§ SIR JOHN LENGI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether an intimation recently made to the proprietors of the Sheffield newspaper that the main roads of Post Office telegraphs throughout the country have become so crowded that it is necessary to reserve the remaining space for the public wires, which will be required in the immediate future, has been made in view of the recent augmentation in the number of wires by the underground cable to Birmingham and the North; whether the further intimation of the Postmaster General that his inability to undertake the work will not prevent newspapers obtaining private wires through some other agency than the Post Office means that the Post Office has finally abandoned its claim to a monopoly of the telegraph service, and that it is now open to promoters to establish a special telegraph service for the newspaper press; and whether the statement in the "Post Office Guide," dated 1st July, that the Postmaster General undertakes the construction and maintenance, on rental terms, of private telegraph and telephone wires for firms or private individuals is now annulled, and firms or individuals connected with the press will be excluded from the rights or privileges common to all others.
§ MR. JAMES HOPE (Sheffield, Brightside)Before the hon. Gentleman answers, may I ask him whether he is aware that newspapers in Manchester and Leeds, 100 which compete with the Sheffield paper referred to already, enjoy the concession, asked for?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINIn the communication referred to the Postmaster General did take account of the fact that there is now an underground telegraph line between London and Birmingham, but the difficulty of finding routes for new wires has been only slightly lessened by this addition to the Post Office system. The Postmaster General has never claimed any monopoly of telegraphic communication, except that which was granted to him by Parliament in 1869, and the use of a private wire connecting premises belonging to the same person or firm for the transmission of telegrams relating to the business of the owner was not included in the monopoly. There is, therefore, no special reason why the Postmaster General should provide such telegraphs. A newspaper proprietor is at liberty to erect a telegraph of this kind for himself, or to have it erected and maintained by a private contractor; but he is not allowed to establish a telegraphic system for the general distribution of telegrams to the press. The statement in the "Post Office Guide" to the effect that the Postmaster General undertakes the construction and maintenance on rental terms of private telegraph and telephone wires is not to be regarded as annulled. It is expressly stated in the Guide that the rates quoted apply to wires of short length only. What the Postmaster General finds is that his power to provide long wires is limited by the physical difficulty of obtaining routes; and, in view of this difficulty, he deems it expedient to reserve the available routes for the public service, rather than allow them to be absorbed for private purposes. This is of special importance in view of the requirements of the telephone service, as long telephone trunk wires must necessarily be carried above ground. The Postmaster General still unde takes to provide short private wires. His inability to provide long wires does not apply only to wires for the Press, but to all wires of this character.
§ SIR JOHN LENGIs there any limit to the extension of the underground wire?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will communicate with me.
SIR HOWARD VINCENTAre the papers at liberty to make arrangements with railway companies to provide private wires, or has the Postmaster General a monopoly over the way-leaves?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINI should like to have notice of that.