Telegraph Regulations 1927 (Amendment)

Legislation au C1940L00102 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

STATUTORY RULES.

1940. No. 102.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1934.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934.

Dated this seventh day of June, 1940.

GOWRIE

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

H. V. C. THORBY

Postmaster-General.

 

Amendments of the Telegraph Regulations.†

Extra rates after hours and on certain days.

1. Regulation 6 of the Telegraph Regulations is repealed.

2. Regulation 63 of the Telegraph Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead:—

“Press telegrams and broadcasting telegrams.

63.—(1.) For the purposes of these Regulations and of Part II. of the Second Schedule to the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902-1940, press telegrams shall be telegrams which comply with the following provisions:—

(a) Subject to this sub-regulation, the text of the telegram shall consist only of political, commercial or general information or news which is intended for immediate publication in a newspaper registered under section 29 of the Act or for exhibition in the news room of the newspaper or news agency to which it is addressed, or which has been published in a newspaper and is intended for transmission to a person in a town in which there is a telegraph office but in which a newspaper is not published;

(b) The telegram shall be in plain language and in the English language, but may include any group of figures, or letters and figures, which are used with the meaning usually given to them in the English language;

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 7th June, 1940.

† Statutory Rules 1927, No. 142, as amended by Statutory Rules 1928, Nos. 35, 88, 97; 1929, Nos. 15 and 128; 1930, Nos. 1, 5, 42, 81, 114 and 129; 1931, Nos. 70, 132 and 136; 1933, Nos. 102 and 127; 1934, Nos. 24, 113 and 137; 1935, No. 77; 1938, No. 63; 1939, Nos. 14 and 84; and 1940, Nos. 50 and 87.

3575.—Price 3d.


(c) The telegram shall not contain—

(i) any advertisement;

(ii) an election address;

(iii) anything for the publication of which in a newspaper payment or consideration is usually made or given; or

(iv) a letter to the editor of the newspaper; and

(d) The telegram may include instructions (such as ‘Part I’, ‘To precede’, ‘To follow’, ‘Substitute for previous’, ‘Good night’ or ‘Finis’) which are necessary to facilitate the publication or exhibition of the information or news contained in the telegram, but shall not include inquiries such as ‘Can you take 2,000 more’.

“(2.) For the purposes of these Regulations and of Part III. of the Second Schedule to the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902-1940, broadcasting telegrams shall be telegrams which comply with the following provisions:—

(a) Subject to this sub-regulation, the text of the telegram shall consist only of political, commercial or general information or news which is intended for immediate publication by transmission from a broadcasting station;

(b) The telegram shall be in plain language and in the English language, but may include any group of figures, or letters and figures, which are used with the meaning usually given to them in the English language;

(c) The telegram shall not contain—

(i) any advertisement;

(ii) an election address;

(iii) anything for the transmission of which by a broadcasting station payment or consideration is usually made or given; or

(iv) a letter to the manager of the broadcasting station; and

(d) telegram may include instructions (such as ‘Part I.’, ‘To precede’, ‘To follow’, ‘Substitute for previous’, ‘Good night’ or ‘Finis’) which are necessary to facilitate the broadcasting of the information or news contained in the telegram, but shall not include inquiries such as ‘Can you take 2,000 more’.

“(3.) Press telegrams or broadcasting telegrams which relate to—

(a) any Parliamentary, Executive or Departmental proceedings of the Commonwealth, including Parliamentary Papers and Bills of the Commonwealth;

(b) reports of proceedings of Royal Commissions appointed by the Governor-General; and

(c) summaries of any such proceedings, Papers, Bills or reports,

without notes comments or any extraneous matter beyond what is necessary to afford a connected statement of the facts, shall be telegrams for the purposes of division (a) of Part II. of the Second Schedule to the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902-1940.


“(4.) Press telegrams and broadcasting telegrams shall be accepted for transmission subject to the following conditions:—

(a) The sender of the telegram shall be a correspondent of, and the telegram shall be addressed to—

(i) a newspaper registered under section 29 of the Act,

(ii) a news agency approved by the Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs, or

(iii) a broadcasting station,

but the telegram shall not be addressed to the editor, manager, or any other person by name,

(b) Between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6.30 p.m., an ordinary telegram shall be entitled to be transmitted in precedence of a press telegram or a broadcasting telegram; and

(c) The telegram shall be lodged sufficiently early to permit the completion of its transmission before the time of closing of the telegraph office at which it is lodged and of the telegraph office to which it is addressed. For the purpose of this paragraph, one minute shall be deemed to be the time of transmission for each twenty words where the transmission is direct, and two minutes for each twenty words where it is necessary for the telegram to be repeated through an intermediate telegraph office.

