asked the Postmaster-General if his attention has been called to the case of William Johnston, a Glasgow dairyman, who found two bags, the property of the Post Office, containing £1,760, and which bags had been dropped from a mail van, and who was rewarded with 30s. for his honesty; and whether, in addition to increasing the sum indicated, he will follow the example of the police authorities and base future rewards on a percentage of the value of the property?

Two other persons claimed to have found these bags, which contained £1,380, and the evidence points to the fact that all three claimants, in addition to a police constable, contributed to their restoration. In the circumstances the three claimants were all rewarded. I do not think that Mr. Johnston's share was inadequate for the services which he rendered. The circumstances were such as to afford the finders reasonable knowledge of the ownership of the property, sufficient to have rendered it incumbent upon them to return the property to the Post Office and, if instead of so doing, they intended to appropriate the property to their own use, they would have laid themselves open to prosecution for larceny by finding. I cannot undertake that a finder of a mail bag should be rewarded according to the value of the property.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that sums amounting to £1,273 lls. ld. are due by the Postmaster-General to the Hornsey Town Council in respect of trench re-instalment accounts, and that some of these accounts date back to January last; and whether, seeing that on its side the General Post Office demands payments in advance in respect of sums to be due by the corporation without any interest allowance, the Department will now pay this £1,273 to the corporation together with an allowance for interest?

The sums referred to are in respect of seven accounts received on various dates between January and May, of which four had to be returned to the Council for amendment. All the accounts have now been paid except one, which was received back from the council, after correction, a few days ago. There is no case of payment of interest.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will make arrangements by which any Metropolitan police station can be enabled to call up all other London stations simultaneously by telephone?

Any application for telephone service from the Metropolitan Police would in the ordinary course receive the immediate attention of the Post. Office, but it is not within my province to arrange for the provision of particular services unasked.