§ Brigadier-General MAKINSasked the Postmaster-General how many telephone equipment hand-sets are in daily use in the private exchanges in different parts of the country?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONAs there are about 63,500 private branch exchanges throughout the country, I regret that the information asked for could not be obtained without considerable labour and expense.
§ Sir F. SANDERSONasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that a period of three weeks only is allowed for the payment of telephone accounts, and if payment is not made within three days thereafter subscribers are summarily disconnected; and whether, in view of the fact that telephone rentals are paid in advance, that if subscribers are absent from home accounts may not reach them within the period allowed for payment, and of the inconvenience resulting from temporary disconnection, he will extend the period allowed for payment to one month, and the further period of three days allowed after receipt of the final notice to 10 days?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONA second and final notice is not sent until 21 days after the first application, and in actual practice service is not withdrawn until seven days after the issue 287W of the final notice. Should it be known that a subscriber is away from home, special consideration would be given to the case. A considerable amount of unnecessary labour and expenditure would be saved if subscribers would pay their telephone accounts on receipt of the first application, but in 25 per cent. of the accounts the first application is ignored. I do not consider that an extension of the period of grace is necessary, while it would certainly delay the collection of telephone revenue.
Captain CROOKSHANKasked the Postmaster-General how many telephones have been provided in Lindsey under his scheme for increasing the number of telephones at rural railway stations, and where they are situated; and how many others are contemplated in the near future for Lindsey,and at what stations?
§ Viscount WOLMERSix stations in Lindsey have been provided with telephones under the scheme referred to, namely, Healing, Horncastle, Market Rasen, Mablethorpe, New Holland and North Thoresby. There are no other stations in Lindsey at which the provision of telephones under this scheme is proposed at present. I may mention that at 15 other rural stations in Lindsey the railway company rent exchange lines.