§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he is aware that the American Post Office has adopted a system of conveying letters enclosed in a 1468 tube between New York and Brooklyn by means of a miniature electric tramway, on which the waggonettes convey 3,000 letters each, and it is found that there is no possibility of their leaving the line or of a dislocation of the machinery; that this system has proved to be incomparably more rapid than any other yet devised, the working expenses' being very small; and whether he will obtain Reports as to the practicability of its adoption between the General Post Office and the various Metropolitan Railway Stations, and ultimately in and between our great towns; as, for instance, between London and Manchester, Manchester and Salford, Manchester and. Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh,. Glasgow and Belfast, Dublin and Belfast, Belfast and Londonderry, Dublin and Cork, and Dover and Calais?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. A. MORLEY,) Nottingham, E.I have seen an account in The Electrical World of what is called the "Port-electric" system of transportation to which the hon. Member probably refers. I have no information as to how far it has been adopted by the American Post Office, or as to whether it would be suitable to this country. Mr. Preece, the Engineer-in-Chief and Electrician to the General Post Office, is going to visit the United States this autumn, and I have requested him to examine and report upon the system.