§ Sir G. Gibsonasked the Postmaster-General what is the average cost of installation in a house of an internal telephone extension wire with plug and socket?
§ Sir W. WomersleyThe charge for a telephone with one plug and two sockets2230W at the residence rate is 3s. a quarter. This charge is based on the average cost of provision and maintenance.
§ Sir G. Gibsonasked the Postmaster-General why the cost of installation of a coloured telephone is £1, and 10s. extra if a bell is attached, while the black instrument is only 5s. with no charge for the bell attached to the instrument; and if the charges for installation of coloured instruments can be reduced to a figure approximating to the charge for the black instrument?
§ Sir W. WomersleyThe black bell set is the standard and is provided free with any type of telephone. The charges for a coloured hand-microphone and a coloured bell set, whether attached to the instrument or not, are based on the average excess costs of these instruments over the costs of a standard black candlestick instrument and a black bell set. The charges cover the extra cost of maintenance and renewal as well as the additional manufacturing costs. I regret that in view of the substantially greater cost of coloured instruments there is no prospect of the charge for them approximating to the charge for black instruments.