§ MR. THOMAS O'DONNELLI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether an estimate could be given of the saving to the postal department by the sending back to Dublin by the 4 p.m. train, 29th March, of twelve of the eighteen sorting clerks and telegraphists awaiting at Queenstown homeward mail, ex "Campania," whereby, as admitted, the entire newspaper mail suffered delay; whether it is customary to send back to Dublin any of the sorting staff on such occasions; and whether it is the intention of the Department to inconvenience the Irish public in order to effect a small saving.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe saving in expense effected on the 29th March by sending back from Queenstown to Dublin by the 4 p.m. train twelve out of the eighteen sorters who had been employed in dealing with the previous outward American mail was a little more than £5. It is the usual practice to send back to Dublin a part of the sorting force as soon as it is known that only the Irish 1481 portion of the inward mail will be landed at Queenstown. None of the letters and only some of the newspapers were actually delayed by the adoption of this arrangement on the occasion in question, and the saving in expense seems to have been fully justified.