§ MR. WALTER HAZELL (Leicester)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, in reference to the Return recently issued on the Telephone Exchanges opened by the Post Office, whether he can explain why most of these exchanges have never had more than a nominal 499 number of subscribers, and others which once had a considerable number have gradually lost nearly all, as, for example, Leicester, which had 135 subscribers in 1890, and now has only nine; and whether, having regard to the manifest failure of these Exchanges, he will take steps to have their organisation ended or mended?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY,) PrestonProbably the main reason is that, while the Post Office has always held itself ready to give to the public a service which is within the exclusive privilege of the Postmaster General, it has not been free to push the telephone business in the ways which have been adopted by the licensed companies. As at present advised, the Postmaster General does not think he ought to close any of the Exchanges, however small they may be. He will, of course, take care that they continue to be conducted with efficiency for the benefit of those who use them.