§ Mr. HENNIKER HEATONasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that a foreign merchant residing in France can send 504 circulars in open envelopes to English clients resident in England for £1, whereas the English merchant can send only 480 circulars in open envelopes to his customers for £1; whether he is aware that French firms having branch offices in this country actually post these circulars in France, thereby, under the Postal Union law, England does all the work and France takes the whole of the postage receipts for these circulars; and seeing that this arrangement is prejudicial to the postal revenue of this country and gives the foreigner an advantage over his English rivals in trade, whether he will take steps for an alteration?
§ Mr. BUXTONI am aware that 25 francs is equivalent to 500 five centimes, and that £1 sterling is equivalent to 480 halfpence. Perhaps, however, my hon. Friend is not aware that, in consequence of the difference in weight between two ounces and 50 grammes, the English halfpenny prepays about 14 per cent. more than the French five centimes. Thus, while the advantage in numbers is with the French poster, the advantage in weight is with the English poster. Until my hon. Friend has been able to arrange international standards of money and weight, I fear these slight differences of postage must remain.