asked the Post master-General whether the privilege now enjoyed by soldiers on foreign service of sending home letters post free can be extended to wounded soldiers lying in hospitals at home, in view of the fact that while in hospital a soldier receives no pay and the increase in the postal rates will be felt acutely?

I regret that there are serious objections to the grant of free postage to soldiers in hospital in this country. In particular there would be great difficulty in devising effective measures to ensure that the privilege was not taken advantage of by persons not entitled to it.