HC Deb 26 March 1886 vol 304 c29
MR. GENT-DAVIS (Lambeth, Kennington)

asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether the Telegraph Department have refused to continue the registered telegraphic address "Cotton-bag," adopted by Messrs. J. and W. Judge, of Kennington, some years ago, and selected by the Post Office at the time as being a suitable one for them, and if the refusal is solely on the ground that it is a double word, and "might" cause difficulties in transmission; whether the Department has given this firm two months summary notice to discontinue the address, putting them to considerable inconvenience and expense, advising correspondents, renewing stationery, &c.; and, if there is any instance where this anticipated difficulty has occurred with the address in question, and is it a fact that a large number of commercial houses in London are at the present time using double words?

THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HENRY H. FOWLER) (Wolverhampton, E.)

, in reply, said, the address referred to was registered before addresses of telegrams were charged for, and now there were frequent disputes as to whether it was one word or two. Consequently, the Postmaster General had given notice that the word must be changed, but was willing to allow a sufficient interval to elapse to prevent inconvenience.