§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the great increase in telephone traffic at night, and that this has rendered necessary a revision in the old system of dealing with night calls in many of the small towns in the country; if he is aware that the salaried sub-postmaster in some cases is required to exceed his eight hours per day scheduled duty in charge of the office by attending to night services in addition; that in certain cases this involved 12 hours per week actual permanent duty at the exchange board 632W and 60 hours casual disturbance for calls during the night; and whether he will consider employing ex-serviec men for this night duty as an addition to the existing staff in many of these centres?
§ Mr. HARTSHORNThere has been no change of circumstances calling for any general alteration of practice in this matter, and I should not in ordinary cases feel justified in incurring the expense of making special provision for the telephone work while the sub-postmasters concerned continue to occupy the official residences provided. Special arrangements are, however, made when the calls to be dealt with are numerous, and if the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of any individual offices which he may have in mind, I will have inquiry made to see whether any modification of the arrangements at those offices is called for.