§ Viscount SANDONasked the Postmaster-General whether he has any statistics as to telegrams lost en route and as to complaints on this score, and as to complaints with regard to telephone calls?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONDuring the month of April, 1927, for which returns were taken at all but the smallest telegraph offices, the number of complaints of lost telegrams totalled 403. Of these, 78 were definitely proved to be unfounded, and in 64 cases no trace could be found of the receipt of the telegram by the Post Office. The balance of 261 would represent a loss of, roughly, one telegram in every 12,000 handed in at the offices concerned. During the quarter ended the 30th September last, the number of written complaints received in regard to telephone calls was 4.5 per 100,000 calls.