Mr. Kellaway endeavoured to convince an incredulous House and public
that the Post Office was managed on commercial lines. It was even taking steps to get rid of superfluous employees. He had set up a Business Council, including some well-known commercial men, to give the officials their advice. He promised, on the authority of the Cabinet, that any reduction in the excessive expenditure of the Post Office should go to the reduction of postal rates. A number of members sharply criticized the extravagant war bonus and the high rates, especially on post- cards. One or two suggested that the Press was being subsidized by the specially low rates for Press telegrams. These critics laboured under the wholly mistaken belief that newspapers were prospering mightily, and that the public had no concern in the cheap and rapid transmission of news. On a division the Post Office Estimates were adopted by 196 votes to 118.
Previous page
