STATUTORY RULES.
1915. No. 13.
REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1913.
(Issued Provisionally as Statutory Rules 1914, No. 152.)
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 Telegraph Act 1901-1913, to come into operation forthwith.
Dated this twenty-first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and fifteen.
R. M. FERGUSON,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
W. G. SPENCE,
Postmaster-General.
Amendment of the Post and Telegraph Regulations, 1913.
(Statutory Rules 1913, No. 348.)
Regulations 151 and 152 are repealed, and the following Regulations are inserted in their stead:—
151. (1) Postal articles posted without addresses or bearing illegible addresses, and those which the addressees refuse to receive owing to postage being payable or other cause, must be transmitted without delay to the Dead Letter Office for disposal.
(2) Letters or packets posted in the Commonwealth addressed to a fixed address other than a post-office, and letters and packets addressed to initials or noms de plume at a post-office to be called for, not indorsed for return to the senders within a specified time, as provided by Section 46 of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1913, and which cannot be delivered, shall be returned to the senders after the expiration of eight days; other letters or packets posted within
C.852.—Price 3d.
the Commonwealth for delivery within the Commonwealth shall be retained at the office of destination for one month; letters or packets received from a place beyond the Commonwealth shall be retained for two months; letters or packets addressed to ships, excepting those addressed to passengers, shall be retained for four months; letters and packets addressed to passengers on board ships shall, if posted in places beyond the Commonwealth, be retained for two months, and if posted within the Commonwealth, be retained for one month. As soon as possible after the expiration of the respective periods the letters or packets must be returned through the Dead Letter Office to the writers, if posted in the State to which addressed, and, if not, to the State or country of origin.
152. Newspapers other than those coming within the provisions of Regulation 151 (1) must be kept at the office of destination for one month waiting delivery, and at the expiration of that period must be forwarded to the General Post Office for disposal according to law; but if the covers or wrappers bear in print the name of the publisher or vendor the newspapers must be returned, if so required, to such publisher or vendor, on payment of postage at the prescribed rate.
Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
Overview
The Statutory Rules 1915, No. 13, titled "Regulations Under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1913," were introduced to amend existing regulations governing postal services. Enacted by the Governor-General in Council under the authority granted by the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1913, these regulations aimed to address issues related to the management and delivery of postal articles, including those without addresses, illegible addresses, or refusals by recipients. The policy objective of these regulations is to ensure efficient and systematic handling of undelivered postal items, thereby maintaining the integrity and reliability of the postal service. The regulations specify the periods for which undelivered items must be retained at various post offices and the subsequent steps for their disposal or return to the sender, ensuring clarity and consistency in the management of undeliverable mail.
Scope and Application
The amended Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1913, which were enacted to modify the Post and Telegraph Regulations of 1913, apply to all postal articles and communications posted within the Commonwealth of Australia. These regulations concern the handling of undeliverable mail, including articles without addresses or bearing illegible addresses, and those refused by addressees. The provisions also cover the retention periods for undelivered letters, packets, and newspapers, specifying different durations based on whether the mail is destined within Australia or beyond, as well as addressing mail to ships and their passengers. Additionally, the regulations mandate the forwarding of undeliverable mail to the Dead Letter Office for further action, including the return of such mail to the sender after a specified period. Newspapers not covered by the first regulation must be retained for a month before being forwarded to the General Post Office for disposal, unless they are returned to the publisher or vendor upon request and payment of postage. This legislative instrument has a national reach, applying to all persons and entities within the Commonwealth, including post offices and postal workers, as well as individuals and businesses sending or receiving mail.
Key Provisions
The amended Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1913, introduced by Statutory Rules 1915, No. 13, primarily concern the handling of undeliverable postal articles and the retention of uncollected mail. Regulation 151(1) mandates that postal articles without addresses or illegible addresses, as well as those refused by addressees for unpaid postage or other reasons, must be promptly sent to the Dead Letter Office for processing. Furthermore, Regulation 151(2) dictates that letters or packets posted within the Commonwealth to fixed addresses outside post offices, and letters or packets addressed to initials or pseudonyms at post offices, must be returned to the sender if not claimed for return within the specified time frame outlined in Section 46 of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1913, and if undelivered, after eight days. Other letters and packets posted within the Commonwealth for delivery within the Commonwealth should be kept for one month; letters and packets from overseas should be retained for two months; letters addressed to ships, excluding those addressed to passengers, for four months; and letters addressed to passengers on ships for two months if posted overseas and one month if posted within the Commonwealth. Once the respective periods have expired, these items must be returned to the writers through the Dead Letter Office.
The Regulations impose specific obligations on postal service providers and the public regarding the handling and retention of undeliverable or unclaimed mail. Postal service providers are required to ensure that undeliverable articles are promptly sent to the Dead Letter Office and that unclaimed mail is retained for specified periods before being returned to the senders or disposed of according to law. The public, on the other hand, must ensure that postal articles are properly addressed and that they claim their mail within the stipulated periods to avoid it being returned or disposed of. Non-compliance with these obligations can result in undelivered or unclaimed mail being treated as outlined in the Regulations.
For breaches of the provisions under the amended Regulations, there are no explicitly stated offences, penalties, or consequences mentioned within the legislative text. However, the failure to comply with these provisions may lead to the loss of mail, as undelivered or unclaimed mail will be returned to the senders after the specified retention periods or disposed of according to law. The consequences of not claiming mail within the stipulated periods include the loss of the mail, which may result in the mail being returned to the senders after the retention periods or being disposed of, depending on the type of mail and the circumstances of its posting.