§ MR. A. ASHER (Elgin Burghs)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, 273 whether the Postmaster General is proposing to abandon the scheme of establishing the trunk telephone between Aberdeen and Elgin by a line via the important fishing towns on the coast, and to substitute therefor an inland line viâ Keith; and, if so, whether, before finally deciding on such change, the Postmaster General will afford the various towns on the coast route an opportunity of showing how important it is in the interests of the fishing industry that the original proposal should be adhered to?
§ MR. HANBURYThe Postmaster General is not proposing to abandon the scheme of carrying the trunk telephone line from Aberdeen to Elgin through Peterhead and Banff. The engineers of the Post Office proposed to carry the line by a shorter and more direct route, but the Postmaster General has decided to adhere to the route originally selected.