Royal Commission on Postal Services
22 June 1908 – 5 October 1910
A commission of members of Parliament that inquired into the management and efficiency of the Commonwealth’s postal, telegraph and telephone services under the Postmaster-General’s Department.
How it came into existence
Appointed by the Deakin government by Letters Patent dated 22 June 1908. J. N. H. Hume Cook chaired it until December 1908, after which William Webster, one of its instigators, was chairman; members included Senator Hugh de Largie and W. H. Wilks.
Changes during its life
- December 1908J. N. H. Hume Cook ceased to chair the commission; William Webster later became chairman.
How it ended
Its final report was presented on 5 October 1910, and the commission then ended. Its critical findings on mismanagement in the Postmaster-General’s Department were laid largely at the door of the department’s secretary, Robert Scott, and his successor Justinian Oxenham was left to correct the defects.
Main functions
- Administration and finances of the Postmaster-General’s Department
- Postal, telegraph and telephone services, especially in country areas
Lineage
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