HC Deb 31 March 1898 vol 55 cc1483-4
MR. W. F. LAWRENCE (Liverpool, Abercromby)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether his attention has been drawn to the frequent occurrence in the United States of letters addressed to be sent by the English lines being sent by the American line, with the result of a loss of time amounting at times to four days; and, whether he purposes to draw the attention of the American authorities to the inconvenience entailed on the business community by the practice?

MR. HANBURY

I stated last Friday, in reply to the hon. Member for Kilkenny, that the practice of the United States Post Office is understood to be the same as that of the British Post Office—namely, to send letters by any route for which they are specially directed. Cases occasionally occur in which by accident the direction is ignored. When such cases have been brought before the Postmaster General's notice, he has called the attention of the United States Post Office to them, and he will continue to do so.