HC Deb 11 December 1893 vol 19 c1017
SIR F. DIXON-HARTLAND (Middlesex, Uxbridge)

I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he is aware of the great risk and inconvenience caused by the permission to post circulars, &c, in open envelopes and the large number of letters that thus get wrongly delivered and destroyed; and whether he will in future insist that all such envelopes shall have such fastening as will prevent such inconvenience?

THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. A. MORLEY, Nottingham, E.)

The hon. Member will bear in mind that the innovation referred to was long pressed upon the Department, and there is no doubt that there is an attendant risk and inconvenience such as that to which he alludes; but very few complaints have reached the Department, and I fear there is no way of giving practical effect to the suggestion made in the last paragraph of the question.

SIR F. DIXON-HARTLAND

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider as to having these envelopes open at the side instead of at the top?—other letters would not drop in so easily then.

MR. A. MORLEY

I am afraid that would not be of much advantage. The coverings are of all shapes and sizes, and what is called the top of one might be called the side of another.