§ *SIR EDGAR VINCENT (Exeter)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he can inform the House of the average time of transmission of telegrams between London and New York, London and Paris, and London and Berlin.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe Postmaster General is not in a position to give the time of transmission of telegrams to New York, as the business is in the hands of the companies. As to the time between London and Paris and London and Berlin, he has had the telegrams of the 26th examined. The wires on that day were working well, and he finds that for the twenty-four hours the average time from the handing in of the messages at the counter to their receipt at the place of destination was thirty-two minutes in the case of Paris and thirty-five in the case of Berlin. In the busiest hours the time was longer, especially in the case of Berlin, where, however, he hopes to improve matters by the laying of an additional cable which is now being manufactured.