§ MR. PIKE PEASE (Darlington)To ask the Postmaster-General whether the Post Office letter carriers, when proceeding on their rounds collecting letters from the pillar boxes, are precluded by the regulations from accepting letters to be posted from passers by; and ii so, whether he will consider the advisability of altering such instructions for the convenience of those of the public who do not reside in the immediate vicinity of a post office or a pillar box, but near the road used by the letter carrier.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) Rural postmen are allowed to collect letters from the public except in the immediate vicinity of a post office or a letter box; but the circumstance in towns are not such as to admit of this facility being given. Collections in towns have to fit closely to the despatches, and to allow the public to hand letters to a postman in a town would be to risk delay in the correspondence generally. Moreover, letter boxes in towns are much nearer together than in rural districts.