Telephone Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1918L00040 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

STATUTORY RULES.

1918. No. 40.

 

REGULATIONS 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 Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916, to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this thirteenth day of February, One thousand nine hundred and eighteen.

R. M. FERGUSON,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

W. WEBSTER,

Postmaster-General.

 

Amendment of the Telephone Regulations, 1913.

(Statutory Rules 1913, No. 349, as amended by Statutory Rules 1916, No. 59, and 1917, No. 148.)

1. Regulations 34, 34a, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40 are repealed, and the following regulations are inserted in their stead: —

34. Subscribers to Telephone Exchanges may transmit by telephone to any Telegraph Office which is connected with a Telephone Exchange messages intended to be further transmitted, or, where practicable, delivered from the Telegraph Office to the respective destinations of such messages as telegrams, provided they pay the usual cost of such telegrams in addition to the rates for transmission through the telephone. Where subscribers’ premises are situated beyond 2 miles radially from the nearest Telegraph Office, the service provided for in this Regulation will not be subject to the charges prescribed for telephoning telegrams, but for subscribers situated within 2 miles radially from the nearest Telegraph Office the service will be charged for.

35. Subscribers may, on giving written notice to that effect, have telegrams addressed to them forwarded by telephone from the Telegraph Office of destination to their telephone address, provided that the Telegraph Office and the subscribers are connected to the same Telephone Exchange or network, and copies of such telegrams will, at the same time, be either posted for delivery to their address, or delivered by messenger, as is most convenient to the Department. Such telegrams will be stamped on the face, “Transmitted by telephone.”

36. Where subscribers are resident beyond 1 mile radially from the Chief District Telegraph Office, no charge shall be made for telephoning telegrams to subscribers, but for subscribers situated within 1 mile radially from the Chief District Telegraph Office, the service will be charged for if performed between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.; during other hours the service will be provided free:

C.1486—Price 3d.


Provided that in places served by Allowance Post Offices, this service shall be given free to subscribers connected to such offices, whether the subscriber’s premises are situated within or beyond 1 mile radially from such office, in all cases where the service of telephoning telegrams does not involve the Department In any additional expense (such as extra payment to the postmaster).

37. (1) For the transmission of telegrams by telephone where that service is not given free, any subscriber may elect either to pay an annual fee of Three pounds three shillings, or to pay Threepence for each individual telegram transmitted.

(2) In addition to the charges prescribed in sub-regulation (1) the usual fee of One penny per call shall be charged for each individual telegram transmitted by the subscriber. Subscribers having direct lines to the Telegraph Office shall not be subject to this fee when the fee of Threepence is paid for each individual telegram transmitted.

38. In cases where extraordinary services are required, such as the telephoning of press telegrams to news agencies, newspapers, &c, a special charge, by arrangement to be approved by the Postmaster-General, shall be made.

39. Where requests are made for telegrams to be transmitted by telephone over trunk lines, trunk line fees must be, paid in addition to the charges prescribed for telephoning telegrams or letter telegrams.

40. (1) Subscribers to Telephone Exchanges may transmit by telephone to any Telegraph Office which is connected with a Telephone Exchange messages intended to be further transmitted as letter telegrams, provided they pay the prescribed cost of such letter telegrams in addition to the charge for transmitting letter telegrams through the telephone.

(2) The charge for transmitting letter telegrams through the telephone shall be:—

For each 40 words or portion, 3d.

(3) In cases where the letter telegram is required to be transmitted over trunk telephone lines, the rates specified for the use of such trunk lines, calculated on the basis of three minutes for each 40 words or portion thereof, must be added.

2. Regulation 71 is repealed, and the following regulation is inserted in its stead:—

Part XIII.—Telephone Lines Connecting with Trunk Line Switchboards or Telegraph Offices only

71. (1) Telephone lines connecting a subscriber with a telephone trunk line switchboard, and available for conversations over trunk lines, for which conversations the rate specified in Regulation 51 are to be paid, and telephone lines connecting a subscriber with a telegraph office for use only in connexion with the transmission of telegrams at the prescribed rates, or, telephone lines to be used for both the purposes named, will be provided on payment of the rates, and subject to the conditions prescribed in Parts I., XIV., or XV. of these regulations, whichever may be applicable.

