§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, with reference to the theft of letters from pillar-boxes, which had induced the postal officials to place a notice on every pillar-box, warning the public against posting anything of value in it, whether the Department is aware that a large 795 number of inventions have been brought out for effectually checking such thefts, many of them of cheap construction and thoroughly efficient for the purpose in view, and that the German Government has adopted one of these mechanical checks to its pillar-boxes; and whether he will personally examine these inventions, with a view to the adoption of that which may prove to be the best?
§ * MR. HANBURYIn reply to the hon. Member, I have to inform him that thefts from street letter-boxes are very rare. A great many devices of the character alluded to in the question have been examined by the Post Office, but so far none of them have proved free from objection. I may add that at the present time a contrivance is being tested. The hon. Member is mistaken as to the meaning of the warning to which he refers. It is obvious that its intention is to oblige individuals to take letters containing value to a proper office to be registered. ["Hear, hear!"]