§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, 173 whether he is aware that telegrams are now delivered free of porterage if within three miles of the telegraph office, but if the residence of the addressee is over three miles then a charge is made of 3d. a note from the telegraph office door, so that a person living three miles and a quarter will have to pay 1s. porterage for the telegram; whether, under the old regulations, the charge for porterage was only made from the boundary of free delivery; and, whether, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that all persons living within the three-mile radius shall have their telegrams free, he can see his way to charging 3d. a mile for every mile beyond three miles, that is the boundary of free delivery; if not, whether he will permit persons living slightly beyond the three-mile radius to have their telegrams brought by their own servants messengers front the boundary of the three-mile radius?
§ MR. HANBURYThe hon. Member correctly describes the present rule. Under the old regulations the charge for porterage beyond three miles was reckoned frown the terminal telegraph office when the delivery was effected by horse messenger. It was only when a foot or cycle messenger was employed that the charge was made from the boundary of the free delivery. There has already been a liberal extension of the area of free delivery, and before any further extension can be made in the direction indicated by hon. Member it will be necessary to see what is the effect upon the revenue of the changes already made. Telegrams have hitherto sometimes been delivered at a house on the way to save porterage; and the Postmaster General would be prepared to consider any further eases in which such an arrangement might conveniently be adopted. Probably this would meet the cases indicated in the latter part of the hon. Member's Question.