§ 62. Lord N. CRICHTON-STUARTasked the average number of lines each telephone girl has to manage in each of the exchanges in London, dealing with each exchange separately; whether this number is in excess, or is less, than the number each girl had to deal with before the telephone transfer took place, and by how many; and the average number of calls dealt with by each girl each day?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELIt would not be possible to give the information in the 31 form asked for by the Noble Lord. Statistics are, however, available for the twenty-six largest exchanges in London during April and May last, which show that while the average number of lines to each operator was on the whole slightly larger than twelve months previously (before the telephone transfer), the number of calls per operator had substantially decreased, with the exception of two exchanges where the increase was I per cent. only.
§ 69. Mr. GINNELLasked the Postmaster-General, in view of the inefficiency of the present telephonic connection between Dublin and Mullingar, involving a waste of two hours for a single call, if he will say who is carrying out the provision of the trunk lines authorised; whether he will accelerate the work; and by what time he expects it to be completed?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe construction of the new Dublin-Mullingar trunk wires is being undertaken by the Post Office Engineering Staff in Ireland. The work will be accelerated as much as possible; and I hope that it will be completed by the end of the present financial year at the latest.