§ Mr. EVELYN CECILasked the Postmaster-General, whether, in cases where local licensing authorities have insisted on direct telephonic communication being established between places of amusement and fire-stations for life-saving purposes in the event of fire only, he will remit the royalty payable to the Post Office, seeing that it is really a tax on the better protection of life?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELAs the Post Office provides wires of this description on the usual rental terms, the circumstances are not such as to justify any general remission of royalty when the wires are provided by private contractors. But I am willing to consider any particular case on its merits with a view to the reduction of the royalty if the conditions are exceptional.