§ Mr. CLAUDE HAYasked the Under-Secretary for India whether native postal officials are allowed to engage in trade and 1542W to supply goods to their own departments; whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, owing to the number of letters which are improperly opened or stolen in transit by native officials in the Indian postal service, British firms have been compelled to warn their correspondents, stating that they hoped that their letters had arrived safely and that they were under the necessity of thus advising their correspondents because their correspondence was systematically stolen by the postal department for the benefit of natives of the local bazaar who did a similar business to theirs, and that, if at any time this inquiry should remain unanswered by them, their correspondents might safely assume that it had been intercepted and was certain to be followed by an application for work from one or other of the Bhais; and whether he will say what steps it is proposed to take in order to remedy this grievance?
The MASTER of ELIBANKIt will be necessary to inquire of the Government of India before a full reply can be given to the first part of the question. As regards the second part, statistics regarding complaints made by the public against the Post Office, and the proportion of groundless to well-founded complaints, are given in the Annual Report of the Post Office of India. A case in which it was alleged that letters were delivered to persons other than the addressees was recently brought to the notice of the Government. No proof of the allegations was forthcoming, but the suspected clerks were removed, and the complainants admit that they are now receiving their letters properly.