§ MR. GRAYasked the Postmaster General, How many licences for telephone exchanges have been applied for and how many have been granted since he instituted the new condition requiring each Company receiving a licence to undertake to sell instruments to him?
§ MR. FAWCETTThe number of applications for telephone exchange licences since the period referred to has been 77, and the number granted has been eight. As bearing on this subject, I may state that as the condition to which allusion is made was imposed solely for the purpose of protecting the public interest, and was never intended to restrict the establishment of telephone exchanges, I have been for some time considering whether, with due regard to the public interest, the condition can be in any way modified. As soon as I am in a position to come to a decision on the point, there shall be no delay in making it known.