§ Sir OWEN PHILIPPSasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is again great delay in the transmission of cablegrams to and from West Africa, recent messages having taken five to six days to come from Accra, Gold Coast; and whether, in the interests of British trade, anything can be done to speed up cable communication between this country and West Africa?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHOwing to an interruption of the cable between the Azores and St. Vincent on the 22nd May, the West African full-rate traffic sustained a delay of from one to three days, and in the case of deferred telegrams sent at half rates the delay extended to as much as eight or nine days. The cable was restored on the 10th June, and since then there has been no abnormal delay.