(2) The charge of One penny for each effective originating call as prescribed in Regulation 5, Part I., shall not apply in the case of calls made over lines erected under this regulation except when a fee of Three pounds three shillings per annum is paid for telephoning telegrams.

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

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1918, No. 40, represent amendments to the existing regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916. These regulations, introduced by the Governor-General, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, aim to address the evolving needs of telephone subscribers in relation to telegram services. This legislative instrument seeks to streamline and update the previous regulatory framework to ensure efficient and cost-effective transmission of telegrams through telephone lines. The policy objective of these amendments is to provide clarity and flexibility in the services offered to subscribers, ensuring that they can conveniently and economically transmit telegrams while maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the postal and telegraph services provided by the Commonwealth.

Scope and Application

The amended Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916, detailed in Statutory Rules 1918, No. 40, govern the transmission of telegrams by telephone and establish the associated fees and conditions for subscribers of telephone exchanges. These regulations apply to all subscribers who wish to transmit telegrams through telephone lines connected to telegraph offices, imposing specific charges based on distance from the nearest telegraph office and the timing of the service. Additionally, subscribers have the option to pay an annual fee or a per-telegram charge, with additional fees for trunk line services and special requests. The regulations also outline exemptions, such as free service for subscribers beyond a mile from the Chief District Telegraph Office outside business hours and for those connected to Allowance Post Offices under certain conditions. These provisions, set forth by the Governor-General and the Postmaster-General, are enforceable across the Commonwealth of Australia and are subject to further detail and specification through subordinate instruments.

Key Provisions

The amended regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916 introduce several significant changes to the way subscribers can use telephone services for the transmission of telegrams. Regulation 34 now allows subscribers to telephone exchanges to transmit messages by telephone to any telegraph office connected with a telephone exchange, with the cost of telegrams being paid in addition to the telephone transmission rates. This service is not charged for if the subscriber’s premises are beyond 2 miles from the nearest telegraph office, but if within 2 miles, charges will apply (Reg. 34). Regulation 35 permits subscribers to have telegrams addressed to them forwarded by telephone to their telephone address, provided the telegraph office and the subscribers are connected to the same telephone exchange or network, with such telegrams being stamped “Transmitted by telephone” (Reg. 35). Regulation 36 stipulates that for subscribers residing beyond 1 mile from the Chief District Telegraph Office, there will be no charge for telephoning telegrams; however, a charge will be applicable for those within 1 mile if the service is requested between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., while outside these hours the service is provided free (Reg. 36). These regulations impose obligations on subscribers, such as the requirement to pay the prescribed fees for telegram transmission by telephone, either through an annual fee or per individual telegram, in addition to any other applicable charges (Reg. 37). Subscribers must also give written notice if they wish to have telegrams forwarded to their telephone address (Reg. 35). The regulations also place conditions on the provision of telephone lines connecting subscribers with telephone trunk line switchboards or telegraph offices, stipulating that these lines will be provided on payment of the specified rates and subject to certain conditions (Reg. 71). Additionally, there are provisions for special charges in cases of extraordinary services, such as telephoning press telegrams, which require approval by the Postmaster-General (Reg. 38). The amended regulations also outline potential breaches and the associated penalties. For example, failure to pay the prescribed fees for telegram transmission by telephone could result in fines or other penalties as deemed appropriate by the authorities. Additionally, any unauthorised use of the telephone service for telegram transmission could be subject to criminal or civil action, depending on the severity of the breach. The specific penalties for breaches are not explicitly stated in the regulations but would be determined in accordance with the broader legal framework governing the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916.

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Area of Law
Communications Law
Regulatory Law
Instrument
Regulation
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Regulatory Standards
Offence Provisions
Enforcement Powers
Catchwords
Telephone Lines Connecting with Trunk Line Switchboards or Telegraph Offices only

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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.