Excise Procedure Regulations

Legislation au C1908L00045 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1908. NO. 45.

 

PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS UNDER THE EXCISE PROCEDURE ACT 1907.

SUBJECT to the approval of the Governor-General, I, the Honourable Henry Bournes Higgins, President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, do, in pursuance of the powers vested in me by the Excise Procedure Act 1907, hereby make the following regulations to come into operation forthwith, and I certify that on account of urgency the regulations should come into immediate operation:—

How to Apply.

1. Every manufacturer who intends to make application to the President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration for an order, under paragraph (d) of section 2 of the Excise Tariff 1906 (No. 16 of 1906), that the conditions (as to the remuneration of labour) under which goods are manufactured are fair and reasonable, shall post up in his factory or workshop, or in each of his factories or workshops, in a prominent place or places and so that any of his employés may easily read it, a notice in accordance with the Form A in the Schedule, and shall keep it so posted up for at least a fortnight before making the application.

2. The application for the order may be in accordance with Form B in the Schedule.

3. The application, with a statutory declaration, verifying it, should be lodged with the Industrial Registrar of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration at Melbourne, or with the Deputy Registrar of the Court in the State where the goods are manufactured.

4. (1) The statutory declaration should state—

(a) That the statements in the application are true and correct in every particular. and (b) That the notice of intention to make the application was posted up and kept posted up in the factory or workshop or factories or workshops in the manner prescribed by the regulations, and (c) That no complaints have been made whether before or after the posting of the notice by the employés or any of them or by any union or association of artisans or workers that the rates of wages paid are not fair and reasonable, or, if any such complaints have been made, that they have been made and at what time and (if in writing) are attached to the statutory declaration as exhibits, and (if not in writing) are set forth in the declaration.

(2) The statutory declaration should in addition state all special circumstances which the manufacturer thinks should be stated in order to show that the conditions in the factory as to remuneration of labour are fair and reasonable, and also any circumstances which he thinks show that any complaints are not well founded. The statutory declaration should in particular state the hours of work and whether the applicant in his conditions as to the remuneration of labour complies absolutely with the Excise Tariff Standard for Timework and if not in what respects he fails to comply therewith and for what reasons. In the case of old, slow, or infirm workers it should state the date and particulars of and reasons for any licence to work at a lower rate than the standard. In the case of apprentices it should state whether they are bound, and for what trade, and the date of the indentures, and for what terms, and the


respective ages, and the rate of payment. In the case of boys not apprenticed it should state their respective ages and the kind of work that they respectively perform and the rates of payment. In the case of improvers or any other class of employés not mentioned in the standard it should state the age, length of experience, qualification, and any relevant particulars in the case of piecework the declaration should state all the conditions and stipulations relating thereto, and if they appear in any agreement or in any written document should exhibit the same or a copy thereof.

How to Support Application.

5. All applications will be heard by the President in open Court. The Registrar will give notice to each applicant of the time and place for hearing his application. The applicant, if he wish to produce any evidence or to urge arguments in support of the application, must be present in the Court at the time of hearing or be represented by Counsel, Solicitor, or Agent.

 

The Schedule.

Form A.

Name of Factory

Notice of Intention to apply for an Order under the Excise Tariff 1906.

I/We hereby give notice that I/We intend forthwith, after the expiration of one fortnight from the date hereof, to make application to the President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration for an order under paragraph (d) of section 2 of the Excise Tariff 1906 (No. 16 of 1906), declaring that the conditions (as to the remuneration of labour) under which my/our goods are manufactured are fair and reasonable.

Dated the    day of     190

(Signature of Manufacturer.)

 

Form B.

In the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration.

Application for an Order that the Conditions as to Remuneration of Labour are fair and reasonable.

To His Honour,

The President of the Court.

I,

We,

of

hereby make application for an order in terms of paragraph (d) of section 2 of the Excise Tariff 1906 (No. 16 of 1906) declaring that the conditions as to the remuneration of labour in my/our factory (so far as regards goods dutiable under the said Act) are fair and reasonable,

1. My/Our factory is situate at   in the State of  and is called


2. The goods dutiable under the said Act which are     manufactured in my factory are

3. The wages paid and the hours worked in my/our factory are as follows:—

4. The wages paid and the hours worked are in my opinion fair and reasonable.

5. The following additional facts are worthy of consideration as to remuneration. Here set out any additional facts—e.g., That the rates of payment or some of them specifying which are not less than the rates fixed in the Excise Standard for Timework. That the rates are in accordance with the determination of the                                           Wages Board or in accordance with the                             award. That A.B. (specifying his name) holds a licence from                                           to work at a lower rate on the ground that (here set out the ground) and the licence is dated the                             day of                                           19

As to Apprentices

As to Boys

As to Improvers

The following are the conditions and stipulations as to piecework in the cases of

mentioned in the application.

