§ MR. M'GOVERN (Cavan, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that the Post Office authorities in the year 1892 offered to pay the Cavan and Leitrim Railway Company parcel rates for conveying the day mails over its line, and seeing that the Post Office is at present paying this company for carrying the mails a distance of 96 miles each day the sum of £30 a year, while this company would be entitled to a sum of £71 17s. 3d. for conveying the mails during the year 1900 if it were allowed parcel rates, whether he can state what objection the Post Office has to carry out the offer made in 1892 to give parcel rates for the conveyance of these mails.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINWith the view of arriving at a settlement of an outstanding question it was suggested to the Cavan and Leitrim Railway Company in 1891 that payment should be made to them for the conveyance of four mail bags at ordinary parcel rates, but that offer was refused. The Postmaster General does not now consider that he would be justified in paying at those rates for the conveyance of mail bags, having regard to the fact that the work performed by the company in respect of the conveyance of mail bags is very much less than in respect of parcels. Although the Postmaster General does not quite accept the company's estimate as to the extent of the service now performed by them, he has offered to increase the present payment 962 of £30 a year to £40 a year. He does not consider that any higher payment would be warranted.