§ MR. THEOBALD (Essex, Romford)I beg to ask the Postmaster General what is the cost incurred by keeping the Telegraph Office at Moorgate Street Buildings open from midnight Saturday lo midnight Sunday for the quarter ending 31st December, 1893; what proportion of this cost would be saved if the messages were sent out from the Central Telegraph Office, at which Office only can the public hand in messages; whether complaints have reached him that the majority of the messages delivered are retained for hours, so that no question of delay arises; and whether, having regard to the falling Telegraph Revenue, and the desirability of relieving Sunday labour, he will close the Telegraph Street Office on that, day?
§ * MR. A. MORLEYThe cost was about £70. It has been under consideration whether the Office might, be closed both all day on Sundays and at night on week days; and this course will be adopted if it appear that the public convenience will not suffer by the proposed change. I am not yet able to say what saving in expenditure can be effected. As to the retention of telegrams, firms in the City, as a rule, prefer that their telegrams should be retained by the 1443 Department, seeing that their offices are practically inaccessible during the night and on Sundays. In those cases where it is desired that telegrams should be delivered during the night and on Sundays care is taken to deliver the telegrams immediately on their arrival.