§ Mr. EUGENE WASONasked the Postmaster-General whether he could see his way to giving instructions that telegrams and parcels sent to a port in accordance with orders received from commanding officers of His Majesty's ships may be readdressed, if the programme of the ship is altered, without charging extra postage; and whether he was aware that officers and men had often paid this re-direction fee three or four times over through no fault of their own?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Buxton)The charges for re-direction of telegrams and parcels are made in accordance with statutory regulations. In view of the additional cost of re-transmission (including, in the case of parcels, payment to the railway companies), I would deprecate an amendment of the regulations in this respect. As regards parcels, the Admiralty furnish my Department from time to time with a list of His Majesty's ships and of the port to which indefinitely addressed parcels for each ship should be sent, and this system reduces to a minimum the necessity for re-direction. I am in communication with the Admiralty to 11 see whether a similar system can be arranged as regards telegrams; and if any improved arrangements in regard to parcels can be made.