§ SIR EDWARD WATKINasked the Postmaster General, If M. Cochery, Minister of Posts and Telegraphs in France, has proposed to reduce the present tariff for telegraphic messages between England and France from 25 centimes a word to 20 centimes a word, as now in operation between France and Italy, and other European countries, and, whether he has given any answer to this proposal; and, if so, if he would state the nature of his reply?
§ MR. FAWCETTSir, communications have been received from M. Cochery, proposing that the word rate for telegrams between France and England should be reduced from 25 centimes to 20 centimes. As such a reduction, however, would affect the telegraph rates to other countries, it has been thought better to postpone the consideration of a reduction until the next Telegraph Conference, to be held at Berlin in 1885. As my hon. Friend makes a comparison between the telegraph rates between 523 France and Italy and France and England respectively, I may point out that as, in the former case, the service is entirely a land one, the additional cost involved in maintaining submarine cables is avoided.