§ 62. Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Postmaster-General whether he has had under consideration the fact that the cost of a telephone call between Edinburgh and Currie is 2d. to telephone subscribers but 4d. from a public telephone; whether he will explain why the latter charge is 100 per cent. greater than the former; and whether he will consider reducing the 4d. charge to 3d.?
§ Major TryonIn the case of a public telephone call office an additional charge of 2d. is uniformly applied in respect of all calls for which the appropriate charge would be 2d. or more if made from a subscriber's telephone. This additional charge is a necessary contribution towards the substantial cost of providing and maintaining the call office, and represents the equivalent of the rental paid by the ordinary subscriber for a private telephone. I am afraid that there is no prospect of reducing the charge in the near future.