§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he will state the name of the American inventor whose post mark stamping machine was tried in the British Post Office for the impressing of the date, hour, and office of sorting; whether he saw it at work; whether it was the same which is now used in the chief American offices; and on whose report was it condemned as unsatisfactory; what is the amount of royalty, if any, paid for the use of the British post marking machine or implement now employed in the General Post Office and elsewhere; and, whether he will agree to the appointment of a Select Committee to investigate the working of the various machines?
§ * MR. HANBURYDuring the last few years trials have been made with several stamping machines of different types. The last one, of American origin, was submitted in 1893 by the International Postal Supply Company of New York. It was an improvement in some respects upon its predecessors, but in the judgment of the practical officers of the Department it was found open to several objections. It is believed that the late Postmaster General saw it at work. It may interest the hon. Member to know that the American machine which was found open to objection in the British Post Office, has now been disused in the Post Office of the United States. It is announced that another machine will shortly be submitted, which is stated to have already superseded the machine of 1893 in America. No royalty is paid for the use of any stamping machine or implements now employed in the Department. The Postmaster General does not think it necessary to appoint a Committee as suggested.