§ Sir G. TOUCHEasked the Postmaster-General if his attention has been called to a dispute between his Department and the Islington Borough Council with regard to the condition imposed by the council, in giving consent to the carrying out of underground work by the Post Office, to the effect that the public way should be restored to the satisfaction of the borough engineer; is he aware that the question whether the word "satisfaction" should be read as "reasonable satisfaction" has been decided with costs in favour of the council and that, in spits of efforts on the part of the council to arrange things amicably, the Post Office authorities re quire that the matter should be further contested, involving the employment of counsel at public expense; and will he endeavour to avoid the expenditure of time and money on a dispute between a public 246W body and a Government Department, at a time like the present, when there is no real ground to suppose that the borough council or the borough engineer are seeking to act in an unreasonable or arbitrary manner?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHThe Post Office request was, and is, that in the form of consent "satisfaction" should be ex pressed to be "reasonable satisfaction." If—as the question suggests—the council will agree that the word "satisfaction" in the form of consent is to be read as equivalent to "reasonable satisfaction," further proceedings will be unnecessary.
§ Mr. WILESasked the Postmaster-General if his attention has been called to the result of an arbitration award which has been made under the Telegraph Act, 1878, with regard to a dispute between his Department and the Islington Borough Council in favour of the latter authority; is he aware that the Post Office, being dissatisfied, has given notice of appeal to another Court, and, if so, will he explain why during the present crisis the time of officials of two public authorities is to be employed in preparing statements, evidence, and arguments on what can just now only be considered a small domestic matter?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHUnder the Tele graph Acts road authorities are entitled to attach various conditions to consents for the construction of telegraphs. If the conditions are unacceptable, provision is made for an appeal to the Courts. The Islington Borough Council desire to attach to consents for the construction of under ground telegraphs a condition that rein statement is to be carried out to the "satisfaction" of their engineer. Past experience has proved that the acceptance of this condition precludes me from successfully resisting unreasonable demands, and I cannot accept it without qualification. If the council will agree that the word "satisfaction" in the form of con sent is to be read as equivalent to "reasonable satisfaction," further proceedings will be unnecessary.