§ MR JOHN WILSON (Falkirk Burghs)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, if he is aware that the Secretary at the General Post Office, Edinburgh, has called upon Mr. Keith, the Provost of Hamilton and a merchant there, to register an abbreviated telegraphic address or to request all his correspondents to make use in future of his full address, Keith, 84, Cadzow Street, Hamilton, and, failing his doing so, has intimated that instructions will be issued to the local postmaster not to deliver messages addressed to Keith, Hamilton; if he is aware that hitherto there has been no difficulty nor confusion in the delivery of telegrams so addressed, and therefore no necessity to interfere with the discretion of the local postmaster; and will he 1051 instruct the Secretary at Edinburgh to withdraw such orders or not to issue them, except in such cases where complaints have been made of telegrams being improperly delivered through insufficient address.
§ MR. HANBURYThe answer to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. The Post Office are of opinion that as there is more than one person of the name of Keith in Cadzow Street, Hamilton, it is necessary, whether or not there has been difficulty or confusion in the past, that every message should be fully addressed, as otherwise difficulty and confusion are likely at any time to occur, and an important telegram may get into wrong hands. The Postmaster-General does not see his way, therefore, to give the suggested instructions to the Secretary in Edinburgh.