§ Mr. DAYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the approximate loss to the revenue on the present telegraphic service of Great Britain if the pre-War charges were re-established; and whether it is proposed in the near future to make any reduction in the present inland telegraphic rates?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI have been asked to reply to this question. Reversion to pre-War charges on ordinary inland telegrams, assuming no change in the present volume of traffic, would involve a sacrifice of revenue amounting to about £1,400,000 a year. Any estimate of the probable effect on traffic of such a reduction in charges must be entirely speculative; but, as an appreciably increased traffic could not be handled without additional cost, which would probably exceed the revenue from the additional telegrams at the pre-War rate, the actual nett loss would be more likely to exceed 2135W than to fall below the figure just mentioned. The answer to the latter part of the question is in the negative.