Telegraph Regulations 1927 (Amendment)

Legislation au C1942L00550 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES

1942. No. 550

 

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 twenty-third day of December, 1942

(SGD.) GOWRIE.

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

Postmaster-General.

 

Amendments of the Telegraph Regulations.†

Commencement.

1. These Regulations shall come into operation on the twenty-fifth day of December, 1942.

Lettergrams.

2. Regulation 62 of the Telegraph Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (14).

3. Regulation 75 of the Telegraph Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead:—

“Telephoning of telegrams by subscribers.

75.—(1.) A telephone subscriber may telephone a message to a telegraph office for transmission as a telegram.

“(2.) A telephone subscriber within a metropolitan telephone area who wishes to telephone a telegram shall telephone the message to the Chief Telegraph Office. A subscriber outside a metropolitan telephone area shall, subject to sub-regulation (4) of this regulation, and except where otherwise approved by the Postmaster-General, telephone the message to the nearest telegraph office.

“(3.) Where a message sent by telephone is accepted for transmission as a telegram under the preceding provisions of this regulation, there shall be payable, in addition to the prescribed charge for the transmission of the telegram—

(a) a fee of Twopence; and

(b) except where the message is telephoned by a direct telephone line to the telegraph office, the telephone unit fee.

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on , 1942.

† Statutory Rules 1927, No. 142, as amended by Statutory Rules 1928, Nos. 35, 88 and 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, 87 and 102.

8285.—Price 3d. 30/16.12.1942.


“(4.) When the nearest telegraph office is closed but the telephone exchange is open and trunk line service is available, a message may be telephoned to the nearest telegraph office open for business for transmission as a telegram.

“(5.) Where a message sent by telephone is accepted for transmission as a telegram under the last preceding sub-regulation, there shall be payable, in addition to the prescribed charge for the transmission of the telegram—

(a) if the message is telephoned between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day except Sunday—

(i) a fee of Twopence; and

(ii) in respect of a message telephoned over a telephone subscriber’s exchange service, the prescribed telephone unit fee, or, in respect of a message telephoned from a public telephone at a post office or elsewhere, the prescribed public telephone fee; or

(b) if the message is telephoned at any other time or on a Sunday—

(i) the charges prescribed by the last preceding paragraph; and

(ii) the appropriate trunk line fee, calculated on the basis of three minutes for each group of thirty paid words or portion thereof transmitted.

“(6.) At a telephone exchange at which service is given between the hours of 7 p.m. and midnight a subscriber may, during that period, telephone a message, for transmission as a lettergram, to the nearest telegraph office which is open for lettergram business, where the message shall be treated as a lettergram handed in at that office.

“(7.) Where a telephone trunk line is used for the purpose of telephoning a message under the last preceding sub-regulation, there shall be payable, in addition to the prescribed charge for the transmission of the lettergram, the charges specified in paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (5.) of this regulation.

“(8.) A telephone subscriber shall be responsible for the payment of all charges in respect of messages telephoned from his telephone for transmission as telegrams or lettergrams.

“(9.) The provisions of regulation 69 of these Regulations shall apply to a message telephoned in accordance with this regulation for transmission as a telegram or lettergram.

“(10.) The record of a message made at the telegraph office to which it is telephoned shall be regarded as the original telegram or lettergram.

“(11.) The Postmaster-General may refuse or postpone the acceptance of a message by telephone for transmission as a telegram or lettergram where—

(a) the message is of abnormal length;

(b) a large number of messages is telephoned at one time; or

(c) the message contains code or cipher groups.

“(12.) A person may, before commencing to telephone a message for transmission as a telegram or lettergram, request that a copy thereof be made and delivered to him by post. An additional charge of Threepence shall be payable in respect of each copy supplied in accordance with this sub-regulation.”.

 

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

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1942, No. 550, Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, were enacted by the Governor-General of Australia in accordance with the advice of the Federal Executive Council. These regulations, which came into effect on 25 December 1942, were established to amend the existing Telegraph Regulations to accommodate the changing communication needs during the war period. Specifically, these regulations addressed the logistical and operational challenges of managing telegraph services amidst wartime exigencies, introducing modifications to the way telegrams could be transmitted via telephone. The policy objective of these regulations was to streamline and adapt the communication infrastructure to meet the demands of wartime communication, ensuring that telegram services remained accessible and efficient for the public.

Scope and Application

The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, as amended, apply to telephone subscribers who wish to send telegrams or lettergrams by telephoning their messages to a telegraph office. These Regulations, which came into operation on 25 December 1942, establish the procedure for telephoning messages for telegraphic transmission, including the specific offices to which messages should be directed and the additional fees associated with such services. The Regulations also provide for the circumstances under which the Postmaster-General may refuse or postpone the acceptance of a message and detail the conditions for requesting a copy of the message to be delivered by post. These provisions apply across the Commonwealth of Australia, encompassing all metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, and are subject to the overarching framework set by the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934.

Key Provisions

The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, as detailed in Statutory Rules 1942, No. 550, introduce significant amendments to the existing Telegraph Regulations, particularly concerning the telephoning of telegrams by subscribers. Regulation 62(14) is omitted, and Regulation 75 is repealed and replaced with new provisions (Section 2 and 3). These provisions allow telephone subscribers to telephone messages to telegraph offices for telegram transmission. Subscribers within a metropolitan area must call the Chief Telegraph Office, while those outside must call the nearest telegraph office, subject to certain exceptions (Section 3(1) and (2)). Fees are specified for these services, with additional charges for direct telephone lines and public telephones, depending on the time of day and day of the week (Section 3(3), (4), and (5)). Furthermore, subscribers can also telephone messages for lettergram transmission between 7 p.m. and midnight, with additional charges for trunk lines (Section 3(6) and (7)). The obligations imposed by these Regulations on telephone subscribers are clear and precise. Subscribers must ensure that the messages they telephone are not of abnormal length, are not submitted in large numbers simultaneously, and do not contain code or cipher groups, as the Postmaster-General may refuse or postpone such messages (Section 3(11)(a), (b), and (c)). Subscribers are also responsible for paying all charges associated with the telephone transmission of telegrams or lettergrams (Section 3(8)). Regulation 69 applies to these telephoned messages, and the record made at the telegraph office becomes the original telegram or lettergram (Section 3(9) and (10)). Subscribers have the option to request a copy of the message to be delivered by post, with an additional charge of Threepence for each copy (Section 3(12)). Failure to comply with these Regulations may result in civil or administrative consequences. The Postmaster-General retains the authority to refuse or postpone the acceptance of messages that do not meet the specified criteria, such as abnormal length, excessive volume, or the inclusion of code or cipher groups (Section 3(11)). Additionally, subscribers must adhere to the payment of all applicable fees, including those for telegrams, lettergrams, and any additional charges for services like direct telephone lines, public telephones, and post-delivered copies. Non-payment or non-compliance with these financial obligations may lead to further administrative actions, including potential service interruptions or penalties. However, the Regulations do not explicitly outline criminal penalties for breaches; therefore, any enforcement would likely fall under civil or administrative jurisdiction.

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