§ MR. FORWOOD (Lancashire, Ormskirk)asked the Secretary to the Trea 1799 sury, Whether the Postmaster General has been able to relax the instructions given to postmasters not to deliver telegrams for the delivery of which a reference to a directory is required, so far as to allow such search being made in cases where the senders have evidently done their best to give a full address?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HENRY H. FOWLER) (Wolverhampton, E.)In reply to the hon. Member, I will read a copy of an Instruction which the Postmaster General has caused to be issued for the guidance of officers of the Department—
The Postmaster General has had his attention called to certain cases in which, although the addresses were incomplete, the senders had evidently made no attempt at curtailment, and had done their best to give a sufficient address. His Lordship considers that a distinction ought to be made between cases of this kind and cases in which the addresses had evidently been cut down with the view of saving expense; and he desires that the responsible officers at the various telegraph offices throughout the country will endeavour to seeure the delivery of telegrams of the former class, even although this should involve a reference to directories. It may be somewhat difficult to distinguish in all cases between the one class of incomplete addresses and the other; but where a doubt arises the public mind should be given the benefit of the doubt, the message being delivered and the case reported to headquarters.