Postal, Telegraphic and Telephone Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1908L00006 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1908. No. 6.

 

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901.

(Issued provisionally as Statutory Rules 1907, No. 98).

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, namely:—

Telephone Regulations.

Part VI.Telephone Junction and Trunk Lines. Regulation 52. Telephone Trunk Lines.

Part VII.—Use of Subscribers Telephones by the public on the ticket system or on payment—Regulation 58.

Part XIII.Telephone Lines connecting with Trunk Line Switchboards or Telegraph Offices only.—Regulation 82.

Part XIV.Telephone Lines in country districts not erected, or only partly erected by the Postmaster-General.—Regulations 92 and 98.

Part XV.Telephone Lines in country districts partly erected by the Postmaster-General, and which connect with Telephone Exchanges.—Regulation 108.

Postal Regulations.

Post Cards.—Regulations 3 and 4.

Newpapers.—General, Regulation 2.

General Postal Regulations.

Payment of postage by the Receiver.

Prepayment in cash, in one sum, of postage on large quantities of mail matter.

Telegraphic Regulations.

Telegrams within the Commonwealth—Regulations relating to Meteorological telegrams,

to come into operation on the twenty-fifth day of January, 1908.

Dated this thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and seven.

NORTHCOTE,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

SAMUEL MAUGER.


Telephone Regulations.

Part VI—Telephone Junction and Trunk Lines.

Regulation 52.—Telephone Trunk Lines.—(Statutory Rules 1906, No. 114) under this head is repealed and the following Regulation substituted in lieu thereof:—

52. Telephone Trunk Lines.—Lines joining two separate towns, or lines joining exchanges other than those specified in the last preceding Regulation, are classed as trunk lines, and their use shall be charged for as provided hereunder, the charges being calculated upon the actual length of trunk line used:—

 

 

First Three Minutes.

Every Additional Three Minutes.

 

 

s.

d.

s.

d.

For each conversation on lines not exceeding 15 miles

0

2

0

2

Exceeding 15 but not exceeding 20 miles.......................

0

3

0

3

    20  

        25  

........

0

4

0

3

    25  

        50  

........

0

8

0

6

    50  

        75  

........

1

0

0

9

    75  

      100  

........

1

4

1

0

 „ 100  

      150  

........

1

10

1

4

 „ 150  

      200  

........

2

4

1

9

 „ 200  

      250  

........

2

10

2

1

 „ 250  

      300  

........

3

4

2

6

 „ 300  

      350  

........

3

10

2

10

 „ 350  

      400  

........

4

4

3

3

The charges for the use of the telephone trunk line between Sydney and Melbourne shall be:—

For conversations between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.—5s. per 3 minutes or part of 3 minutes.

For conversations after 8 p.m. and before 8 a.m.—2s. 6d. per 3 minutes or part of 3 minutes.

For Press conversations when the line is not otherwise engaged.—2s. 6d. per 3 minutes or part of 3 minutes.

No conversation to exceed 6 minutes if any other person is waiting to converse.

 

Part VII.—Use of Subscribers Telephones by the Public on the Ticket System or on Payment.

3. Regulation 58 under this head is repealed, and the following Regulation substituted in lieu thereof:—

58. The subscriber shall, if the permission is granted, and if required so to do, provide and exhibit a plain and legible notice in a prominent position on his premises indicating that the telephone is available for public use.


Part XIII.—Telephone Lines connecting with Trunk Line Switchboards or Telegraph Offices only.

4. Regulation 82 under this head is repealed, and the following regulation substituted in lieu thereof:—

81. Where the service is provided partly by the Postmaster-General and partly by the applicant—

£.

s.

d.

For a line (single wire circuit) not exceeding one mile radially from the switchboard or telegraph office, with the necessary connexion thereto             

2

5

0

For a line (metallic circuit) not exceeding one mile radially from the switchboard or telegraph office, with the necessary connexion thereto             

2

17

6

For each additional half-mile of line (single circuit) or portion thereof..

0

12

6

For each additional half-mile of line (metallic circuit) or portion thereof.

0

18

9

 

Part XIV.—Telephone Lines in Country Districts not erected or only partly erected by the Postmaster-General.

5. Regulation 92 under this head is amended by adding thereto, at the end thereof, the following paragraph:—

The charge of 25s. per annum per mile of wire mentioned in this regulation is for a single wire circuit. The charge for metallic circuit under the same conditions shall be 37s. 6d. per annum per mile.

6. Regulation 98 under this head is amended by adding to sub-section (2), at the end thereof, the following paragraph:—

The licensee or any bonâ fide employé of the licensee may, however, speak over his private line from the Post Office with which such line is connected, free of charge.

 

Part XV.—Telephone Lines in Country Districts partly erected by the Postmaster-General, and which connect with Telephone Exchanges.

7. Regulation 108 (d) under this head is amended by omitting at the end thereof, “£1” and inserting in lieu thereof “18s. 9d.

 

Postal Regulations.

Post Cards.

1. Regulations 3 and 4 under this head (Statutory Rules 1907, No. 30), are repealed and the following regulations substituted in lieu thereof:—

3. The dimensions of post cards must not exceed 5½ inches in length by 3½ inches in breadth, not be less than 4 inches in length by 2¾ inches in breadth.

4. Post cards must be made of ordinary cardboard not thicker than the material used for the thickest official post card, nor thinner than the material used for the thinnest official post card.


Newspapers.

General.

2. Regulation 2 under this head (Gazette, 5th June, 1902, page 242) is repealed, and the following regulation substituted in lieu thereof:—

2. Provided always that—with the exception of figures indicating the date upon which the subscription will expire, such as 10/12/07, being allowed to be printed, impressed, or stencilled upon covers of newspapers issued from the publishing office of any newspaper within the Commonwealth—any newspaper bearing on the cover or outside of the fold thereof any printed matter not permitted for newspapers may be transmitted at the rate charged for printed papers.

