§ MR ALFRED THOMAS (Glamorgan, E.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether, considering the fact that while the Post Office Insurance 1685 secures to its contributors for the same cost 50 per cent, more than the collecting Industrial Insurance Societies, the amount of premiums received by one of these Societies alone is annually 200 times greater than the amount received by the Post Office, he will cause to be posted in a conspicuous place in every Post Office in the Kingdom two separate notices in clear type, drawn up in simple easy language, setting forth the scale of Post Office insurance and also the scale of Post Office Pensions, so that persons desirous of making provision for old age can see at a glance the advantages of doing so through the Post Office.
§ * MR. RAIKESI am extremely anxious to make known as widely as possible the great advantages which the Post Office offers in some 9,000 towns and villages to persons who are desirous of making provision for old age by means of annuities and the system of insurance. Thousands of leaflets have been issued throughout the country with this object, and notices are furnished to every office. It is difficult to draw up in concise terms notices which will meet the large variety of cases, all differing in individual particulars, which must always exist in every community. Tables are given at page 399 of the Post Office Guide, to which I should like to draw the hon. Member's attention. I shall be glad if philanthropic persons would help in schools and parishes to impress upon those for whom these facilities are provided the wisdom of availing themselves of these opportunities. I may add that I have given instructions for the issue of a new notice calling attention to the subject.
§ * CAPTAIN VERNEY (Bucks, N.)Are postmasters permitted to act as agents for other Insurance Companies.
§ * MR. RAIKESI apprehend that no postmaster who gives the whole of his time to the service would be allowed to do so, and I do not think that any postmaster who has been appointed recently has been allowed to do so.
§ MR. BRADLAUGHSome evidence was given before the Select Committee on this subject, and I would ask the right hon. Gentleman to consider the possibility of giving some inducement to Postmasters and others in some places to collect insurances for the Post Office.
* MR. HARTLEY (Islington, N.)May I ask whether the system of Post Office Insurances and Annuities is not so complicated that it is impossible for a working man to understand the regulations?
§ * MR. RAIKESIn reply to the question of the hon. Member for Northampton, I may say that I have given great attention to the subject and shall be glad to do all in my power to effect an improvement in the present system. I am not prepared to endorse the objection of the hon. Member for North Islington (Mr. Bartley), although I think that the existing regulations might be improved.