STATUTORY RULES.
1907 No. 11.
PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901.
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby certify that, on account of urgency, the undermentioned amended regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901, namely:—
General Postal Regulations: Private Mail Bags,
should come into immediate operation, and to make the amended regulations to come into operation forthwith as provisional regulations.
Dated this nineteenth day of February, One thousand nine hundred and seven.
NORTHCOTE,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
AUSTIN CHAPMAN.
General Postal Regulations.
Private Mail Bags.
The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901 are amended as follows:—
(a) By substituting the following regulation in place of regulation 1:—
1. The charge for a private mail bag made up and despatched from a Post Office by mail-man, shall be £1 per annum if made up and despatched not more than thrice a week; or, £2 per annum if made up and despatched more than thrice a week; provided, however, that the charge for making up bags conveyed from and to a Post Office by a private messenger instead of by a mail-man, shall be £1 per annum if made up not more than once daily, or £2 per annum if made up more than once daily.
The charge in each case shall be payable in advance.
C. 3055.—Price 3d.
(b) By adding thereto the following new regulation:—
8. Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing regulations, Institutions, persons or firms whose premises are not situated on a mail route may have private bags (to be conveyed only by private messenger) made up at an annual cost of £1 if made up not more than once daily, or £2 if made up more than once daily. For bags of this kind, made up at the General Post Office, lockers—in which they will be deposited after ordinary office hours—will be provided at the General Post Office for an annual rental of £2 per annum.
The charge in each case shall be payable in advance, and the provisions of the foregoing regulations 2 to 6 inclusive shall also apply.
By Authority: J. Kemp, Acting Government Printer, Melbourne.
Overview
The Provisional Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901, specifically addressing private mail bags, were enacted in 1907. The urgency of these regulations was acknowledged by the Governor-General, who certified their immediate operation on behalf of the Federal Executive Council. The Post and Telegraph Act 1901 aimed to provide a comprehensive framework for postal services across Australia, addressing the need for efficient and reliable communication channels. These provisional regulations sought to streamline the process and costs associated with private mail bags, ensuring that charges were structured based on the frequency of mail collection and delivery. This legislative instrument underscores the commitment to adapting and refining postal services to meet the evolving needs of the populace.
Scope and Application
The Provisional Regulations Under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901, specifically the amended General Postal Regulations: Private Mail Bags, establish the fees for private mail bags managed by postal services. These regulations apply to individuals, institutions, and firms that utilise private mail bags for their correspondence, with distinctions made based on the frequency of mail collection and delivery, whether by a mail-man or a private messenger. The regulations set a charge of £1 per annum for those whose mail is collected and delivered up to three times a week by a mail-man or once daily by a private messenger, and £2 per annum for those whose mail is collected and delivered more frequently than the specified limits. Notably, institutions, persons, or firms not situated on a mail route can also have private mail bags made up at an annual cost of £1 if made up not more than once daily, or £2 if made up more than once daily, with the added provision of lockers for after-hours deposit at the General Post Office for an annual rental of £2 per annum. These regulations, certified as provisional and coming into immediate operation, are applicable across the Commonwealth of Australia, extending the provisions of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of the Provisional Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901 establish the charges for private mail bags. Regulation 1 sets the charges for private mail bags made up and despatched by a mail-man, while regulation 8 outlines the charges for private mail bags for institutions, persons, or firms whose premises are not situated on a mail route and who must have their bags conveyed by a private messenger. According to regulation 1, the charge for a private mail bag made up and despatched from a Post Office by a mail-man is £1 per annum if made up and despatched not more than thrice a week; or, £2 per annum if made up and despatched more than thrice a week (section 1). Regulation 8 states that the charge for private mail bags for those not on a mail route, conveyed only by a private messenger, is £1 per annum if made up not more than once daily, or £2 if made up more than once daily (section 8).
These regulations impose obligations and requirements on the parties involved. Firstly, the charges for private mail bags must be paid in advance. Secondly, institutions, persons, or firms not situated on a mail route must have their bags conveyed by a private messenger. Thirdly, lockers will be provided at the General Post Office for these bags, with an annual rental of £2 per annum. Furthermore, the provisions of regulations 2 to 6 inclusive apply to the bags made up at the General Post Office (section 8).
There are no explicit offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breach stated in the Provisional Regulations. However, non-compliance with the payment of charges in advance, as required by sections 1 and 8, could potentially lead to the suspension or termination of the private mail bag service. Additionally, failure to adhere to the specified frequency of bag despatch could result in the imposition of higher charges, as outlined in sections 1 and 8.