§ MR. E. CREAN (Queen's County, Ossory)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether it would be possible to have the mails on their arrival at Abbeyleix, Queen's County, at 8.25 a.m., immediately forwarded to Ballinakill, as the present delay of over three hours 23 causes great inconvenience to people leaving by the 10.14 a.m. train from Abbeyleix, before the delivery of the mails under existing arrangements?
§ MR. HANBURYThe day mail, which arrives at Abbeyleix at 8.25 a.m., reaches the post office at 8.35 a.m., and the postman is dispatched at 9.40 a.m. for Ballinakill, where he is due at 11.20 a.m. He cannot leave earlier because he has other duties to perform. To admit of the interval of 1 hour 5 minutes between the arrival of the mails and the departure for Ballinakill being reduced, it would be necessary to employ another person, and this would involve additional expense. At the best the interval could not be reduced by more than about 40 or 45 minutes, which would apparently be of no use for the purpose indicated by the hon. Member. The day mail service to Ballinakill, which was recently accelerated by upwards of two hours, is now carried on at a loss, and any further expense would not be justified.