§ Mr. PERKINSasked the Postmaster-General whether the advertisements now appearing in the 2s. postage stamp books are canvassed for by Government officials or independent advertising agents and, if by the latter, what remuneration is paid for their services; what rates are charged to the public for the advertisements; what is the value of the orders already received; what is the estimated annual revenue; what extra cost, over and above the manufacture of the stamps, is involved in preparing the books; and is there any reason why this cost should be met by advertising revenue procured in competition with private enterprise, seeing that the cost of the material and manufacture of postage stamps has always been included in the departmental expenditure?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELBefore the issue of books of stamps at the face value2828W of the stamps they contain was commenced in June last, I invited tenders from a large number of agents for the advertising rights in the books, and I accepted the tender of Sell's Advertising Agency. Under the contract the agency make the best terms they can with the advertisers; and the payment which has been made to the Post Office under the contract is just sufficient to cover the additional cost of preparing and issuing postage stamps in books instead of in sheets. The insertion of trade advertisements has admitted of the sale of the books at face value instead of at an additional charge of ½d. a book, and I can see no reason for discontinuing advertisements and either reverting to that charge or imposing a considerable annual loss upon the Exchequer.