Postal and Telegraphic Services (General) Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1955L00057 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1955. No. .

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1950 AND THE WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ACT 1905-1950.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1950 and the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905-1950.

Dated this 30th day of August, 1955.

W. J. Slim

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

Postmaster-General.

 

Amendments of the Postal and Telegraphic Services (General) Regulations.†

Business outside normal hours.

1. Regulation 8 of the Postal and Telegraphic Services (General) Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-regulation (1.) the words “after the normal hours of service” and inserting in their stead the words “at a time when the office is not normally open”;

(b) by omitting sub-regulations (3.) and (4.) and inserting in their stead the following sub-regulations:—

“(3.) In a case of a specially urgent nature, where it is not possible to give the notice referred to in sub-regulation (1.) of this regulation—

(a) a telephone message may be transmitted from, through or to an official office, at a time when the office is not normally open, if—

(i) the attention of an officer at the office can be obtained;

(ii) the fee referred to in sub-regulation (1.) of this regulation is paid in respect of each office required to be opened; and

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on , 1955.

† Statutory Rules 1933, No. 88, as amended by Statutory Rules 1934, No. 136; 1938, No. 62; 1940, Nos. 101 and 156; and 1951, No. 24.

826/55.—Price 3d. 9/17.6.1955.


(iii) the prescribed telephone unit fee or trunk line charge is paid;

(b) a telegram may be transmitted from, through or to a telegraph office at a place that is not connected to the general telephone trunk line network, at a time when the office is not normally open, if—

(i) the attention of an officer at the office can be obtained;

(ii) the fee referred to in sub-regulation (1.) of this regulation is paid in respect of each office required to be opened; and

(iii) the prescribed telegraph charges are paid;

(c) a message for onward transmission as a telegram may be telephoned to the nearest telegraph office that is open by a person at a place connected to the general telephone trunk line network, at a time when the telegraph office at that place is closed, if—

(i) the telephone exchange at that place is open; and

(ii) the fees payable under paragraph (a) of sub-regulation (5.) of regulation 75 of the Telegraph Regulations, or under paragraph (b) of that sub-regulation, whichever is applicable, and the prescribed telegraph charges, are paid; and

(d) a telegram may be transmitted to a place connected to the general telephone trunk line network, at a time when the telegraph office at that place is closed, if—

(i) the telephone exchange at that place is open; and

(ii) the prescribed telegraph charges, and the prescribed trunk line charges to that place from the nearest telegraph office to that place that is open, are paid.

“(4.) Where paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of the last preceding sub-regulation, or any two of those paragraphs, are applicable in respect of a telegram, the fees and charges payable for the transmission of the telegram are the prescribed telegraph charges and the sum of the fees and charges (other than the prescribed telegraph charges) referred to in such of those paragraphs as are applicable.”; and


(c) by omitting sub-regulation (6.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-regulation:—

“(6.) A telegram shall not be transmitted—

(a) in pursuance of paragraph (d) of sub-regulation (3.) of this regulation; or

(b) in a case where its transmission to its destination requires the opening of a telegraph office other than the office from which the telegram is transmitted,

unless it bears before the address a supplementary instruction (to be counted and charged for as one word) consisting of the total amount paid for the transmission of the telegram, excluding the prescribed telegraph charges, together with the expression ‘AHFPAID’.”.

Re-numbering of regulation 9 inserted by Statutory Rules 1938, No. 62.

2. Regulation 9 inserted in the Postal and Telegraphic Services (General) Regulations by regulation 2 of Statutory Rules 1938, No. 62 is re-numbered regulation 8a.

 

Printed for the Government of the Commonwealth by A. J. Arthur at the Government Printing Office, Canberra.

Overview

The Statutory Rules of 1955 No. 57, titled "Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1950 and the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905-1950," were introduced to amend the existing Postal and Telegraphic Services (General) Regulations. This legislative instrument was enacted to address operational adjustments in postal and telegraphic services, particularly regarding business outside of normal office hours. The regulations were made by the Governor-General in accordance with the advice of the Federal Executive Council. The overarching policy objective of these amendments was to provide flexibility and continuity in communication services, ensuring that urgent messages could be transmitted even when offices were not normally open, provided all stipulated fees and charges were paid.

Scope and Application

The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1950 and the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905-1950, made by the Governor-General in Council, amend the Postal and Telegraphic Services (General) Regulations to adjust the conditions under which telephone messages and telegrams can be transmitted outside normal office hours. These regulations apply to all official offices involved in the transmission of telephone messages and telegrams across the Commonwealth of Australia. They specify that transmission outside normal hours is permissible under certain conditions, such as the availability of an officer at the office, the payment of requisite fees, and the payment of prescribed charges. The regulations extend their reach to cover any telegrams requiring the opening of a telegraph office other than the one from which it is transmitted, imposing specific supplementary instructions and charges in such cases. The amendments and re-numbering of regulations aim to clarify and streamline the processes and fees associated with urgent communications outside regular service hours, while ensuring that all relevant charges are accounted for and transparently disclosed on the telegrams themselves.

Key Provisions

The primary operative sections of these Regulations amend the Postal and Telegraphic Services (General) Regulations, which are established under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1950 and the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905-1950. Regulation 8 of the Postal and Telegraphic Services (General) Regulations is specifically amended to alter the conditions under which telephone messages and telegrams can be transmitted outside of normal office hours. Under the amended regulation, telephone messages and telegrams can be transmitted if certain conditions are met, such as the availability of an officer at the office, the payment of specified fees, and the payment of prescribed charges. Regulation 9, inserted by Statutory Rules 1938, No. 62, is re-numbered as regulation 8a. These changes primarily focus on the operational flexibility and financial requirements for communication services outside of standard business hours. These Regulations impose several obligations on parties and entities involved in the transmission of telephone messages and telegrams outside of normal office hours. Firstly, it is mandatory for the attention of an officer at the office to be obtained when transmitting messages outside of normal hours. Secondly, the relevant fees must be paid for each office that needs to be opened, as specified in sub-regulation (1). Additionally, prescribed telephone unit fees or trunk line charges, and prescribed telegraph charges, must be paid as per the new sub-regulations. For telegrams, supplementary instructions must be included on the telegram, detailing the total amount paid for the transmission, excluding prescribed telegraph charges, along with the expression "AHFPAID." Breaches of these Regulations may result in civil or criminal consequences, although the specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text. However, it is understood that failure to comply with the stipulated requirements, such as not obtaining the attention of an officer or not paying the required fees and charges, could lead to legal repercussions. The precise nature of these penalties would likely be further delineated in the parent Acts or other relevant legal provisions.

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