§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General whether the Postmaster General has received representations from the Cork Chamber of Shipping and Commerce as to the great want of trunk telephonic communication between Cork and the neighbouring cities and towns of the South of Ireland; and what steps are being taken to remedy this grievance.
§ MR. HANBURYThe Cork Chamber of Commerce and Shipping ask to have direct trunk wire communication established between Cork and Youghal, Mallow. Tralee, Fermoy, Dungarvan, and Waterford. There are at present no telephone exchanges in any of these towns except Tralee and Waterford. At Tralee the number of exchange subscribers is very small. Efficient trunk wire communication between Cork and Waterford is already provided, though not by a direct circuit, but the number of messages is less than two a day on the average. There seems, therefore, no prospect that the amount of business would give any adequate return for the large outlay involved in carrying out the proposals; but if local guarantees are given the trunk wires will be provided.