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

Legislation au C2004L09743 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1907. No. 98.

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 :—

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.

Newspapers.—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,

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

Dated this 13th day of September, 1907.

NORTHCOTE,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency's Command,

SAMUEL MAUGER.

C.12382—Price 3d.


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Regulation 52.—Telephone Trunk Lines.—(Statutory Rules 1906, No. 114) under this head is repealed and the following Regulation substituted in lieu thereof :—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

82. 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 employe 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 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, nor 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 Post and Telegraph Act 1901 was enacted to provide for the establishment and regulation of postal and telegraph services within Australia. This legislation was introduced to address the need for a comprehensive legal framework governing the operations of these essential communication services. The Act was passed by the Parliament of Australia, reflecting the policy objective of ensuring efficient and reliable postal and telegraph services across the nation. The Provisional Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901, issued on 13 September 1907, were designed to address urgent operational requirements and provide immediate effect to certain regulatory amendments, ensuring smooth transitions in service provision and addressing emerging issues in the rapidly evolving communication landscape of the time. These regulations were enacted by the Governor-General, with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, to facilitate prompt implementation and adaptation to new circumstances without the delay associated with formal legislative processes.

Scope and Application

The Provisional Regulations Under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901 apply to the management and regulation of postal, telegraph, and telephone services within the Commonwealth of Australia. These regulations specifically address the use and charges associated with telephone trunk lines, the public use of subscribers' telephones, and the provision of telephone lines in country districts. The geographic reach of these regulations is national, as they pertain to the entire Commonwealth. The regulations also include provisions for specific charges and conditions applicable to certain types of communications, such as meteorological telegrams. Notably, these regulations can be amended and extended through subordinate instruments, allowing for flexibility and updates to the service provisions as necessary. The regulations do not apply to certain government departments and registered newspaper proprietors, who have specific exemptions related to the prepayment of postage on large quantities of mail matter.

Key Provisions

The Provisional Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901 introduce several amendments primarily concerning telephone and postal services. Regulation 52 outlines the charges for the use of telephone trunk lines, which are charged based on the distance of the line used and the time of the conversation, with specific rates for conversations between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and after 8 p.m. and before 8 a.m. Regulation 58 requires subscribers to display a notice if their telephone is available for public use, while Regulation 82 details the charges for telephone lines connecting with trunk line switchboards or telegraph offices. Regulations 92 and 98 specify the charges for telephone lines in country districts not erected or partly erected by the Postmaster-General, with additional provisions for the use of private lines. These regulations impose specific obligations on subscribers and licensees, such as providing notices for public use of telephones and adhering to the specified charges for various telephone services. Postal regulations, detailed in Regulations 3 and 4, set the dimensions and material requirements for postcards, while Regulation 2 allows for the transmission of newspapers with specific printed matter at certain rates. Additionally, Regulations 3 and 4 under the General Postal Regulations introduce provisions for the payment of postage by the receiver for certain official correspondence and meteorological out-stations. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in various civil or administrative consequences, such as fines or additional charges for non-compliance. For instance, incorrect adherence to the specified dimensions and materials for postcards could lead to rejection or additional postal charges. Similarly, not following the prescribed charges for telephone services might result in overcharges or penalties. While the regulations do not explicitly detail criminal penalties, non-compliance could potentially lead to administrative actions under the broader Post and Telegraph Act 1901.

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Telecommunications Law
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