Telephone Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1916L00076 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1916. No. 76.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901–1913.

(Issued provisionally as Statutory Rules 1915, No. 214.)

I, SIR ARTHUR STANLEY, Governor of the State of Victoria and its Dependencies, in the Commonwealth of Australia, acting as the Deputy of the Governor-General, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the undermentioned amended Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1913 to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this third day of May, One thousand nine hundred and sixteen.

A. L. STANLEY,

Deputy for the Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

WILLIAM WEBSTER,

Postmaster-General.

 

AMENDMENT OF THE TELEPHONE REGULATIONS, 1913.

(Statutory Rules 1913, No. 349.)

1. (1) Regulation 20 is repealed and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead:—

20. (1) Except where otherwise provided in these Regulations telephone Exchange lines, for which lines the charges in force on the 31st January, 1907, continue to be paid, must be used only by the subscriber, his family or employees, and exclusively on his affairs. Any breach of this Regulation, or of any of these Regulations, shall render the subscriber liable to have his telephone disconnected, without prejudice to the right of the Postmaster-General to recover the rent and/or other charges payable to the end of the term agreed upon; or the Postmaster-General may compel the subscriber to pay the rates prescribed by these Regulations. Provided, however, that in case of emergency a subscriber may permit the use of his line by the subscriber for another line connected with the same Exchange. The use of any subscriber’s line may, with his consent, be granted to a non-subscriber to summon medical aid in urgent cases, to give notice of fire, or to call the police. In the case of hotels and lodginghouses, the telephones may be used by any person residing on the premises, but not by casual callers.

(2) Any subscriber to a telephone line connected with an Exchange for the use of which line charges in accordance with Regulation 5 are paid may grant the use of the line to a non-subscriber, but the subscriber shall pay the charges made by the Department for such use by the non-subscriber, and may charge the non-subscriber an amount not exceeding Two Pence; but shall not, without the authority of the Postmaster-General, make any further charge, nor

C.18198.—Price 3d.


receive any further payment or valuable consideration from any person for the use of the line.* Provided that subscribers for telephone services connecting with places situated beyond the limits of the network of the Exchange to which the service is connected shall not grant the use of the service to any other person except in cases of emergency, unless with the consent of, and upon terms approved by, the Postmaster-General.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in Sub-regulation (1) of this Regulation, a person who was a subscriber on 15th September, 1915, shall not, without the authority of the Postmaster-General, charge more than One Penny for the use of his telephone until the tenth day of December, 1915.*

2. (1) Regulation 57 is repealed and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead :—

57. A charge of Two Pence for each conversation of three minutes, or part of three minutes, may be made by the subscriber for all calls within the network, and the money may be retained by him. The charges for each such call will be made by the Department against the subscriber at the rates prescribed by Regulation 5.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in Sub-regulation (1) of this Regulation, a person who was a subscriber on 15th September, 1915, shall not, without the authority of the Postmaster-General, charge more than One Penny for each conversation of three minutes, or part of three minutes, until the tenth day of December, 1915.*

* See Section 120 Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1913. See also Part VII. of these Regulations.

 

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

Overview

The Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1913 was enacted to establish the legal framework for postal and telegraph services across Australia, ensuring these services were reliable, efficient, and regulated to serve the public interest. The Act aimed to fill the gap left by the need for a unified and comprehensive legislative structure governing communication services in the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia. The Commonwealth Parliament, through the enactment of this Act, sought to create a robust system for the delivery of postal and telegraph services, which were critical for both personal and commercial communications at the time. The policy objective was to standardise and regulate the burgeoning communications industry to support economic development and social cohesion. The accompanying statutory rules, such as those issued in 1916, further refined the operational aspects of these services, ensuring they met the evolving needs of the Australian populace.

Scope and Application

The amended Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1913 apply to subscribers of telephone services within the Commonwealth of Australia. These regulations govern the permissible use of telephone lines by subscribers, their families, employees, and authorised non-subscribers. Specifically, subscribers are required to use their telephone lines solely for their own affairs, with exceptions for family members and employees. The regulations also outline the circumstances under which non-subscribers may use a subscriber's line, such as in emergencies, to summon medical aid, notify of a fire, or call the police. Hotels and lodging houses are permitted to allow any resident to use their telephones, but not casual callers. The regulations further detail the charges subscribers may impose on non-subscribers for the use of their lines, with a cap of Two Pence per call unless otherwise authorised by the Postmaster-General. Subscribers who were already subscribed on 15th September 1915 are subject to additional temporary restrictions on charging rates until 10th December 1915. The Postmaster-General has the authority to approve or disapprove any additional use of telephone lines by subscribers, particularly for connections beyond the established network.

Key Provisions

The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1913, as amended by Statutory Rules 1916, No. 76, contain several key provisions concerning the use and charges associated with telephone lines. Regulation 20, in particular, outlines the exclusive use of telephone lines by subscribers and their families or employees for their affairs, prohibiting the sharing of these lines with non-subscribers without specific conditions or permission (Regulation 20(1)). However, exceptions are made in cases of emergency or when the line is used to summon medical aid, report a fire, or call the police, provided the subscriber consents (Regulation 20(1)). Regulation 20(2) further allows subscribers to permit non-subscribers to use their lines under certain conditions, including payment of charges set by the Department and a potential additional charge of up to two pence, subject to approval from the Postmaster-General. These regulations impose specific obligations on telephone subscribers and users. Subscribers are required to ensure that their telephone lines are used exclusively by themselves, their family, or their employees for their own affairs (Regulation 20(1)). They are also prohibited from charging more than one penny per three-minute conversation without the Postmaster-General’s authority until 10 December 1915 (Regulation 20(2)). In cases where subscribers allow non-subscribers to use their lines, they must pay any applicable charges and can only charge the non-subscriber an additional amount of up to two pence, again subject to approval by the Postmaster-General (Regulation 20(2)). Failure to comply with these regulations can result in serious consequences. Any breach of these provisions may lead to the disconnection of the subscriber’s telephone service, without prejudice to the Postmaster-General’s right to recover unpaid rent and charges (Regulation 20(1)). Furthermore, subscribers who charge more than the permitted rates without proper authority risk facing penalties and potential legal action. These measures underscore the importance of adhering to the stipulated regulations to avoid severe repercussions, including financial penalties and service termination.

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Telecommunications Law
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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.