STATUTORY RULES.
1945. No. 10.
REGULATION UNDER THE POSTS AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1934.*
I, THE ADMINISTRATOR of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulation under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934.
Dated this twenty-fourth day of January, 1945.
W. DUGAN
Administrator.
By His Excellency’s Command,
W. P. ASHLEY
Postmaster-General.
Amendment of the Telegraph Regulations.†
1.—(1.) Regulation 36 of the Telegraph Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead:—
Counting of expressions FOB, &c.
“36. If any of the expressions ‘FOB’, ‘CIFE’, ‘OK’, ‘AM’, ‘PM’, ‘AIF’, ‘RAAF’, ‘HMS’ or ‘HMAS’ is written as one word, it shall be treated as code, but, if the letters in any such expression are written separately, they shall be counted and charged at the rate of one word for each letter.”.
(2.) This regulation shall come into operation on the twenty-second day of January, 1945.
* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 25th January, 1945.
† 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; 1940, Nos. 50, 87 and 102; 1942, No. 550; 1943, Nos. 215 and 242; and 1944, No. 91.
By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.
7489.—Price 3d.
Overview
The Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934 was enacted to address the need for regulation and administration of postal and telegraph services within Australia. This legislative instrument, Statutory Rules 1945 No. 10, was made by the Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, and it amends the Telegraph Regulations. The regulation specifically targets the counting of certain expressions for charging purposes, ensuring that acronyms and abbreviations are treated appropriately for billing. This regulation came into effect on the twenty-second day of January, 1945, and aims to clarify the treatment of coded expressions in telegraph communications, thereby maintaining consistency and fairness in the postal and telegraph services provided.
Scope and Application
The Statutory Rules 1945 No. 10, made under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, amends the Telegraph Regulations concerning the counting of specific expressions such as 'FOB', 'CIFE', 'OK', 'AM', 'PM', 'AIF', 'RAAF', 'HMS', and 'HMAS' when they are written in various forms. The legislation applies to the entities and persons involved in telegraphic communications within the Commonwealth of Australia, dictating that if these expressions are written as one word, they should be treated as code, while if the letters are written separately, they must be counted and charged individually. This regulation extends nationally across Australia, as it is an instrument of the Commonwealth government. The regulation came into effect on 22 January 1945, replacing the previous Regulation 36 of the Telegraph Regulations. While the regulation itself does not explicitly outline exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, it operates within the broader framework of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, which may contain additional provisions regarding applicability and exceptions.
Key Provisions
This statutory rule, numbered 1945 No. 10, amends the Telegraph Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934. The main operative sections of this legislation are sections 1 and 2. Section 1 repeals Regulation 36 of the Telegraph Regulations and replaces it with new provisions (section 1(1)). Section 2 specifies the date on which the new regulation will come into operation (section 2). This new regulation deals with how certain abbreviations or acronyms, when written as a single word, are to be treated as code and subsequently charged for telegraphic messages (section 1(1)).
The obligations and requirements imposed by this Act primarily pertain to the handling of telegraphic messages. Specifically, if any of the expressions "FOB", "CIFE", "OK", "AM", "PM", "AIF", "RAAF", "HMS", or "HMAS" are written as a single word, they will be treated as code and charged accordingly. Conversely, if the letters in any such expression are written separately, they will be counted and charged at the rate of one word for each letter (section 1(1)). This regulation aims to clarify the treatment of specific abbreviations in telegraphic communications, ensuring consistency in how they are charged.
Any breach of these regulations could lead to civil or administrative consequences, although the specific penalties are not detailed in the statutory rule itself. Generally, failure to comply with regulations governing telegraphic services could result in disputes over charges, necessitating resolution through administrative or judicial processes. The exact penalties would depend on the context of the breach and any relevant guidelines or interpretations provided by the responsible authorities. However, this statutory rule does not explicitly state any criminal or civil penalties for non-compliance.