§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether heavy subsidies are paid by this country and by the Canadian Government to the owners of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company's Royal Mail steamships, in order to maintain direct sea communication between China and Vancouver; whether he is aware the officials of the British post offices at Shanghai and the other Chinese Treaty Ports refuse nevertheless to send parcels to the Dominion by the Canadian Pacific Mail, and insist on forwarding them to Canada viâ, London, 12,000 miles further; and whether he will order that in future there shall be an exchange of parcels direct by means of the Canadian Pacific Mail?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. A. MORLEY,) Nottingham, E.The Canadian Pacific Railway Company receives a subsidy for the conveyance of mails, troops, and stores between Canada and Hong Kong viâ Vancouver and Shanghai. To this subsidy the Canadian Government contributes. It is true that parcels for Canada from Hong Kong and from the Agencies of the Hong Kong Post Office at Shanghai and other ports in China, are sent by way of London. But the British Post Office has heard 288 nothing of the refusals and insistences referred to. If the Canadian and Hong Kong Post Offices desired an exchange of parcel mails by the Canadian Pacific steamer, I should place no obstacles in the way.