§ MR. ALFRED THOMAS (Glamorgan, E.)asked the Postmaster General whether his attention has been called to the fact that traders can forward. samples of merchandize to their private customers at the pattern or sample rate of postage, but, upon the samples being returned to the trader by the customer, and bearing stamps of the same value that conveyed them in the first place, that the package is treated as a letter, letter rate is charged, and double the deficiency of the letter rate of postage is demanded when tendered back to the trader; and whether he can see his way to put an end to this difference of charge upon the same packages?
§ *THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. H. C. RAIKES,) Cambridge UniversityI think the hon. Member must be labouring under some misapprehension. Subject to certain necessary conditions, intended to show the bona fides of the transaction, patterns sent by tradesmen to their customers at the pattern rate of postage are entitled to pass at the same rate when returned. It is only when the conditions are not complied with that letter postage is charged. Complaints of such charge are, I am informed, extremely rare.