§ 60. Colonel DAYasked the Postmaster-General whether the new Holborn automatic telephone exchange is now working satisfactorily; and whether the telephone authorities have received any complaints with regard to the change over of this exchange to the automatic system?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Sir William Mitchell-Thomson)The new Holborn automatic exchange is working satisfactorily. It is inevitable that some difficulties should be encountered in connection with a change of system involving so complete an alteration in mechanism and in methods of operation, both on the part of the staff and of subscribers. The complaints received related mainly to initial difficulties occurring during the transition period and cannot be separated as between those due to defects in the apparatus or in the operating and those attributable to inexperience on the part of subscribers.
§ Colonel DAYIs it not a fact that most of these defects were caused through the subscribers not having sufficient instructions, and will the right hon. Gentleman take into consideration, in 269 the change over of any other exchanges, the desirability of full instructions being given?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI can assure the hon. Gentleman that we did our best to see that full instructions were available.