STATUTORY RULES.
1917. No. 109.
REGULATION UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1916.
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the undermentioned amended Regulation under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916, to come into operation forthwith.
Dated this eighteenth day of May, One thousand nine hundred and seventeen.
R. M. FERGUSON,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
E. J. RUSSELL,
for the Postmaster-General.
Amendment of the Telephone Regulations, 1913.
(Statutory Rules 1913, No. 349, as amended by Statutory Rules 1917, No. 28.)
Regulation 96 is amended by repealing paragraph (e) and inserting the following paragraph in its stead:—
(e) Where the line is extended so that, more than one point can communicate with the Exchange—
(i) with respect to services which existed, or for which an agreement was entered into, on or before the 13th September, 1916—for each additional point, Ten shillings per annum; and
(ii) with respect to services other than those referred to in the last preceding paragraph—for each additional point, Twenty shillings per annum:
Provided that if any subscriber whose service existed, or for whose service an agreement was entered into on or before the 13th September, 1916, desires to have a telephone provided by the Department, he may do so on payment of Twenty shillings per annum for each additional point.
Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
C.5346.—Price 3d.
Overview
The Statutory Rules 1917, No. 109, amending the Telephone Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916, was enacted to adjust the fees for extending telephone services, specifically addressing the charges for additional points of communication with the exchange. This legislative instrument was introduced to refine the financial structure of telephone services, ensuring that the fees for new services reflect the existing and agreed-upon terms up to a specified date. The regulation was issued by the Governor-General in Council, acting on advice from the Postmaster-General, and came into immediate effect. The policy objective appears to be to provide clarity and fairness in the charging structure for telephone services, distinguishing between services that existed or were agreed upon before a certain date and those that were established thereafter.
Scope and Application
The amended Regulation under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916 applies to telephone services provided by the Commonwealth, specifically relating to the charges for the extension of telephone lines. The amendment impacts both existing services and new agreements entered into on or before 13th September 1916, as well as any new services established after that date. The Regulation alters the charges for each additional point of communication with the Exchange, setting a rate of ten shillings per annum for pre-existing services or agreements and twenty shillings per annum for new services. If a subscriber with an existing service wishes to have a telephone provided by the Department, they must pay twenty shillings per annum for each additional point. The amendment's jurisdiction is national, as it falls under the Commonwealth's purview, and there are no specified exclusions or exemptions within the provided text. The Regulation's application is extended through subordinate instruments, as indicated by the amendment process described in the statutory rules.
Key Provisions
The amended Regulation 96 under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916 introduces changes to the charges for telephone services, particularly when a line is extended to allow more than one point to communicate with the exchange. Specifically, Regulation 96(e) has been amended to differentiate the fees based on whether the service existed or an agreement was entered into before 13th September, 1916, or thereafter. For services that existed before this date, the charge for each additional point is set at Ten shillings per annum. Conversely, for services established after this date, the charge is Twenty shillings per annum for each additional point. There is an exception for subscribers who wish to have a telephone provided by the Department, regardless of whether their service existed before or after the specified date; they will be charged Twenty shillings per annum for each additional point.
The obligations imposed by this regulation are clear and apply directly to telephone service providers and subscribers. Service providers must adhere to the specified charges as outlined in Regulation 96(e). Subscribers, on the other hand, must be aware of the fees applicable to their services, particularly if they are extending their telephone lines. For existing services, the provider must charge Ten shillings per annum for each additional point, while new services will incur a Twenty shillings per annum fee for each additional point. Subscribers who opt for a Department-provided telephone must pay Twenty shillings per annum for each additional point, irrespective of the service's commencement date.
Failure to comply with the amended Regulation 96(e) could lead to civil consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed in the legislative instrument, breaches of such regulatory provisions typically attract fines or other corrective measures to ensure compliance. The exact penalties would likely be determined by the relevant governing body or court interpreting the regulation within the context of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916.