Telephone Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1917L00309 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

STATUTORY RULES.

1917. No. 309.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1916.

I, SIR ARTHUR LYULPH 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 1901-1916, to come into operation forthwith:—

Dated this 27th day of November, One thousand nine hundred and seventeen.

A. L. STANLEY,

Deputy of the Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

WILLIAM WEBSTER,

Postmaster-General.

 

Amendment of the Telephone Regulations, 1913.

(Statutory Rules 1913, No. 349, as amended by Statutory Rules 1915, No. 236 and 1917, No. 59).

1. Regulation 19 is repealed and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead:—

19. (1) When the revenue from subscribers’ lines and services connected to any Exchange is less than at the rate of £250 per annum, attendance at that Exchange shall be given on ordinary days from 9 a.m. to such hour as may be determined by the Postmaster-General from time to time, and on holidays and Saturdays or any other days on which a local half-holiday is observed, only during the hours the post-office at which the Exchange is situated is usually open for the transaction of public business. When the revenue is at the rate of £250 or over, continuous attendance shall be provided.

(2) In calculating the revenue for the purposes of this Regulation, rentals for all subscribers’ lines and apparatus connected to the Exchange in question, and charges for all local calls, shall be included; but revenue from any trunk line connected with the Exchange shall not be included.

2. Regulation 51 is repealed and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead:—

51. (1) Lines joining two separate towns, or lines joining exchanges other than those specified in the last preceding Regulation, are classed as trunk lines,

C.15325.—Price 3d.


and their use shall be charged for as provided hereunder, the charges being calculated upon the actual length of trunk line used except when Inter-State trunk lines are used:—

 

Between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m.

——

First Three Minutes.

Every additional Three Minutes.

First Three Minutes.

Every additional Three Minutes.

 

s.

d.

s.

d.

s.

d.

s.

d.

Not exceeding 10 miles..................

0

2

0

2

0

2

0

2

Exceeding 10 but not exceeding 20 miles......

0

4

0

4

0

4

0

3

„

20

„

„

30

„

..

0

6

0

6

0

4

0

4

„

30

„

„

50

„

..

0

8

0

6

0

4

0

4

„

50

„

„

75

„

..

1

0

0

9

0

6

0

5

„

75

„

„

100

„

..

1

4

1

0

0

8

0

6

„

100

„

„

150

„

..

1

10

1

4

0

11

0

8

„

150

„

„

200

„

..

2

4

1

9

1

2

0

11

„

200

„

„

250

„

..

2

10

2

1

1

5

1

1

„

250

„

„

300

„

..

3

4

2

6

1

8

1

3

„

300

„

„

350

„

..

3

10

2

10

1

11

1

5

„

350

„

„

400

„

..

4

4

3

3

2

2

1

8

„

400

„

„

600

„

..

5

0

3

9

2

6

1

11

„

600

„

„

800

„

..

5

8

4

3

2

10

2

2

”

800 miles.......................

6

4

4

9

3

2

2

5

Provided that, in the case of trunk line calls originating at Exchanges at which continuous service is not provided (see Regulation 19), the charges indicated above for trunk line calls between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. shall apply to calls between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

(2) The charges for the use of the telephone trunk line between Sydney and Melbourne shall be—

For conversations between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., 5s. per three minutes or part of three minutes.

For conversations after 7 p.m. and before 8 a.m., 2s. 6d. per three minutes or part of three minutes.

For press conversations when the line is not otherwise engaged, 2s. 6d. per three minutes or part of three minutes.

(3) The charges for the use of the telephone trunk line between Melbourne and Adelaide shall be—

For conversations between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., 4s. 8d. for the first three minutes, and 3s. 6d. for every additional three minutes.

For conversations after 7 p.m. and before 8 a.m., 2s. 4d. for the first three minutes, and 1s. 9d. for every additional three minutes.

For press conversations when the line is not otherwise engaged, 2s. 4d. for the first three minutes, and 1s. 9d. for every additional three minutes.

(4) Double the ordinary rates shall be charged for trunk line calls (other than press conversations or official calls made in connexion with Federal Referenda) on Sundays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday.

(5) No conversation shall exceed six minutes if any other person is waiting to converse


(6) When a public telephone is used for the purpose of conversing over a trunk line, a fee of One penny per call, in addition to the fee for the use of the trunk line, shall be charged.

