asked the Postmaster-General if postmasters in rural areas are often required to receive mails at 5.30 a.m. and to attend for regular hours at the post office until 7.30 p.m. and occasionally later; and will he take steps to have these long hours reduced?

It is not practicable to avoid such attendances at many rural sub-post offices unless public facilities are to be seriously curtailed. But the hours during which such offices are open to the public do not, as a rule, exceed 10, and are in many cases substantially less; and sub-postmasters are at liberty to provide for the duty by deputy if they so desire.