§ SIR GEORGE BADEN-POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether his attention has been called to the inconvenience and expense, falling chiefly on the poorer classes, of the regulations at present in force in regard to postal orders; and whether he can arrange that any sum not exceeding £1 can be transmitted at a uniform poundage, no extra charge being made when more than one postal order is required to make up the amount?
§ MR. A. MORLEYThe point raised by the hon. Member is not so easy to arrange as might be supposed. There are now 14 denominations of orders which were arranged with great care, keeping two objects in view—1st, to keep the poundage low; 2nd, to give as many denominations as could be offered at the low price. Every additional denomination increases the working expenses. The hon. Member suggests that two orders should be sold at the price of one, in certain cases, but this proposal would admit of abuse, as orders so obtained might then be used singly without any poundage having been paid upon them. An uniform poundage could not be given without increase in the charge for the two smallest denominations, which represent nearly 7,000,000 of orders per year.