§ Mr. CLOUGHasked the Postmaster-General upon what date the telephone 2831W exchange for High Bentham and for Low Bentham will be established, in accordance with the agreement of the National Telephone Company in March, 1911, and in accordance with the undertaking by the hon. and gallant Member for West Newington on behalf of the Post Office on 19th December, 1912?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI hope to be able to open a telephone exchange at Bentham within the next three months.
§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the Postmaster-General whether the duty of cord repairing which has been performed by the engineering branch in pre-transfer exchanges is to be imposed on the night male operating staff; if not, whether he can say when it is proposed to relieve the transferred operators of this duty; and whether he will cause inquiries to be made into the issue of tools for the work of cord repairing to pre-transfer and newly-appointed operators engaged in ex-national exchanges?
§ Captain NORTONThe duty of cord repairing is not now being imposed on the night male operating staff, and arrangements are being made to relieve the operators of this duty in those cases where it has hitherto been performed by them.
§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the complaints, extending over many months, of the faint speaking on the inquiry section of the London Trunk Exchange; whether the fault seriously affects the efficiency of the exchange besides adding to the difficulties of the operating staff; and if he can say how soon the rewiring of the section, or any other remedy that may be necessary, can be completed?
§ Captain NORTONThis matter has been engaging the attention of the Post Office engineers since the difficulty came under notice. The wiring of one of the inquiry positions has been modified experimentally with successful results; and similar alterations are about to be made in the other sections. The work is expected to take two or three weeks.