§ SIR JOHN LENG (Dundee)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, (1) whether when a house is situated a few yards beyond the three-miles' limit, within which all charges for the delivery of telegrams are abolished, the recipient of a telegram is properly charged 3d. per mile for four miles; (2) whether it was the intention of the Government in abolishing the charges within the three miles to count the surcharge over them into the fourth mile; and (3) whether consideration will be given to the propriety of making the surcharge for delivery begin from the three-mile limit?
§ MR. HANBURYThe answer to the first two questions of the hon. Member is in the affirmative. In charging from the office door, in the case of telegrams delivered at a distance exceeding three miles, the Department is following the practice which previously obtained in the case of telegrams delivered by man and horse. There has already been a liberal extension of the area of 1588 free delivery, and before any further concession can be made in the direction indicated by the hon. Member it will be necessary to see what is the effect upon the revenue of the changes already made.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis), asked why they had adopted the practice that had previously obtained in the case of telegrams delivered by man and horse.
§ MR. HANBURYWell, I believe that the idea is that most of the telegrams that have to be delivered beyond the three-mile limit will have to be sent by man and horse.