HC Deb 28 December 1919 vol 123 cc1243-4
37. Mr. HURD

asked the Postmaster-General what has been the further experience of the working of the automatic telephone exchange; and when will the system be brought into general operation?

The ASSISTANT - POSTMASTER -GENERAL (Mr. Pike Pease)

As I stated on the 19th November in reply to the hon. Member for North Kensington, a number of automatic exchanges have been established and others will be installed in places where in efficiency and economy they are likely to be superior to manual exchanges. But I regret to find from recent tenders that the prices at present asked by the manufacturers for automatic apparatus are extremely high and almost prohibitive.