§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that it would afford considerable relief to people in this country if he could see his way to admit as one word in telegrams the name of each and every place in this country, and no longer punish those whose correspondents live in the neighbourhood of Charing Cross, Tyne Dock, Hyde Park, and such other places, by having to pay for two or three words for the name of the locality; whether he can state the estimated revenue derived by charging the names of places as two words; and whether he can state the amount of revenue derived from registered addresses, and the number of persons who now pay £1 1s. a year each for the privilege.
§ MR. HANBURYThe Postmaster General is aware that some relief would be afforded to people in this country if he were to do what the hon. Member advocates in his question, but he does not see his way to make further exceptions to the rule under which every separate word in a telegram is charged for. The estimated revenue derived from charging the names of parts of towns as two words rather than as one word is £4,500 a year, but any alteration in this direction would involve further concessions the cost of which would entail a serious sacrifice of revenue. There are some 58,000 registered addresses, the fees of which amount to £61,000 a year.