§ MR. JOHN CAMPBELL (Armagh, S.)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to complaints that telegraph clerks fill up the forms so as to make the time of handing in later than it really was; and, if so, whether he will consider the advisability of providing on the forms for public use a space in which the sender can insert the time according to the office clock at which the message was handed in.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN,) Worcestershire, E.It is but very rarely that telegraphists are alleged to have misstated the time of "handing in" a telegram, and I am not prepared to accept the 123 suggestion of the hon. Member that I should accept an entry of time made by the sender of the telegram, and purporting to be taken from the office clock.
§ MR. JOHN CAMPBELLI can give instances in my own experience where the message has been delayed half an hour?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINIf the hon. Member will bring any such case to my notice I will inquire, but unless it is done immediately it is very difficult to arrive at any satisfactory result.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDBut cannot some arrangement be made for the clerk to put on the message the hour at which it is received?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThat is done. The number of complaints of this kind is very small. The whole object of the regulation is to get the work at the counter done as quickly as possible, so as not to incommode the public.