STATUTORY RULES.
1946. No. 118.
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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 seventeenth day of July, 1946.
HENRY
Governor-General.
By His Royal Highness’s Command,
D. CAMERON
Postmaster-General.
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Amendment of the Telephone Regulations.†
Commencement.
1. These Regulations shall be deemed to have come into operation on the first day of January, 1946.
2. Regulation 31 of the Telephone Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead:—
Extra charges for service beyond two-mile radius.
“31.—(1.) Where the radial distance of any line erected by the Department exceeds two miles, an extra mileage charge shall be payable according to the following scale:—
(a) Where the radial distance is more than two miles but not more than three miles—Six shillings and three pence per annum for each quarter mile or portion thereof for the section of the radial distance beyond two miles;
(b) Where the radial distance is more than three miles but not more than four miles—One pound and five shillings per annum for the section between two miles and three miles and five shillings per annum for each quarter mile or portion thereof for the section of the radial distance beyond three miles;
(c) Where the radial distance is more than four miles but not more than five miles—Two pounds and five shillings per annum for the section between two miles and four miles and three shillings and nine pence per annum for each quarter mile or portion thereof for the section of the radial distance beyond four miles; and
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* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 18th July, 1946.
† Statutory Rules 1927, No. 145, as amended to date. For previous Telephone Regulations, see Footnote † to Statutory, Rules 1941, No. 261; and see also Statutory Rules 1942, No. 504; and 1943, No. 141.
6916.—Price 3d.
(d) Where the radial distance is more than five miles—Three pounds per annum for the section between two miles and five miles and two shillings and six pence per annum for each quarter mile or portion thereof for the section of the radial distance beyond five miles.
“(2.) In the case of a party service, the extra mileage charge payable in respect of each instrument shall be the amount obtained by dividing the total extra mileage charge payable for the line by the number of instruments served by the line.
“(3.) For the purposes of this regulation ‘radial distance’ means—
(a) in the case of an exclusive service—the radial distance from the exchange to the instrument: and
(b) in the case of a party service—the sum of—
(i) the radial distance from the exchange to the first instrument connected with the party service;
(ii) the radial distance from the first break-off to the second instrument connected with the party service; and
(iii) this radial distance from each next succeeding break-off to each next succeeding instrument connected with the party service.”.
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By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.
Overview
The Statutory Rules 1946 No. 118, enacted under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, were introduced to address the need for updated pricing and regulation of telephone services, particularly in relation to extra charges for service beyond a two-mile radius from the exchange. This regulation was made by the Governor-General in accordance with the Federal Executive Council and aimed to clarify and modify the existing telephone regulations to reflect changing telecommunications needs. The objective of these regulations is to establish a clear and structured extra mileage charge system for telephone services that extend beyond the initial two-mile radius from the exchange, ensuring that costs are fairly distributed among users based on the distance of their service line.
Scope and Application
The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, specifically amending the Telephone Regulations, apply to individuals and entities that use telephone services provided by the Department, particularly those that extend beyond the two-mile radial distance from the exchange. These regulations set forth extra charges for telephone services that extend beyond a two-mile radius from the exchange. The extra mileage charge is calculated based on the distance of the line from the exchange, with different rates applying depending on whether the distance exceeds two, three, four, or five miles. The extra charge for each quarter mile or portion thereof is clearly delineated, and in the case of a party service, the total extra mileage charge is divided by the number of instruments served by the line. These regulations are applicable nationally across the Commonwealth of Australia, extending the reach of the Post and Telegraph Act to regulate and manage telecommunications services efficiently. The regulations do not explicitly mention any exclusions or exemptions, but they do provide a structured method for calculating additional charges based on the radial distance of the service. The application of these regulations may be further detailed or modified through subordinate instruments, ensuring that the framework remains adaptable to changing telecommunication needs and technological advancements.
Key Provisions
The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, effective from 1 January 1946, amend the existing Telephone Regulations to introduce extra charges for telephone services extending beyond a two-mile radius from the exchange (Regulation 31). Specifically, Regulation 31 sets out a scale of extra mileage charges for services located at varying distances beyond two miles, depending on whether the radial distance is more than two but not more than three miles, more than three but not more than four miles, more than four but not more than five miles, or more than five miles. In the case of party services, the extra mileage charge for each instrument is determined by dividing the total extra mileage charge by the number of instruments connected to the line.
These Regulations impose obligations on the Department and its customers to adhere to the specified extra mileage charges for telephone services beyond the two-mile radius. For individual customers or businesses using party services, they are required to calculate their share of the extra mileage charge based on the number of instruments connected to their line. The Department, on the other hand, must accurately determine the radial distance of each line and apply the corresponding extra mileage charge as outlined in Regulation 31.
Failure to comply with these Regulations may result in legal consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed within the text, it is implied that non-compliance could lead to civil or criminal penalties, as is often the case with statutory regulations. The maximum penalties, however, are not explicitly stated within the provided text, and further legal references would be required to ascertain the precise consequences of breach.