§ Mr. SCURRasked the Under-Secretary of State for India the reason for the decrease in the number of letter-boxes, and of articles transmitted by post, in India in the year 1920–21 and the year 1924–25, respectively; and whether, in view of the public demand, the Government will reintroduce the quarter-anna postcard?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe numbers of letter-boxes and of articles transmitted by post in India were 50,022 and 1,389,377,482 respectively in 1920–21 and 49,959 and 1,244,425,235 in 1924–25. The decrease in the number of letter-boxes was no doubt due to the closing of some which it was found could be dispensed with, and it may be that the number of articles transmitted decreased somewhat owing to an increase in postal rates introduced in April, 1922. My Noble Friend is not prepared to interfere with the2606W discretion of the Government of India, in dealing with postal rates and arrangements.