Postal, Telegraphic and Telephone Regulations (Amendment) (Provisional)

Legislation au C1911L00069 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1911. No. 69.

 

PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1910.

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 1901-10, namely:—

General Postal Regulations.

Poste Restante, Private Mail Bags, Official Correspondence—State of Western Australia.

Postal Regulations.

Late Fees, Newspapers.

Telegraphic Regulations.

Telegrams within the Commonwealth—Extra rates after ordinary business hours, and on Sunday, Christmas Day, and Good Friday; Replies may be prepaid.

Telephone Regulations.

Part I.—Telephone Exchanges; Part XI.—Time Signals; Part XII.— Telephone Lines not connected with Exchanges; Part XV.—Telephone Lines in Country Districts partly erected by the Postmaster-General, and which connect with Telephone Exchanges; Part XVII.—Erection of Public Telegraph of Telephone Lines under Guarantee.

should come into immediate operation, and make the amended Regulations to come into operation forthwith as Provisional Regulations;

Dated this second day of May, One thousand nine hundred and eleven.

DUDLEY,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

JOSIAH THOMAS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C.5794.—Price 3d.


General Postal Regulations.

The Regulations under this head (Gazette No. 26 of 5th June, 1902) are amended by inserting immediately before the Regulations under the sub-head of “Undelivered mail matter,” the following new sub-head and Regulation:—

“Poste Restante.

“The privilege of having correspondence addressed to a post-office and indorsed ‘To be called for,’ or ‘Poste Restante,’ shall not be allowed for a longer period than six months.”

Private Mail Bags.

The Regulations under this head (Gazette No. 26 of 5th June, 1902, page 245) are amended—

(1) by omitting from Regulation 5 the words “for such of its contents as may have been registered,” and inserting in their stead the words “for all registered articles and parcels enclosed in the bag”; and

(2) by inserting after the words “registered articles” in Regulation 6 the words “and parcels.”

Official Correspondence—State of Western Australia.

The Regulation under this head (Statutory Rules 1904, No. 45, as amended by Statutory Rules 1908, No. 6) is amended by adding, after the word “corner,” the following new paragraph:—

“Postal articles addressed to the District Surveyors at Bridgetown, Albany, Geraldton, Northam, Narrogin, or Perth, enclosed in envelopes having, thereon the words ‘District Survey Office’ (and the name of the town) in the right-hand top corner.”

Postal Regulations.

Late Fees.

The Regulation under this head (Gazette No. 26 of 5th June, 1902, page 236, as amended by Statutory Rules 1908, No. 107) is amended by omitting the words “letters and packets” wherever those words occur, and inserting in their stead the words “all unregistered postal articles except newspapers and parcels.”

Newspapers.

Regulation i under this head (Gazette No. 26 of 5th June, 1902, page 242, as amended, by Statutory Rules 1910, No. 48) is amended by omitting all the words in clause (c) after the word “registered,” and inserting in their stead the following words:—

“a fee of 5s., and a statutory declaration by the applicant declaring—

(1) that the publication is printed and published within the Commonwealth for sale, and not for free distribution to any great extent;

(2) that a total of at least 75 per centum of the copies to be issued will be sold to bonâ fide subscribers who have ordered the paper, or be handed, or posted to persons for bonâ fide sale.”


Telegraphic Regulations.

Telegrams within the Commonwealth—Extra rates after ordinary business hours, and on Sunday, Christmas Day, and. Good Friday.

The Regulation under this head (Statutory Rules 1908, No. 107) is amended by inserting after the words “press telegrams” the words “and official telegrams sent in connexion with Federal Referenda.”

Replies may be Prepaid.

The Regulation under this head (Gazette No. 26 of 5th June, 1902, page 257) is amended by omitting the word “State” from the first paragraph, and inserting in its stead the word “Commonwealth.”

Telephone Regulations.

Part I.—Telephone Exchanges.

Regulation 10a under this head (Statutory Rules 1908, No. 20) is amended—

(1) by inserting after the figure and word “5 miles,” in sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (3), the words and signs “(measured radially)”;

(2) by inserting at the end of sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (3) the following words:—

“calculated on the actual length of line, and not on the radial distance”;

(3) by inserting after sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (3) the following sub-paragraph:—

“(c) When party lines are connected under this Regulation, the charges for so much of the actual length of line as extends more than five (5) miles beyond the limits of the network, shall be at the rate prescribed by Regulation 6, plus fifty (50) per cent.”

Sub-paragraph (a) of Regulation 19 under this head (Statutory Rules 1906, No. 114) is amended by adding at the end of the first paragraph thereof the following proviso, viz.:—

“Provided that this condition may be waived in the interests of the Department in cases where the Postmaster-General considers it necessary.”

Part X.I—Time Signals.

Regulation 79 under this head (Statutory Rules 1906, No. 114, as amended by Statutory Rules 1907, No. 74) is amended—

(a) by adding the words “and Weather Forecasts” after the words “Time Signals” in the heading;

(b) by adding the following Regulation:—

79A. (1) Subscribers to telephone exchanges who are outside networks of State capitals or other large centres, may, on payment of an annual fee of 30s., be supplied by telephone with the daily Weather Forecast, and occasional notes concerning flood waters and impending storms, issued by the Commonwealth Meteorologist.


(2) Such service shall be provided for a period certain of one year, after the expiration of which period payment shall be made half-yearly, under the conditions as to discontinuance laid down in Regulation 11 in respect of ordinary telephone services.

(3) The fees shall be payable in advance.

Part XII.—Telephone Lines not connected with Exchanges.

