§ Major ARCHER-SHEEasked the Postmaster-General what was the cost of the Telefunken equipment for a 2,000-mile simplex station offered in the tender sent in by Messrs. Siemens Brothers and Company; and whether this offer of Messrs. Siemens Brothers and Company was subsequently withdrawn owing to an agreement with the Marconi Company?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThere was no tender from Messrs. Siemens Brothers and Company and no withdrawal. About the end of February in last year a representative of the firm came to sec the Secretary of the Post Office on the subject of automatic telephones, and at the close of the interview mentioned incidentally that Messrs. Siemens contemplated manufacturing wireless telegraphy apparatus on the Telefunken principle. The secretary asked him what a Telefunken equipment for a 2,000-mile station would be likely to cost, and particulars were subsequently furnished by the company. They were not, however, on a basis comparable with that adopted for the stations of the Imperial 1701W chain. The estimate was for an equipment to be delivered in England and not for the erection of stations in the selected parts of the Empire. It provided for single stations and not for the duplex stations proposed by the Marconi Company. It did not include duplicate power plant, but only a certain number of spare parts, nor was provision made for automatic reception. For an equipment of this character the price was put at £23,000.