§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)To ask the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been directed to the hardship inflicted on innocent people of imposing a fine amounting to double the deficiency on letters from abroad; whether he is aware that a gentleman in this country complained recently that he sent a letter to Papua, New Guinea, for 4d., that his correspondent there sent a reply in a letter of less weight and prepaid 4d. for postage, and that the recipient in this country was charged 3s. 8d. for deficient postage on this letter, the whole of which sum was appropriated by the British Post master-General and went into the British Treasury; and will he say whether the rate of postage from England to Papua, British New Guinea, is 1d. per ounce, while the rate of postage from Papua to England is 4d. per ounce.
1215 (Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) It is in accordance with the provisions of the International Postal Union Convention that the surcharge on insufficiently prepaid letters is double the deficiency and is collected from the addressee. The Postal Union has declined to alter the practice, though, at the last Conference, the British delegates pressed for a reduction. I am not aware of the facts in the case referred to by my hon. friend; but if he will furnish full particulars I will make further inquiry. If, as seems to be suggested, the letter weighed less than four ounces, and was prepaid 4d., the surcharge should, it would appear, have been less than 3s. 8d. The rate of postage from England to Papua, British New Guinea, is 1d. per ounce, and in the reverse direction is the Australian rate of 2d. per half ounce.