Regulation 80 (1) under this head (Statutory Rules 1908, No. 73) is amended by inserting after sub-paragraph (b) the following sub-paragraph:—

(c) Where, in any quarter-mile of line, portion of the wire is on new poles and portion on existing poles, only one charge, namely, £1 per annum, is to be made for such quarter-mile.”

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

The Regulations under this head (Statutory Rules 1906, No. 114, as amended by Statutory Rules 1909, No. 56) are amended by adding at the end of clause (2) of Regulation 109, the following words:—

“Provided that if licensee brings to the telephone exchange instruments provided by the Department which have been used on the line and have become defective, such instruments shall be repaired, so far as ordinary defects due to fair wear and tear are concerned, by the Department, free of charge.”

Part XVII.—Erection of Public Telegraph or Telephone Lines under Guarantee.

Regulation 119 under this head (Statutory Rules 1906, No. 114, as amended by Statutory Rules, 1911, No. 62) is repealed, and the following Regulation inserted in its stead:—

119. The sum deposited with the Postmaster-General shall be paid to the Trust Fund, and such sum shall be available for the purpose of making good, in any year, seventy-five per centum of any amount by which the yearly receipts from the line fall short of a minimum revenue, and the sums required for that purpose may be withdrawn from the Trust Fund, and the accrued interest thereon, where necessary, may also be drawn from an expenditure vote and paid to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, at such times as the Postmaster-General thinks proper.

 

Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by J. Kemp, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.

Overview

The Provisional Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1910, enacted in 1911, were introduced to address the urgent need for adjustments to postal and telegraph services across Australia. These regulations were brought into immediate operation by the Governor-General in Council, highlighting their urgency. The policy objective was to refine and update existing postal, telegraph, and telephone services to better meet the needs of the Commonwealth. The regulations cover various aspects including post office services, postal fees, telegraphic services, and telephone services, making amendments to existing regulations to ensure they remain effective and relevant. This legislative instrument aimed to streamline postal services, clarify fee structures, and enhance the efficiency and reliability of communication services within Australia.

Scope and Application

The Provisional Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1910 cover a range of postal, telegraphic, and telephonic services provided by the Postmaster-General's Department. These regulations apply to all individuals and entities engaging in postal services, telegraphic communications, and telephonic connections within the Commonwealth of Australia, including state and territorial boundaries. The regulations primarily address the administrative and operational aspects of postal services, including the management of poste restante mail, the handling of private mail bags, and the regulation of late fees for unregistered postal articles. They also set specific conditions for the handling of official correspondence, particularly for district surveyors in Western Australia, and detail the fees and conditions for newspaper registration and distribution. Telegraphic regulations cover the rates for telegrams sent outside ordinary business hours and on public holidays, as well as the ability to prepay telegram replies. The telephone regulations address various aspects of telephone service provision, including the establishment of telephone exchanges, the charging of connection fees based on the actual length of lines, and the provision of weather forecasts to subscribers in remote areas. These regulations were enacted with urgency and came into immediate operation to ensure continuity and clarity in the provision of these services across the Commonwealth.

Key Provisions

The Provisional Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1910 introduce several amendments to the existing regulations, affecting various aspects of postal, telegraphic, and telephone services. These changes include limiting the period for which correspondence can be held at a post office under "Poste Restante" to six months (Regulation 1), ensuring that private mail bags are charged for all registered articles and parcels (Regulations 5 and 6), extending the scope of official correspondence to include postal articles addressed to specific district surveyors in Western Australia (Regulation 1), amending the fee structure for late unregistered postal articles (Regulation 1), revising the conditions for the sale of newspapers (Regulation 1), including official telegrams sent in connection with Federal Referenda in extra rates for telegrams sent outside ordinary business hours (Regulation 1), allowing prepaid replies to telegrams sent within the Commonwealth (Regulation 1), modifying the calculation of charges for telephone lines (Regulations 10a and 19), introducing weather forecast services for telephone subscribers in remote areas (Regulation 79A), adjusting the charge for telephone lines that partially use new and existing poles (Regulation 80), providing for the repair of defective instruments brought by licensees (Regulation 109), and altering the conditions under which sums are paid into the Trust Fund for public telegraph or telephone lines (Regulation 119). These regulations impose several obligations on the parties involved. Post office staff must limit the duration for which "Poste Restante" correspondence is held to six months. Private mail bags must be charged for all registered articles and parcels enclosed within them. Officials must ensure that postal articles addressed to specified district surveyors in Western Australia are treated as official correspondence. The Postmaster-General must collect fees for late unregistered postal articles, newspapers, and telegrams under specified conditions. Telephone companies must calculate charges for telephone lines based on actual length and may charge extra for lines extending beyond the network limits. The Department of Home Affairs must provide weather forecast services to eligible subscribers and repair defective instruments brought by licensees. The Postmaster-General must manage the Trust Fund to cover shortfalls in revenue from public telegraph or telephone lines. Breaches of these regulations may lead to various penalties and consequences. For instance, failure to adhere to the "Poste Restante" period could result in non-delivery of correspondence, while incorrect charging of private mail bags or official correspondence could lead to financial discrepancies. Non-compliance with newspaper sale regulations could result in fines and other penalties for unregistered newspaper distribution. Incorrect application of late fees or extra charges for telegrams and telephone lines could lead to disputes and financial penalties. Failure to provide mandated services or repairs could result in service disruptions and dissatisfaction among customers. These regulations do not explicitly state maximum penalties, but breaches may be subject to fines or other legal actions as per the relevant Acts and regulations.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.