§ MR. RIGG (Westmoreland, Appleby)To ask the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that the Department has entered into certain contracts for private telephone lines between London and provincial centres, he will explain why, in response to inquiries by other firms for similar facilities, the Department has replied that it is not in a position to quote rates or enter into fresh similar contracts; and whether he will take steps to secure that a preference in the nature of a monopoly is not thus created.
(Answered by Lord Stanley.) During the last two years it has been necessary to refuse to provide long telephone lines between London and places such as Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow, for private use, owing to the difficulty of
| Fourth Class. | Third Class. | Second Class. | Inferior. | |||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| 1841 | 4 | 7½ | 4 | 2¼ | 3 | 9 | 3 | 4½ |
| 1842 | 4 | 5¼ | 3 | 11¼ | 3 | 7 | 3 | 4¼ |
| 1843 | 3 | 10¼ | 3 | 7 | 3 | 2½ | 2 | 8¾ |
| 1844 | 3 | 10¾ | 3 | 5¾ | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7¼ |
| 1845 | 4 | 1¼ | 3 | 9 | 3 | 5¼ | 2 | 9¾ |
| First Quality. | Second Quality. | Inferior Quality. | ||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| 1899 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 6 |
| 1900 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 1901 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 4 |
| 1902 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 11 |
| 1903 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
§ finding space on existing routes even for the new wires required for the public service. Estimates of the cost of constructing new routes for additional wires have been prepared, and I am considering whether it will be possible to supply long private telephone lines to all applicants for them.