*THE EARL OF LICHFIELDMy Lords, I beg to ask the noble Marquess the Secretary of State for War a question of which I have given him private notice—namely, whether he is able to announce any further concessions with regard to the rates for telegrams to the troops in South Africa.
§ *THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEI am glad to say that we have received from the Eastern Telegraph Company an intimation that they are prepared to make several very important concessions in this matter. In the first place they are prepared to arrange that all messages addressed to soldiers and sailors serving in South Africa shall be sent at a reduced rate of 2s. a word instead of 4s. a word. In the next place, in the case of officers the rank, and in the case of non-commissioned officers and men the name, of the person to whom the message is addressed may at the sender's risk be omitted, the regimental number alone being given in the latter case. In the next place, the rest of the address, including Cape Town, will be charged as one word. Thus, if I may give your Lord ships a concrete example, a message sent addressed "No. 3383, 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment, Cape Town," would be changed as two words only. These proposals have been referred to the postal authorities at Cape Town, but I have every reason to hope that an arrangement on that basis will be immediately introduced.
*THE EARL OF LICHFIELDI beg to thank the noble Marquess for the extremely satisfactory answer he has been able to give to my question. I am sure the concessions to which he has referred will be gratefully received throughout the country.