§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, (1) what compensation or redress is allowed to the sender of a telegram when heavy loss follows its non-delivery or blunders in translation on the part of telegraph officials; (2) whether in the case of complaint No. 72,852, where serious notice has been taken of such an offence, the mere refund of the amount paid is the utmost satisfaction the sender of the telegram can legally claim; and (3) whether a sender of a telegram can by a small extra payment 395 insure its delivery, as in the case of a registered letter?
§ MR. HANBURYNo compensation or redress is allowed. The Postmaster General is not liable for any loss or damage which may be incurred by reason or on account of any mistake or default in the transmission or delivery of a telegram. Notice of this is given on the back of the telegram form used by the public, and also in the Post Office Guide. In the case referred to by the hon. Member, the sender of the telegram has no legal claim to the refundment of the amount paid for the telegram, but it is the practice of the Post Office to repay the amount in such cases, and that is the utmost the Department can do. The third paragraph of the hon. Member's Question is in the negative.
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSON (Manchester, N.E.)asked whether it was not the fact that, upon payment of a small extra sum, the sender of a telegram could have it repeated from the other end in order to see whether it had been correctly transmitted?
§ MR. HANBURYThat is so.