Postal, Telegraphic and Telephone Regulations (Amendment) (Cth)

 

STATUTORY RULES.

1908. No. 2.

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901.

(Issued provisionally as Statutory Rules 1907, No. 102.)

I, THE GOVERNOR‑GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the undermentioned amended Regulations under the Post and Tele graph Act 1901, namely :—

Telegraphic Regulations.

Telegrams within the Commonwealth—Counting and Charging.

Telephone Regulations.

Part IV.—Public Telephones.

to come into operation on the 25th day of January, 1908.

Dated this thirty‑first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and seven.

NORTHCOTE,

Governor‑General.

By His Excellency's command,

SAMUEL MAUGER.

TELEGRAPHIC REGULATIONS.

Telegrams Within the Commonwealth.

Counting and Charging.

Regulation 1, under this head, of the Post and Telegraph Regulations, is repealed, and the following Regulation substituted in lieu thereof :—

1. Telegrams may be written—

(a) In plain language, or

(b) In code, or

(c) In cipher, or

(d)In a mixture of plain language, code, and cipher, or of any of them.

1a. The following shall be deemed to be plain language :—

(a) Words contained in Webster's English Dictionary, whether the words have a connected meaning or not, and,

(b)Words having an intelligible connected meaning, in one or more of the admitted languages (other than English), namely, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin, or Japanese, if written with English characters and guaranteed to be without secret meaning.

C.502.—Price 3d.

If there be any doubt on the part of the Receiving Officer that words which do not appear in Webster's English Dictionary, and which are submitted by the senders as dictionary words, do come within that definition the senders shall be required to show that such words appear in another English dictionary.

1b. The following shall be deemed to be code : —

(a)Words in any admitted language (other than English) having no connected meaning, and

(b)artificial words, pronounceable according to the usage of any of the admitted languages.

1c. The following shall be deemed to be cipher :—

(a) Agroup of letters, not being a word in plain language or code, or

(b) A group of Arabic figures.

Figure and letter cipher together shall not be allowed in a telegram.

1d. In telegrams in plain language, each word containing not more than fifteen characters shall be counted as one word, and each word containing more than fifteen characters shall be counted as one word for each fifteen characters or part thereof.

1e. In telegrams in code, each word containing not more than ten characters shall be counted as one word, and each word containing more than ten characters shall be counted as one word for each ten characters or part thereof.

1f. In telegrams in cipher, each group of letters or figures shall be counted as one word for each five letters or figures or part thereof.

1g. If a telegram is partly in plain language and partly in code, it shall be charged for as if wholly in code.

1h. If a telegram is partly in plain language or in code and partly in cipher, the part in cipher shall be counted and charged for as cipher and the remainder as code.

1ha. A code or cipher telegram shall be charged for at the rate of one penny per word, but the minimum charge shall be one shilling per telegram.

1hb. Subject to these Regulations, the Regulations as to counting in relation to telegrams beyond the Commonwealth shall apply in relation to telegrams within the Commonwealth.

Telephone Regulations.

Part IV.—Public Telephones—

Statutory Rules 1906, No. 114, are amended by inserting therein, immediately after Regulation 49, the following Regulation :—

49a. Where the estimated revenue therefrom is not equal to the rental payable for a service in accordance with the terms of Part I. of the Telephone, Regulations, a public, telephone will be provided on private premises subject to the following conditions : —

(a)The applicant must enter into an agreement, to make good to the Postmaster‑General any amount by which the revenue from the use of the telephone for any half year falls below, the amount of the half‑yearly rental which would be payable for a service under Part I., at the same address.

 

(b)In addition, the applicant must deposit with the Postmaster‑General an amount equal to half of the rental which would be payable for a service under Part I. for six months at the same address.

(c)The deposit shall be held by the Postmaster‑General and may be applied in making good any amount payable by the applicant under the agreement and any balance remaining at the expiration of the agreement shall be returned to the applicant.

(d)The agreement must be for one year certain and discontinuance of the service will be subject to Regulation II.

(e)If in any half year the revenue received exceeds the half‑yearly rental mentioned in paragraph (a), the excess will be divided equally between the applicant and the Postmaster‑General.

(f) All calls originating at the telephone must be paid for at 1d. per call by cash inserted in a coin attachment provided by the Postmaster‑General.

(g)All calls inward to the applicant will be allowed free as to an ordinary subscriber.

(h)So far as applicable the provisions of Regulation 49 shall apply to a public telephone under this Regulation.

By Authority : J. Kemp, Acting Government Printer, Melbourne.