MR. ANNAN BRYCEI beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether all the posts imported from the Baltic into Scotland for use as telegraph poles are landed and creosoted at Methil, in Fifeshire; whether he is aware that Inverness would, so far as cheap transit by rail and canal to the north and west of Scotland is concerned, be a better port of landing than Methil; whether he is aware that a creosoting plant exists at Inverness; and whether, therefore, he will consider the advisability of landing and creosoting at Inverness such portion at least of the Baltic posts as are required for uso in the north and west of Scotland.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONTelegraph poles are not this year being creosoted in Scotland. Poles for use in Scotland have 1367 in previous years been creosoted at Methil, but the tender received for this year for the work was not satisfactory. It is known that, at Inverness, as indeed elsewhere in Scotland, there is creosoting plant, and it will be considered whether when the time comes for inviting tenders for next year, the work could profitably be done there.