§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Postmaster General, Whether it is in conformity with the rules of the Postal Telegraphs Department that a telegram from one part of London to another, handed in at a quarter-past eight o'clock on Sunday evening at a Telegraph Office announced to be always open, was only 1609 delivered towards two o'clock on Monday morning; and, whether he will take into consideration the propriety of increasing the facilities for telegraphic communication in London on Sundays?
§ MR. FAWCETT, in reply, said, that if the hon. Member furnished him with the name of the particular office at which the message was handed in, and that of the office to which it was addressed, he would take steps to have the message traced, and to discover, if possible, with whom the responsibility for the delay rested. It was not in conformity with the rules of the Department that a telegram from one part of London, handed in at a quarter-past 8 o'clock on Sunday evening at a telegraph office, should not be delivered until 2 o'clock on Monday morning. "With regard to giving greater facilities for telegraphing on Sundays, he found that 39 offices were open from 8 o'clock A.M. until 8 o'clock P.M., seven from 8 o'clock in the evening until 11 o'clock, and five all night. During the last month 2,680 messages had been despatched in London on Sundays, giving an average of 670 for each Sunday, or 17 per office per Sunday. Between 6 o'clock in the evening and 12 at night only 27 messages were despatched on Sundays, giving an average of somewhat less than one message for each office during those hours. It did not appear to him, therefore, that any further facilities for sending Sunday telegrams in Loudon were required.
§ MR. O'DONNELLasked if there was not reason to believe that paucity of messages sent on Sundays between 6 and 12 o'clock was attributable to the general belief in the irregularity of the delivery during the hours named.
§ MR. FAWCETTI do not believe there is any such general belief; and if there were, I think it will be dispelled by the Question put by the hon. Member and the answer which I have been able to give to it.