“(5.) Where a telegram is presented for transmission at the rates prescribed for press and broadcasting telegrams, and there is doubt whether the telegram is entitled to transmission at those rates, the telegram may be accepted for transmission at those rates if the sender undertakes in writing to pay for the telegram at the rates prescribed for ordinary telegrams if subsequently required to do so.

“(6.) It shall not be necessary for the sender of a ‘collect’ press or broadcasting telegram to sign an undertaking or lodge a deposit as required by regulation 60 of these Regulations. If the addressee fails to pay the charges for a ‘collect’ press or broadcasting telegram, the sender shall pay the amount due, together with the cost of the telegraphic advice of non-payment by the addressee.

“(7.) The provisions of regulation 60 of these Regulations shall not be applicable in respect of a press telegram which consists of matter which has been published in a newspaper and is to be transmitted to a person in a town in which there is a telegraph office but in which a newspaper is not published”.

 

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1940, No. 102, made under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, provide amendments to the Telegraph Regulations, specifically addressing the rates and conditions for transmitting press and broadcasting telegrams. These Regulations were enacted to refine the existing framework for telegraph services, ensuring clarity in the types of telegrams eligible for reduced rates and the conditions under which they could be transmitted. The enactment body, the Governor-General in Council, aimed to provide a more streamlined process for the transmission of press and broadcasting telegrams, facilitating efficient communication of news and information while maintaining the integrity and purpose of such communications. The policy objective is to support the timely dissemination of news by applying specific criteria to the content and transmission of press and broadcasting telegrams.

Scope and Application

The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934 apply to the transmission of press telegrams and broadcasting telegrams within the Commonwealth of Australia. These regulations specifically address the conditions under which press and broadcasting telegrams can be sent, including the content requirements and the entities eligible to send and receive such telegrams. Press telegrams must consist of political, commercial, or general information intended for immediate publication in a registered newspaper or for exhibition in a news room, while broadcasting telegrams must contain information intended for immediate publication by a broadcasting station. Both types of telegrams must be in plain English and cannot include advertisements, election addresses, or any content for which payment or consideration is usually made. The regulations also outline the transmission precedence, with ordinary telegrams having priority over press or broadcasting telegrams between 9 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. These regulations apply nationally and are enforced through subordinate instruments that can extend or restrict their application.

Key Provisions

The key provisions of these Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934 focus on amending the Telegraph Regulations, particularly concerning press and broadcasting telegrams. Regulation 6 is repealed, and Regulation 63 is replaced with detailed provisions for press and broadcasting telegrams. Regulation 63(1) specifies that press telegrams are those containing political, commercial, or general information or news intended for immediate publication in a registered newspaper or exhibition in its newsroom or news agency. They must be in plain English and cannot include advertisements, election addresses, or anything requiring payment for publication. Broadcasting telegrams, defined in Regulation 63(2), are similar but intended for transmission by a broadcasting station. They also must be in plain English and cannot contain advertisements or anything requiring payment for transmission. Regulation 63(3) clarifies that telegrams relating to Commonwealth proceedings, reports of Royal Commissions, and summaries of these must be free of extraneous matter. These Regulations impose several obligations on the parties involved. The sender of a press or broadcasting telegram must be a correspondent and address the telegram to a registered newspaper, an approved news agency, or a broadcasting station, but not to a named individual. Additionally, ordinary telegrams take precedence over press and broadcasting telegrams between 9 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. The sender must lodge the telegram early enough for it to be completed before the telegraph office closes. If there is uncertainty about whether a telegram qualifies for press or broadcasting rates, it may be accepted at those rates on the sender's written undertaking to pay ordinary rates if required. For collect telegrams, the sender does not need to sign an undertaking or deposit, but must pay if the addressee does not. Failure to comply with these Regulations may lead to various consequences. If a telegram does not meet the criteria for press or broadcasting rates and is accepted under uncertainty, the sender must pay the ordinary rate if required. Non-payment of collect telegrams by the addressee results in the sender covering the charges and the cost of notification. The Regulations also stipulate that certain requirements, such as signing an undertaking or lodging a deposit, do not apply to specific types of telegrams, ensuring streamlined processes for legitimate communications.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Communications Law
Instrument
Regulation
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Regulatory Standards
Enforcement Powers

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

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.