Postal Regulations 1935 (Amendment)

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1939, No. 57, is a legislative instrument introduced to amend the Postal Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934. Enacted by the Governor-General in Council, the regulation was introduced to facilitate the transmission of National Registration Papers as provided by the National Registration Act 1939. The regulation aims to ensure that documents related to the national registration process can be sent through the postal service free of charge when certain conditions are met, specifically if they are sent by or addressed to the Commonwealth Statistician and bear specific wording on the envelope indicating their purpose under the National Registration Act 1939. This legislative amendment underscores the policy objective of streamlining the administrative processes associated with national registration during a time of significant national change.

Scope and Application

The Postal Regulations, amended by Statutory Rules 1939, No. 57, under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, introduce a specific provision concerning the transmission of papers related to national registration. This regulation applies to postal articles that contain documents provided for by the National Registration Act 1939 or its associated regulations. The regulation explicitly states that such articles can be sent through the post free of charge if they are either sent by or addressed to the Commonwealth Statistician. To qualify for this free postage, the envelope or other covering must display specific wording on the outside, such as "On His Majesty’s Service—National Registration Papers Only (National Registration Act 1939)", "National Registration Act 1939", or "National Register (National Registration Papers Only)". This regulation is applicable within the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Australia and pertains to conduct involving the transmission of national registration papers through the postal service. The regulation does not specify any exclusions or thresholds beyond the conditions stated, and it is implemented as a subordinate instrument under the overarching Post and Telegraph Act.

Key Provisions

The main operative section of this legislation, regulation 61a, introduces a new provision under the Postal Regulations, allowing for the free transmission of postal articles containing papers provided for by the National Registration Act 1939 or the Regulations thereunder. Specifically, this pertains to documents that are sent by or addressed to the Commonwealth Statistician, and the envelope or other covering in which the papers are posted must bear on the outside one of the specified phrases: "On His Majesty's Service—National Registration Papers Only (National Registration Act 1939)", "National Registration Act 1939", or "National Register (National Registration Papers Only)" (s 61a). The obligation placed upon the parties involved is primarily on those sending or receiving the registration papers. They must ensure that the envelopes or coverings bear the specified phrases, as outlined in the regulation, to qualify for the free transmission. The Commonwealth Statistician, being the designated recipient, must also verify that the documents are sent or addressed to them to benefit from this provision. Breach of the specified requirements could lead to the postal service not recognising the documents as eligible for free transmission. However, the regulation does not explicitly detail any offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for such a breach. Given the context of the regulation and the nature of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, it can be inferred that non-compliance might result in the standard postal charges applying, but the specific consequences are not detailed within the regulation itself.