Post and Telegraph Regulations 1913 (Amendment)

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1917, No. 43, amended the Post and Telegraph Regulations of 1913 under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1916. Enacted by the Governor-General in Council, this legislative instrument was issued to streamline the remittance process for parcels sent through the postal service. The regulation replaced the existing remittance procedure to ensure that the amount due on a parcel is remitted promptly and accurately to the correct parties involved, whether through money orders or postal notes. The policy objective of this amendment is to enhance the efficiency and reliability of financial transactions related to parcel deliveries within the Commonwealth.

Scope and Application

The amended Regulation under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1916 applies to the remittance of funds collected on parcels sent through the postal system, specifically detailing how these funds should be handled and transferred. This regulation applies to both individuals and entities involved in the dispatching and receiving of value-payable parcels, ensuring that the remitted funds are accurately and promptly sent to the appropriate office or individual. Geographically, the regulation applies across the Commonwealth of Australia, covering all states and territories within the nation. The regulation specifies that the remittance must be made through a money order or postal notes, with particular instructions on who the remitter and payee should be designated as. If a parcel sender wishes the funds to be payable at a different office, they must specify this detail on the parcel label. There are no stated exclusions or exemptions in this regulation, and it extends its application uniformly across the Commonwealth. Subordinate instruments may further define specific procedures or additional guidelines under this regulation.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of this regulation are found in Regulation 268, which outlines the requirements for remitting amounts due on parcels collected from the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916. Regulation 268 mandates that upon collection of the amount due on a parcel, the amount must be remitted to the dispatching office by means of a money order or postal notes, without the usual commission or poundage (Reg 268(1)). The regulation specifies that when a money order is used, the addressee of the parcel should be described as the remitter in the money order letter of advice, and the person or firm by whom the parcel was sent should be identified as the payee (Reg 268(2)). Conversely, postal notes should be made payable to the sender of the parcel and should be forwarded to the Supervisor, Parcel Post, or the Postmaster at the dispatching office (Reg 268(3)). Additionally, if the sender wishes for the remittance to be made payable at a different Money Order Office within the Commonwealth, they must specify the desired office on the "Value Payable Parcel Post" label (Reg 268(4)). The obligations imposed by this regulation are primarily on the Postmaster at the delivering office, who is tasked with forwarding the remittance to the desired Money Order Office as specified by the sender, and notifying the Postmaster at the dispatching office of the action taken (Reg 268(4)). The regulation also places obligations on the sender of the parcel to correctly identify the remitter and payee in the money order letter of advice, and to specify the desired Money Order Office if it differs from the dispatching office (Reg 268(2) and (4)). There are no explicit offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences mentioned in the regulation for non-compliance. However, failure to remit the amount due on a parcel in accordance with the regulation could potentially lead to administrative or procedural penalties, as well as the loss of the usual commission or poundage on money orders or postal notes (Reg 268(1)). It is important to note that the regulation does not specify any maximum penalties for breaches, and any enforcement actions would likely be determined by the relevant authorities based on the circumstances of the non-compliance.