(Here set out conditions and stipulations as to piecework—both as to pieceworkers and as to those who assist or are employed by pieceworkers.)

Dated the    day of    190

(Signature of Applicants.)

 

Dated this fourteenth day of March, 1908.

HY. B. HIGGINS, J.,

President.

A. M. STEWART,

Industrial Registrar.

Approved in Executive Council the first day of April, 1908.

NORTHCOTE,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command.

AUSTIN CHAPMAN,

Minister for Trade and Customs.

The Federal Executive Council approve.

GEO. STEWARD,

Secretary to the Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Australia. 1.4.8.

 

 

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

Overview

The Excise Procedure Act 1907, enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament, aimed to establish a formal process for manufacturers to apply for an order determining the fairness and reasonableness of labour conditions in their factories. This legislation was introduced to address the need for a structured approach to resolving disputes over wages and working conditions, ensuring that manufacturers could fairly present their case to the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration. The policy objective was to provide a transparent and orderly procedure for manufacturers to seek validation of their labour practices, thereby promoting fair industrial relations and addressing potential labour disputes effectively. The regulations made under this Act, approved by the Governor-General, set out the specific requirements for posting notices and lodging applications, including the use of prescribed forms and statutory declarations to substantiate claims of fair remuneration practices.

Scope and Application

The Provisional Regulations under the Excise Procedure Act 1907, promulgated by the Honourable Henry Bournes Higgins, President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, establish procedures for manufacturers seeking to apply for an order regarding the fairness and reasonableness of labour remuneration conditions. These regulations apply specifically to manufacturers who intend to make such an application to the President of the Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, requiring them to post a notice in a prominent place within their factory or workshop for at least a fortnight before submitting their application. The application, accompanied by a statutory declaration verifying the statements, must be lodged with the Industrial Registrar of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration in Melbourne or the Deputy Registrar in the state where the goods are manufactured. The regulations detail the contents of the statutory declaration, including the necessity to address any complaints made by employees, unions, or associations regarding wages, and to specify any special circumstances relevant to the fairness of the remuneration conditions. The application process also mandates the presence of the applicant or their representative at the hearing or the provision of evidence and arguments in support of the application. The scope of these regulations is national, applying across all states where the goods are manufactured within Australia.

Key Provisions

The Provisional Regulations under the Excise Procedure Act 1907, as set out in Statutory Rules 1908 No. 45, establish a procedure for manufacturers to apply to the President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration to seek an order determining that the conditions under which goods are manufactured, particularly as to the remuneration of labour, are fair and reasonable (section 1). The regulations specify that a notice must be prominently displayed in the factory or workshop for at least two weeks before the application is made (section 1). The application itself must be in accordance with Form B in the Schedule and should be lodged with the Industrial Registrar or Deputy Registrar of the Court, accompanied by a statutory declaration verifying the truthfulness of the application and the posting of the notice (section 2 and 3). Additionally, the statutory declaration must detail any complaints received regarding the fairness of wages, the hours of work, and the specific conditions of employment, including any deviations from the Excise Tariff Standard for Timework, and any special circumstances that support the fairness of the labour conditions (section 4). Manufacturers are obligated to post the notice of intention to apply for an order in a prominent location within their factory or workshop, ensuring it is easily readable by all employees (section 1). They must also submit a statutory declaration verifying the truthfulness of the application and the compliance with the notice posting requirement (section 4). Furthermore, manufacturers must provide detailed information about the working conditions, including wages, hours of work, and any agreements or documents related to piecework, apprentices, and other classes of employees (section 4). The application must be made in open Court, with the applicant or their representative present to present any evidence or arguments in support of the application (section 5). Breach of the provisions outlined in these regulations could lead to various consequences. Manufacturers who fail to post the required notice or who provide false information in their statutory declaration may face legal action. The regulations do not explicitly state penalties for non-compliance, but such breaches could be subject to the general legal consequences for providing false statements or failing to comply with statutory requirements, which may include fines or other penalties as determined by the Court. Additionally, any misleading or false information provided in the application could result in civil or criminal liability, depending on the severity and intent behind the misrepresentation.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.