§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, having regard to the fact that depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank, three-fourths of whom are said to consist of the working classes, spent during the year 1898 nearly £10,000 in telegraphing to the head office in order to secure speedy payment of withdrawals rather than await correspondence by post, will he consider the expediency of enabling the Postmaster-General to issue to depositors in the Savings Bank, at a charge of 1s., commission books containing eight withdrawal orders, under which fixed sums of 10s., 15s., £1, or £2 may be withdrawn by the depositor on demand at any savings bank post-office in the kingdom on production of the deposit book and the usual evidence of identity.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI believe that this question has been answered four or five times. I have nothing to add to the answers given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and others on the subject. I think if the hon. Member will refer to the replies given on February 21, 1896, April 6, 1897, May 4, 1897, and May 24, 1898, he will find full material.
§ MR. WEIRYes, but matters have materially changed since that date, and the working classes have to pay a much larger sum now for telegraphic withdrawals.