§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that recent instructions have been issued to telegraph masters and those in charge of telegraph offices to charge "M.P." as two words but "p.m." as one word, although the practice has been to charge "M.P." as one word; whether he is aware that "steamship" is charged as one word but "s.s." as two words, that "Saint Peter" is charged as two words but "St. Peter" as one word in inland telegrams, and that "St. Cloud" is charged as two words in foreign telegrams but "Saint Cloud" is charged as one word in foreign telegrams; and whether he will permit "Charing Cross" to go as one word in inland telegrams.
§ MR. HANBURYAll combinations of letters which are in the nature of cipher are now charged for at the rate of five letters to a word. In the case of all other letters not being words in any European language or in Latin each letter is charged for. M.P. is treated in precisely the same way as K.C.B., G.C.M.G., etc. The answer to the second paragraph is yes, and to the third no.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)Does the Postmaster General mean to imply that a Member of Parliament is only a cipher?
§ MR. HANBURYNo; it is because he is not a cipher that he is charged the ordinary rate.