§ MR. JOHN DEWARI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the Postmaster General has received a communication from a public meeting, recently held at Stockinish, Harris, the necessity for a mail steamer service between Loch Stockinish and the mainland; and will the Postmaster General consider the expediency of establishing the proposed service, especially in view of the fact that it would not only expedite the delivery of letters for Stockinish, but would also materially assist the conduct of the postal service for the fourteen townships between Scadabay and Flodibay, Harris.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe Postmaster General has received the extract forwarded by the hon. Member from a letter relative to a public meeting recently held in Stockinish, Harris, at which a resolution was adopted as to the 224 desirability of arranging for a mail steamer to call at Loch Stockinish. He is not sanguine that such a service could be established, as when the question was last considered, in 1897, it was found that if the Portree and Dunvegan steamer called at Loch Stockinish the arrival of mails at places beyond would be delayed, and also that the contractor objected to make the call on the ground that the entrance to Loch Stockinish was dangerous. The Postmaster General will, however, make further inquiry in the matter, and communicate the result to the hon. Member.