§ MR. BROOKE (Tower Hamlets, Bow and Bromley)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he will consider if some arrangement can be made with the National Telephone Company, whereby the change from magneto-working to the common battery system may be made in those parts of the Metropolitan area where the latter system is not yet in operation, thus bringing those parts into line with the other parts of the same area served by the Post Office, and so giving employment to men now or about to be discharged from the National Telephone Company.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON, Tower Hamlets Poplar)It may not be desirable to introduce the common battery system at the minor exchanges, and very few of the Company's 790 larger London exhanges are now on the magneto system. I will, however, bear in mind the hon. Member's suggestion in my negotiations with the Company.