§ 35. Sir WILLIAM DAVISONasked the Postmaster-General for what reason the Department declines to give any particulars or explanation with regard to charges made for telegram, trunk, or toll calls in their quarterly statement unless specific details are supplied within seven days from the date on which the account was despatched; and whether a longer period than a week could be allowed to subscribers in checking accounts running over the previous three months?
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHThe telephone accounts contain a request for payment within seven days, and it is clearly desirable that any question as to accuracy of any item should be made within that period. In practice, however, the time limit is not rigidly enforced.
§ Sir W. DAVISONDoes the Postmaster-General not realise that this means going through an account extending over three months almost as soon as it is received, and does he not realise that that is very difficult for many people who are the best clients of the Post Office, and could not more time be given?
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHIt is quite reasonable to expect any querying of an account to take place before the date by which it has to be paid, but, as I have already said, this rule is not harshly applied.
§ Sir W. DAVISONHow can the account be queried until a statement giving the trunk and telegram calls has been received?