HL Deb 23 July 1874 vol 221 cc547-8
THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND

rose to ask Her Majesty's Government, Why the Post Office have discontinued the mail trains which had hitherto run from Bonar Bridge to Helmsdale, in Sutherland; and why they decline to accept the service of mail trains from the latter place by the new railway about to open to Wick and Thurso in Caithness, which completes the great system of through communication from London to the extreme North of Scotland; and what security the Post Office offer for the regular transmission and safety of the mails if sent as ordinary luggage; and, in case there be any difference of opinion as to terms, why the Post Office will not consent to refer the question to arbitration in the manner provided by the Legislature? The noble Duke said great inconvenience and disappointment had been felt in the North of Scotland over a large agricultural district, containing a population of some 20,000 persons, many of whom were in poor circumstances, at finding the postal facilities which previously existed reduced instead of increased. For some time they had hoped and believed that when the new railway was opened they would have got their letters across the country by a direct route, which would have saved five hours, and enabled them to answer by return of post. But they were miserably disappointed to find that the Post Office did not intend to give them any further facilities. He supposed the Post Office had come to that determination because they considered it would not pay. The consequence would be that there would be three blank days in a week, so far as postal service was concerned, and no train on Sunday. The inconvenience would be immense. He thought that perhaps the Postmaster General, being new to his office, had hardly become aware of the great inconvenience that arose from the present arrangement. He hoped, however, that Her Majesty's Government would feel the great injustice that had been done, and would remember that the Post Office was a huge monopoly, and it ought to treat the poor districts with the same justice as the rich.

THE EARL OF BRADFORD

, in reply, said, he hoped and believed that his noble Friend had somewhat exaggerated the inconvenience that would result from the alteration. The fact was, that the contract for the conveyance of the mails in that district was purposely made to expire at the time this extension of the railway took place, in order to give the Postmaster General an opportunity of renewing the contract, or making some other arrangement which might be to the advantage of postal communication in the district. There was no reason why the mail service should not be safely conducted by the ordinary trains of the railway referred to. The Postmaster General did not decline to entertain proposals from the railway company for the transmission of the mails from Wick to Thurso. If no satisfactory understanding could be come to between the Post Office and the owners of the railway, the Postmaster General was quite willing to refer the matter to arbitration in the usual manner.