§ MR. NIELDTo ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that considerable dissatisfaction exists among subscribers to the Post Office telephones in connection with the working of the Central Exchange of the Post Office telephone system; and whether he will institute an inquiry for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of such complaints, and take steps to remedy any matter appearing to call for alteration or amendment.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The lines of the subscribers to the Central Exchange, some 12,000 in number, were transferred to a new switchboard on 1262 Saturday the 17th ultimo, in order to allow of some necessary alterations in the Central Exchange switchboard. The transfer temporarily affected the working of some of the subscribers' lines; but the faults were remedied in the course of last week, and the Exchange is now working under normal conditions. The change was of great magnitude, and, though I regret that any inconvenience should have been caused, I consider that great credit is duo to the engineers and to the Exchange staff for carrying out a very difficult operation with so little disturbance to the service. I am unaware of any dissatisfaction among the subscribers of the Exchange, so far as its ordinary working is concerned.