§ Mr. CLANCYasked the Postmaster-General, whether his attention has been drawn to the trial of a case in which a gentleman named William J. Flanagan, of Crumlin, county Dublin, was sued before the Recorder of Dublin by the Post Office authorities for the rent of a telephone which he found to be absolutely unavailable and useless through an insufficiency of wires in the district; whether he is aware that the Recorder, though he granted a decree for the amount claimed, described the case as a very great scandal; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEMy attention has been drawn to the case which the hon. Member mentions. Although it is the fact that the junction wire requirements between Crumlin and Dublin had been underestimated, I do not understand the statement which was made by Mr. Flanagan to the Recorder that his installation was absolutely useless. So far as I can ascertain, Mr. Flanagan made no complaint whatever about the service prior to his case coming before the Recorder in the ordinary course, and as a matter of fact he appears to have been placed in telephonic communication with Dublin more frequently than other subscribers at Crumlin. In these circumstances I am forced to the conclusion that the Recorder was misled; and I propose to communicate with him on the matter, especially as regards his statement about the difficulties which he has experienced in connection with his own telephone calls. I may add that steps had already been taken to provide more junction wires between Crumlin and Dublin.
§ Viscount WOLMERasked the Postmaster-General whether he has yet been able to promise to Messrs. James Howarth, of Earlestown, Lancashire, the immediate installation of the telephone service, for which they have applied for many weeks past?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe completion of Messrs. James Howarth's telephone installation is dependent on the provisions of underground wires which are now being laid. If no unforseen difficulty occurs, I hope that they will be connected with the 739W exchange within three weeks from the present date. I regret that I cannot promise them an immediate service.