§ MR. OWEN (Cornwall, Launceston)I beg to ask the Postmaster General if he is aware that the mail bags for the important districts of Wadebridge, Pad-stow, St. Miniver, Endellion, Port Isaac, Skew, and Egloshayle are left at Bodmin Road waiting for the train more than two hours every week day, delaying delivery of letters until 9 to 10.30 a.m., while on Sundays (when not so much wanted) they are sent the short distance by mail cart and delivered much earlier; and if he will, in view of the immense boon it would confer on a great number of business people, have the same method for early delivery adopted for week days as now in force for Sundays?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. A. MORLEY,) Nottingham, E.The hon. Member is not quite correct in his facts. The night mails for Wadebridge, Padstow, &c, are left at Bodmin Road by the night mail train which arrives there at 5.34 a.m., and are immediately afterwards despatched by mail cart to Bodmin. Unfortunately they have to remain there 1 hour 25 minutes for the first train in the morning to Wadebridge, which does not leave until 7.55 a.m. On Sundays there is no train service, and the mails are accordingly sent the whole of the way to Wadebridge by road, and they arrive there nominally about half an hour earlier than on week-days. The service by train on week-days was, however, established in accordance with what was believed to be the general wish of the inhabitants of the district at the time. The most satisfactory way of dealing with the case would be to establish an early morning train from Bodmin Road to Wadebridge; this the Company 1904 have been unable to establish, except at a cost which the circumstances do not appear to warrant.