§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether his attention has been called to the increased and increasing delay in the delivery of telegrams in the chief towns of the United Kingdom during the past year; whether he will cause inquiries to be made of the postmasters in this country as to the cause of this delay; whether he has received complaints to the effect that telegraph staffs are undermanned; and whether he will also order fresh notices to be delivered enjoining more care in clearly transmitting telegrams on the part of the receivers and transmitters in the telegraph offices of this country.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBER LAIN, Worcestershire, E.)There was recently here and there some difficulty in obtaining an adequate supply of telegraph messengers, but the Postmaster General has no reason to think that there has been any general delay in the delivery of telegrams or any general want of care on the part of his officers in transmitting telegrams. If, however, my hon. friend will forward to the Postmaster General the information on which his Question has been based, inquiry will be made. The number of skilled telegraphists withdrawn for service in South Africa has somewhat diminished the efficiency of the staff at the offices affected, but apart from this the Postmaster General does not think that the telegraph offices are undermanned.