§ 33 and 34. Sir B. CHADWICKasked the Postmaster-General (1) whether the 866 total expenses of the Post Office wireless station at Cairo are estimated at £49,000 per annum, whilst the total revenue for nine months, ended 31st June last, amounted to only £4,700; what proportion of this revenue was for commercial traffic; whether in the item of £49,000 for expenses anything is included for salaries and allowances of the engineering staff, for the overhead charges of the General Post Office, for delivery of telegrams, maintenance of land lines, etc.; if not, will he give an estimate of the amount of these charges so as to enable the House to know the true annual loss on the running of the Cairo station;
(2) whether the total expenses of the Post Office wireless station at Leafield are estimated at £36,000 per annum, whilst the total revenue for nine months amounts to only £24,000; what proportion of this revenue was for commercial traffic: whether in the item of £36,000 for expenses anything is included for salaries and allowances of the engineering staff, for the overhead charges of the General Post Office, and for the delivery of telegrams, maintenance of land lines, etc.; and, if not, will he give an estimate of the amount of these charges, so as to enable the House to know the true annual loss on the running of the Leafield station?
§ Major BARNSTON (for the Postmaster-General)The estimates of £49,000 and £36,000 per annum quoted by the hon. Member represent; the total expenses proper to the Cairo and Leafield stations respectively, including salaries and allowances of the engineering staff at the stations and adequate provision for overhead charges in each case. In calculating the revenue proper to the stations, suitable deductions have been made for the use of the land lines and for the collection and delivery of telegrams. Of the revenue for the nine months May to January (not June) last, about 75 per cent. in the case of the Cairo station, and about 70 per cent. in the case of the Lea-field station, was derived from commercial traffic; but, as already stated, if the official traffic transmitted by these stations had not been sent by this route, it would have had to go by other routes at equal or greater cost; and its value is, therefore, properly credited to the stations. The Leafield station was opened for traffic about 18 months ago. The revenue is 867 increasing, and is now nearly sufficient to meet the expenses. The revenue of the Cairo station, which was opened less than a year ago, is also increasing, but, pending the provision of facilities for wireless communication beyond Egypt, it can hardly be expected that the revenue will balance the expenditure.