§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)To ask the Postmaster-General what is the amount of money paid to Italy and France for conveyance of the Indian, Australian, China, and the Eastern mails, the last financial year, from and to Brindisi and Naples.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The sums paid for the transport by French and Italian railway services of British correspondence convened by packets of the Peninsular and Oriental Line to and from India, Ceylon, Australia, China, and the Far East, and that for Australia and Ceylon conveyed by packets of the Orient Line, for the financial year to 31st March, 1907, were as follows—
§ deters people from trying long-distance calls.
§ (Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The greater part of the telephone trunk calls made during business hours occupy less than three minutes, and, in view of the large and urgent demand for such communication, a change which would increase the average length of conversations would not be to the general benefit.