STATUTORY RULES.
1916. No. 310.
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REGULATION UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901–1916.
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 Regulation under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1916 to come into operation on the first day of January, 1917.
Dated this sixth day of December, One thousand nine hundred and sixteen.
R. M. FERGUSON,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
WILLIAM WEBSTER,
Postmaster-General.
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Amendment of the Post and Telegraph Regulations 1913.
(Statutory Rule 1913, No. 348, as amended by Statutory Rule 1915, No. 142.)
Regulation 192 is repealed, and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead:—
192. Licensed vendors must pay cash for stamps purchased, and may be allowed a commission not exceeding 1 per cent., in stamps, on purchases of not less than £l in value at any one time, but they must not use postage stamps for the payment of accounts, nor for remittances. The amount of commission allowed to any licensed vendor on the stamps purchased under any licence held by him shall not exceed, in the case of each licence, the sum of twelve shillings (12s.) in any week.
Provided that in cases where several licences are held by one person, the premises licensed shall be grouped, according to the localities in which they are situated, in such a way as to insure that stamps shall be supplied to the licensee from the smallest number of offices compatible with due regard to facility and promptness of supply. The commission in such cases shall be limited to twelve shillings (12s.) per week at any one post-office, and supplies of postage stamps shall only be obtainable from each post office once a day.
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Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
C.15757.—Price 3d.
Overview
The Statutory Rules 1916, No. 310, amended the Post and Telegraph Regulations 1913 to address certain practices among licensed vendors of postage stamps. Enacted by the Governor-General in Council under the authority of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1916, the regulation aimed to ensure that licensed vendors purchased stamps with cash rather than using them for payments or remittances. This was intended to maintain the integrity of the postal service and to prevent misuse of postage stamps. Furthermore, the regulation limited the commission that vendors could receive to one per cent in stamps for purchases over £1 at any one time and capped the weekly commission at twelve shillings for each license held, with additional restrictions on vendors holding multiple licenses. This amendment was designed to regulate the operations of licensed vendors more stringently and ensure efficient and orderly distribution of postage stamps.
Scope and Application
The Post and Telegraph Regulations 1916, as amended by the Statutory Rule 1916, No. 310, applies to licensed vendors who are authorised to purchase postage stamps for resale to the public. These regulations specifically address the conditions under which these vendors can purchase stamps, the permissible commission they can receive, and the limitations on their usage. The regulations are designed to ensure that licensed vendors purchase stamps with cash and not use them for other payments, while also limiting the commission to a maximum of 1 per cent of the value of purchases over £1, and not exceeding 12 shillings per week per licence. If a vendor holds multiple licences, the premises must be grouped to minimise the number of post offices they need to visit for stamp supply, with only one collection per day allowed from each office. These regulations are applicable nationally across the Commonwealth of Australia, as they are enacted under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1916, a federal statute. The regulations do not specify any exclusions or exemptions but are subject to further interpretation and application through subordinate instruments, which may provide additional clarification or enforcement mechanisms.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of this amended regulation (Regulation 192) under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1916 concern the terms and conditions under which licensed vendors may purchase and use postage stamps. Regulation 192 stipulates that licensed vendors must pay for stamps in cash, and they are permitted a commission not exceeding 1 per cent in stamps on purchases of at least £1 in value at any one time. However, they are prohibited from using postage stamps to pay accounts or for remittances. Additionally, the regulation sets a weekly limit on the commission allowed to any licensed vendor, not exceeding twelve shillings (12s.) in any week, with further stipulations if multiple licenses are held by the same person.
Under this regulation, licensed vendors are obligated to pay for stamps in cash and are limited in the amount of commission they can receive in stamp form, which must not exceed 1 per cent on purchases of at least £1. If a vendor holds multiple licenses, they must group their premises according to locality to ensure efficient supply of stamps while keeping the number of offices they obtain stamps from to a minimum. The weekly commission limit of twelve shillings (12s.) applies to each post office, and vendors may only obtain stamps from each post office once a day.
Breaches of these provisions may lead to civil or administrative consequences, although the regulation itself does not specify penalties. However, non-compliance with the conditions of the license, including the misuse of stamps for payments or remittances, could potentially lead to the revocation of the license or other administrative actions taken by the relevant authorities. Vendors are also strictly prohibited from using postage stamps to pay accounts or for remittances, and failure to adhere to this could result in further disciplinary measures.