuneration to Railway Companies would also be revised. Where agreements could not be arrived at, resort would be had to arbitration as provided in the Bill. These provisions would remain in force for 21 years after coming into operation, and would be renewed from time to time like other postal contracts. The Bill would enable this country at last to participate in all the benefits of the Universal Postal Union, and to join the Parcel Post Convention of Paris, of 1347 November, 1880. It would, no doubt, shortly become international, and we should be able to send parcels of 6 lb. to Paris for 2s. In this view the Bill empowered the Treasury to frame special Customs' enactments from time to time for such foreign parcels, and even to exempt them from duties, or to empower Post Office agents to act as Customs' officers in respect of such parcels. These three Schedules attached to the Bill showed its scope at a glance. The first was a list of Railway Companies, which had become parties to the arrangement. The second gave the weights and rates as fixed in the Bill for inland or home parcels—namely, under 1 lb. 3d., under 3 lb. 6d., under 5 lb. 9d., and under7 lb. 1s. The 3rd Schedule provided for the apportioning of remuneration among the various railways to be fixed by the Railway Clearing House Committee. Sundry other details remained for consideration, such as the bulk of the parcels of each weight, but were left for subsequent decision. The noble Lord concluded by moving the second reading of the Bill.

LORD BALFOUR
wished to know what effect the Bill would have upon the large Parcels Delivery Companies which were doing so useful a work at present. These Companies had expended large sums of money, and if they were to be subjected to the competition of a gigantic Public Department, with public funds at their back, and with special facilities granted by Act of Parliament to Railway Companies, it would be a very serious thing for them. The question he would like to ask was, whether Her Majesty's Government had considered the advisability of making any compensation to the managers or proprietors of these enterprizes; and, if not, whether they would object to the insertion of a clause which would give to these Companies the same facilities in regard to Railway Companies as the Government had taken to themselves? It seemed to him that in common fairness one or the other of these courses ought to be adopted. No doubt, the establishment of a Parcel Post would be a very great advantage to the community, even if some people might suffer in consequence; but it did seem to him 1348 that as the public were to get a very great convenience, that convenience should be obtained with as little hardship as possible to the Parcel Companies affected by the competition.

LORD THURLOW
said, he was not authorized to make any statement in reply to the noble Lord's questions; but he would inform himself on the subject before Committee stage, in order that the points raised might then be dealt with. He believed, however, that the Postmaster General had taken the matter into consideration, and was of opinion that no real interests would be affected by the Bill, and that the great development of traffic which would take place would be for the benefit of all concerned.