§ MR. VINCENT KENNEDY (Cavan, W.)To ask the Postmaster-General if he will state whether, in view of the success of the experiment in installing telephones in county Cavan, he will extend facilities for private installation by reducing the charge below the amount of £7 10s. per annum now charged for connection with six small villages and the county town; will the remaining towns in the county be connected; and will he further state the cost of private installations in rural Switzerland, Sweden, and Denmark.
(Answered by Lord Stanley.) During the nine months ended 31st May last, 959 calls were made from the telephone call offices established at Cavan and the seven rural post offices in the district. The receipts were £7 17s. 9d., and the cost of the service for the same period was about £30, without including any interest on the capital cost of establishing the call offices, which was about £150. The arrangement has, I understand, been of advantage to the district, but it is not a remunerative one to the Post Office. There does not appear to be any appreci 1196 able demand for the establishment of telephone exchanges in connection with this arrangement. If there were, I should be happy to consider whether the message rate subscription of £3 a year, with a fee of one penny for each originated call, could be offered to subscribers. The present arrangement provides only for communication between Cavan and rural post offices in the neighbourhood. If the system were connected with the general telephone system of the country, the cost of the service would be very greatly increased. I have no information as to the existence of small telephone systems of this kind in Switzerland, Sweden, and Denmark, or of the charges which would be made in such cases. The cost of any such arrangement must, however, necessarily depend upon local conditions.