§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Postmaster General if he will state on how many occasions during the last three months the Stornoway mail steamer has been late in her arrival in Stornoway, and at Kyle and Mallaig on the return passage; will he say on how many occasions the delay has exceeded half-an-hour, and whether the penalty clause has ever been enforced; and, if not, will he explain why this has not been done.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINDuring July, August, and September last the mail steamer from Kyle reached Stornoway more than thirty minutes late nearly every day, but on nearly every occasion the mail train from the south was late in arriving at Kyle—frequently more than half-an-hour late. In the reverse direction the contract service ends at Kyle, and the steamer reached that place late on nine occasions only during the period in question, on seven of which the lateness exceeded half-an-hour. The penalty clause in the contract has not been enforced, as it was not considered to apply to the delays in question. At the same time, I am not satisfied with the manner in which the service has recently been performed, and I had already caused a communication to be addressed to the contractor on the subject.