40. Lieut.-Colonel SANDEMAN ALLENasked the Postmaster-General whether he proposes to put telephone subscribers on a basis of equality with users of call boxes by making no charge for the call when a telegram is sent through the telephone?
§ Major TRYONThe object of waving the call office fee in the case of telegrams dictated from call offices is by treating 27 such offices virtually as Post Offices, to facilitate the handing in of telegrams by the general public at all hours of the day and night. Telephone subscribers have the advantage over call office users of being saved the inconvenience of having to visit a Post Office or call office to hand in their telegrams. To waive the penny fee in their case would involve a heavy loss of revenue which I do not feel justified in incurring at present.
Lieut.-Colonel SANDEMAN ALLENDoes the right hon. and gallant Gentleman consider that call offices should be subsidized at the expense of ordinary subscribers?
§ Major TRYONCall offices are not subsidized. It is a great advantage to be able to send a telegram from one's house without going out-of-doors.