§ Mr. NEWMANasked whether the Postmaster-General's attention has been drawn to the fact that on Sunday night last some 150 letters were discovered by the postman on duty to have been destroyed in pillar-boxes in the district of Winchmore Hill, North; whether the police authorities have reported that the outrage committed was connected with the demand for the extension of the Parliamentary franchise to women; and whether, in view of outrages of a similar character in other parts of the Metropolitan area, he will cause a notice to be fixed to each pillar-box warning the public of 2124W the danger they incur in placing their letters in pillar-boxes and advising their being posted for safety at the nearest local office?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELA pillar-box at Winchmore Hill was found by a policeman to be on fire, and when it was emptied by a postman 150 letters were found to have been damaged. There is every reason to suppose that the author of the fire, and the authors of a few similar acts of mischief in respect of Post Office letter boxes in the London Postal District and in other parts of the country, are persons who think by this means to influence public opinion in favour of the extension of the Parliamentary franchise to women. I do not think that it would be expedient to take the course which the hon. Member suggests. I would express the hope that members of the public will co-operate whenever possible in the detection of persons who commit such offences.