General Postal Regulations.

3. The General Postal Regulations (Gazette, 5th June, 1902, page 243) are amended by the addition of the following regulation:—

Payment of Postage by the Receiver.

Official Correspondence.—State of Western Australia.

Postal articles enclosed in envelopes having the words “Head Office Correspondence” indorsed thereon, and addressed to—

The Secretary,

Central Board of Health,

Perth,

may, if posted in the State of Western Australia, be sent by post without prepayment of postage, but the postage thereon at prepaid rates shall be paid by the person to whom they are addressed, upon their delivery to him.

The General Postal Regulations (Gazette, 5th June, 1902, page 243) are amended by the addition of the following new regulation:—

Payment of Postage by the Receiver.

Correspondence and returns from Meteorological out-stations throughout the Commonwealth, posted in official envelopes, having the words “Head Office Correspondence” indorsed thereon, and addressed to—

The Commonwealth Meteorologist,

Central Office,

Melbourne,

may be sent by post without prepayment of postage, but the postage thereon at prepaid rates shall be paid by the person to whom they are addressed upon their delivery to him.


Prepayment in cash, in One Sum, of Postage on large Quantities of Mail Matter.

4. The regulation under this head (Gazette, 5th June, 1902, page 244) is amended by the addition of the following paragraph:—

This regulation does not apply to newspapers posted by registered newspaper proprietors or news vendors, who may post such newspapers at other hours than those prescribed, and may post at one time a quantity of newspapers on which the amount of postage payable is less than £1, Commonwealth and State Government Departments whose postings aggregate £1 or more daily are also exempted from the provisions of this regulation in regard to the stipulation that the postage on such mail matter posted at one time shall not be less than £1.

 

Telegraphic Regulations.

Telegrams within the Commonwealth.—Regulations relating to Meteorological Telegrams.

The regulations under this head (Gazette, 7th November, 1902, page 537) are amended by repealing Regulation 3, and substituting the following regulation in lieu thereof:—

3. Precedence will be given the transmission of Meteorological telegrams sent from reporting stations authorized by the Postmaster-General, but as far as possible such telegrams must be sent before the ordinary business of the day begins.

 

By Authority: J. Kemp, Acting Government Printer, Melbourne.

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1908 No. 6 are amendments to the regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901, introduced to refine and clarify the administrative processes and charges related to the postal and telegraph services. Enacted by the Governor-General, acting on the advice of the Federal Executive Council, these regulations address the need for a structured and efficient postal and telecommunication system in the early years of the Commonwealth of Australia. The policy objective is to provide clear guidelines and fair pricing for the use of postal and telegraph services, ensuring that the public and businesses can rely on these services with transparent charges. The amendments cover aspects such as the use of telephone trunk lines, the availability of subscribers' telephones for public use, the charges for telephone lines in various districts, and the transmission of meteorological telegrams, among other things.

Scope and Application

The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901, as amended by Statutory Rules 1908, No. 6, apply to various aspects of postal and telegraphic services within the Commonwealth of Australia. The scope of these regulations encompasses the establishment and operation of telephone trunk lines, the use of subscribers' telephones by the public, and the construction and maintenance of telephone lines, both in urban and rural areas. These regulations dictate the charges for telephone services based on the length of the trunk line used and specify different rates for various periods of the day, including special rates for press conversations. Additionally, the regulations address the availability of subscribers' telephones to the public and outline the financial obligations for the provision of telephone lines, whether fully or partially constructed by the Postmaster-General. The regulations also cover the dimensions and materials for postcards and newspapers, along with specific rules for the prepayment of postage, and the handling of official correspondence, including meteorological telegrams, which are given precedence for transmission. The geographic reach of these regulations is national, applying uniformly across the Commonwealth, with particular provisions for Western Australia and meteorological out-stations throughout the Commonwealth. Certain exemptions are provided, such as for registered newspaper proprietors, news vendors, and government departments, which are excluded from specific prepayment requirements for large quantities of mail matter. The application of these regulations may be further extended or modified through subordinate instruments as necessary.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the legislation cover the various regulations governing the use of telephone trunk lines, subscribers' telephones, and the installation of telephone lines. Regulation 52 specifies the charges for the use of telephone trunk lines based on the distance between the two points of connection, with specific rates for different lengths and times of day. Regulation 58 requires subscribers to display a notice if they permit public use of their telephone, while Regulation 82 details the charges for lines connecting with trunk line switchboards or telegraph offices. Regulation 92 and 98 outline the charges for telephone lines in country districts, with adjustments for different types of circuits. Regulation 108 addresses the costs associated with lines in country districts that connect to telephone exchanges. The obligations imposed by the legislation include the requirement for subscribers to display a notice if they allow public use of their telephones, as per Regulation 58. Additionally, those responsible for the installation and maintenance of telephone lines must adhere to the specified charges for different lengths and types of lines, as detailed in Regulations 82, 92, 98, and 108. For postal services, Regulation 3 mandates the dimensions and material specifications for postcards, while Regulation 4 requires prepayment of postage for large quantities of mail matter, with certain exemptions. For telegraphic services, Regulation 3 outlines the precedence given to meteorological telegrams sent from authorised stations. The legislation includes provisions for offences, penalties, and consequences for breaches. While the text does not explicitly state the penalties for non-compliance with the regulations, it is reasonable to infer that failure to adhere to the specified charges and conditions could result in financial penalties or other enforcement actions. The specific penalties would likely be determined by the relevant authorities or courts in accordance with the applicable laws.

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