§ SIR EDWARD SASSOONI beg to ask the Postmaster-General if he is now in a position to say why the telephone companies should not be called upon to permit the adoption of the flat mouthpiece such as is allowed abroad, instead of the present retrograde and antiquated instrument, in the interests of hygiene and cleanliness.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarI have no power to call upon the National Telephone Company to adopt any particular form of telephone. The standard patterns now in use are, however, those which are considered most efficient by experts both in this country and in the United States, and it is easy for any subscriber to keep his telephone in a clean and sanitary condition. I am not sure which particular pattern the hon. Member has in view, but if he will give me information with regard to it, I will have it examined.
§ SIR EDWARD SASSOONproduced a telephone transmitter and asked the Postmaster-General to have it examined carefully.