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

Legislation au C1910L00035 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1910. No. 35.

 

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:—

Postal Regulations.

Packets—1. Within the Commonwealth and to Papua (British New Guinea), New Zealand, and Fiji. Terms and Conditions under which Packets may be transmitted within the Commonwealth. Newspapers.

Parcels Post—How to address and pack.

Telephone Regulations.

Part I.—Telephone Exchanges.

Part XIX.—Miscellaneous.—Printing of telephone lists.

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

Dated this eighth day of April, One thousand nine hundred and ten.

DUDLEY,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

JOHN QUICK.

 

POSTAL REGULATIONS.

Packets.

I.—Within the Commonwealth and to Papua (British New Guinea), New Zealand and Fiji.

 

Terms and Conditions under which Packets may be transmitted within the Commonwealth.

 

Regulation 3 under this head (Gazette No. 26 of 5th June, 1902, page 239, as amended by Statutory Rules 1909, Nos. 104 and 111) is amended by inserting after the paragraph relating to liquids, oils and fatty substances, the following paragraphs:—

“Wine, spirits, liqueurs, or other alcoholic beverages shall not be transmitted by post unless they

(a) consist of bonâ fide samples, and each sample does not exceed four ounces in weight, and

(b) the samples are packed in the manner in which liquids are, by these Regulations, required to be packed.”


Newspapers.

Regulation 5 under this head (Gazette No. 26 of 5th June, 1902, page 242) is amended by inserting at the commencement thereof the words:—

“Except in the case of newspapers sent to the United Kingdom by the ‘all sea’ route.”

Parcels Post.

How to Address and Pack.

Regulation 1 under this head (Gazette No. 26 of 5th June, 1902, page 249) is repealed, and the following Regulation substituted in lieu thereof:—

I. In addition to the name and address of the person for whom it is intended, every parcel addressed to any place beyond the Commonwealth must bear the name and address of the sender on the wrapper, thus:

From……………………………..of……………………………….

The name and address of the sender may also be indicated on parcels for delivery within the Commonwealth.

 

TELEPHONE REGULATIONS.

Part 1.—Telephone Exchanges.

Regulation II under this head (Statutory Rules 1908, No. 111) is repealed, and the following Regulation substituted in lieu thereof:—

“II.—(1) Telephone lines must be rented for a period certain of one year at least, or of such longer time as the Deputy Postmaster-General decides, and thereafter the renting shall continue unless and until determined by notice in accordance with this Regulation.

(2) On or at any time after the expiration of the period certain, the renting of the line, or of any extension thereof, may be determined—

(a) by the subscriber giving to the Deputy Postmaster-General one month’s previous notice in writing of his intention to discontinue the use of the line or extension; or

(b) by the Deputy Postmaster-General giving to the subscriber one month’s previous notice in writing of his intention to discontinue the service.

(3) Rent will be charged only to the expiration of the notice of discontinuance.

(4) The notice to the Deputy Postmaster-General may be waived in the case of the death of the subscriber if—

(a) the telephone line is an ordinary telephone line, and

(b) a special agreement for the renting of the line for a fixed term is not in force, and

(c) the notice would involve payment of rent for any period beyond the date to which rent has already been paid.

(5) Nothing in this Regulation shall affect the power of the Postmaster-General, or a Deputy Postmaster-General, to determine the agreement under any other Regulation.”


Part XIX.—Miscellaneous.

Printing of Telephone Lists.

Regulation, 126a under the above head (Statutory Rules 1908, No. 87) is repealed, and the following Regulation substituted in lieu thereof:—

“Illicit Telephone Lists.

“126A.—(1) Any person who (without the authority of the Deputy Postmaster-General in the State, proof whereof shall lie upon such person) prints, publishes, or circulates any list of all or any of the subscribers to a telephone exchange, shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds for each copy of any list printed, published or circulated in contravention of this Regulation.

(2) Any person who (without the authority of the Deputy Postmaster-General in the State, proof whereof shall lie upon such person) authorizes any other person to print, publish or circulate any list of all or any of the subscribers to a telephone exchange, shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds.

(3) Each copy of any list printed, published or circulated in contravention of this Regulation, shall be forfeited to the King, and shall, on demand in writing by the Deputy Postmaster-General, be delivered up to him or any officer authorized by, him to receive it.”

 

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

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1910, No. 35, titled "Provisional Regulations Under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901," was enacted to address administrative and operational gaps in the regulation of postal and telephone services in Australia, particularly in terms of the transmission of certain goods and services and the renting of telephone lines. This legislative instrument was introduced by the Governor-General, acting on advice from the Federal Executive Council, due to the urgency of the matter. The policy objective behind these regulations is to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of postal services while also providing clear guidelines for the rental of telephone lines and the prohibition of illicit telephone lists. These provisional regulations were designed to come into immediate effect, highlighting the necessity for prompt and effective measures to address the identified issues within the postal and telephone sectors.

Scope and Application

The Postal Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901 apply to the transmission of packets within the Commonwealth of Australia and to Papua (British New Guinea), New Zealand, and Fiji. The regulations detail the terms and conditions under which packets, including newspapers and parcels, may be transmitted, with specific guidelines on the packaging of alcoholic beverages and the exclusion of newspapers sent to the United Kingdom by sea. These regulations govern the entities and individuals involved in the transmission process, ensuring that parcels are correctly addressed and packed. The Telephone Regulations apply to telephone exchanges and the renting of telephone lines, stipulating the duration of rental agreements, the procedures for terminating these agreements, and the penalties for unauthorised printing or circulation of telephone lists. These provisions apply nationally and extend to territories under British governance at the time, such as Papua and New Zealand, but do not explicitly mention Fiji in the context of telephone regulations. The application of these regulations is immediate, as designated by the Provisional Regulations, indicating an urgency to enforce these amended rules.

Key Provisions

The amended Postal Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901 (C1910L00035) introduce specific terms and conditions for the transmission of packets within the Commonwealth and to Papua (British New Guinea), New Zealand, and Fiji. Regulation 3 now includes provisions prohibiting the transmission of wine, spirits, liqueurs, or other alcoholic beverages by post unless they are bona fide samples not exceeding four ounces in weight and are packed in accordance with the regulations for liquids (Reg. 3). Regulation 5 amends the provisions regarding the transmission of newspapers, exempting those sent to the United Kingdom by the 'all sea' route (Reg. 5). Additionally, the regulations now specify that parcels addressed beyond the Commonwealth must bear the name and address of the sender, in addition to the recipient's name and address (Reg. 1). The obligations imposed by these regulations require senders to adhere strictly to the specified conditions for transmitting packets and parcels, ensuring that alcoholic beverages are appropriately sampled and packed, and that parcels contain necessary sender information. Furthermore, the regulations mandate that telephone lines must be rented for a minimum period of one year, with the possibility of extension as decided by the Deputy Postmaster-General (Reg. II). Subscribers or the Deputy Postmaster-General can terminate the rental agreement with one month's written notice (Reg. II(2)). Breaches of these regulations incur specific penalties. For instance, anyone printing, publishing, or circulating a list of telephone subscribers without the Deputy Postmaster-General's authority faces a penalty of up to five pounds for each copy of the list, with an additional penalty of up to fifty pounds for authorizing such an action (Reg. 126A). Each copy of the list found in contravention of this regulation is subject to forfeiture and must be handed over to the Deputy Postmaster-General or an authorized officer upon demand.

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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.