§ 52. Mr. NORMAN CRAIGasked the Postmaster-General what are the relative rewards taken by the British and French Governments, respectively, in regard to the transmission of radio-telegrams through their respective coast stations?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe British coast station charge for radio-telegrams in the case of ocean-going ships is 6d. per word, which is reduced to 3d. (with a minimum of 1s. 6d. per message) in the case of ships making regular voyages of between 200 and 1,000 miles, and to l½d. (with a minimum of 1s. 3d. per message) in the case of packets making regular voyages of less than 200 miles. The corresponding French charge is 40 centimes per word, which is reduced to 15 centimes in the case of packers making regular voyages between France and England, or between France and Corsica, Algeria or Tunis.
§ 53. Mr. NORMAN CRAIGasked the Postmaster-General whether the charge for a radio-telegram sent from a ship to an address in this country is greater if sent through a British coast station than if sent through a French coast station and the Anglo-French cables; and whether he will consider the advisability of revising rates in this country, so far as the Post Office is concerned, with a view to counteracting the tendency to use the French wireless stations to the detriment of the British wireless stations?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI am aware that the charge for a radio-telegram sent from an ocean-going ship to an address in this country through a British coast station is ½d. a word more than if sent through a French coast station—namely, 10½d. a word, as compared with 10d., including in each case the ship and wire charges. I have recently considered the question of reducing the British coast station charge, but I do not think that a reduction is warranted at present. I am not aware of any general tendency such as that suggested in the latter part of the question, and I should be surprised if it existed, in view of the greater delay which radio-telegrams sent by an indirect route would usually sustain.