(7) Where two towns are connected by telephone trunk lines, and are not more than 1 mile beyond the mileage fixed by this Regulation for the various rates, the additional distance is not to be taken into consideration, and conversations between those places are to be charged for as if they were within the limit.

(8) When trunk lines within a State are used in conjunction with Inter-State trunk lines, the charge shall be that prescribed for conversations between the two capital cities, plus the charge prescribed in sub-Regulation (1) for the trunk lines used beyond such capital cities.

3. Regulation 54 is repealed, and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead:—

Press Rates.

54. (1) When telephone trunk lines, other than those between Melbourne and Sydney, and between Melbourne and Adelaide are used for conversations in the nature of press telegrams, as defined in the Post and Telegraph Regulation 364, the charge for such use during any hour the trunk line is open for public business shall be as follows:—

Distance.

Rate for Five Minutes Conversation.

 

s.

d.

Not exceeding 25 miles....................

0

4

„

50

„......................

0

6

„

100

„......................

0

9

„

150

„......................

1

1

and Fourpence additional for each 50 miles or portion of 50 miles beyond 150 miles.

Provided that conversations paid for at full rates shall in all cases take precedence over those paid for at press rates; that is, no conversation to be paid for at press rates shall be allowed to commence, or having commenced, shall be allowed to extend beyond the period then current, if any person is waiting to use the lines on payment of full rates.

(2) Where two towns are connected by telephone trunk lines and are not more than one mile beyond the mileage fixed by this Regulation for the various rates, the additional distance is not to be taken into consideration, and conversations between those places are to be charged for as if they were within the limit.

(3) When trunk lines within a State are used in conjunction with Inter-State trunk lines, the charge shall be that prescribed for press conversations between the two capital cities, plus the charge prescribed in sub-Regulation (1) for the trunk lines used beyond such capital cities.

 

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 1901-1916 was enacted to establish and regulate the provision of postal and telegraph services across Australia. The problem this legislation aimed to address was the need for a unified and efficient communication infrastructure to support the expanding nation. These amended Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916 were introduced by Sir Arthur Lyulph Stanley, the 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, with the advice of the Federal Executive Council. The overarching policy objective of these regulations is to standardise and refine the operational procedures and charges related to telephone services, ensuring that services are provided in a manner that is both financially viable and accessible to the public. The regulations address aspects such as staffing levels at telephone exchanges based on revenue, the classification and pricing of trunk lines, and special rates for press communications.

Scope and Application

The amended Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916 apply to the provision of telephone services within the Commonwealth of Australia, specifically addressing the staffing levels at telephone exchanges and the charges for the use of telephone lines. The regulations apply to exchanges based on the annual revenue generated from subscribers' lines and services, with continuous attendance required when revenue reaches £250 per annum or more. The revised regulations also detail the pricing structure for trunk line usage, distinguishing between local and inter-state calls, as well as special rates for press conversations. These regulations are designed to ensure efficient service provision while managing operational costs and providing clear guidelines for consumers regarding call charges. The regulations do not specify exclusions or exemptions but govern the provision of telephone services across the Commonwealth. Any further application or modification of these regulations may be achieved through subordinate instruments as deemed necessary by the Postmaster-General.

Key Provisions

The amended Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916 provide specific provisions concerning the attendance at telephone exchanges and the charges for the use of telephone trunk lines. Regulation 19 outlines the attendance requirements at telephone exchanges, specifying that if the annual revenue from subscribers' lines and services connected to an exchange is less than £250, attendance is only required from 9 a.m. to a certain hour determined by the Postmaster-General on ordinary days, and during the hours the post-office at which the exchange is situated is open for public business on holidays and Saturdays. If the revenue is £250 or more, continuous attendance is required. Regulation 51 details the charges for using trunk lines connecting two separate towns or exchanges, specifying rates based on the distance and time of day, with additional provisions for inter-state trunk lines and press conversations. These Regulations impose obligations on telephone service providers and users to ensure compliance with the specified attendance and charging requirements. Telephone service providers must ensure that attendance at exchanges is provided according to the revenue thresholds outlined in Regulation 19. They are also required to charge users according to the detailed rates for trunk line usage specified in Regulation 51, including different rates for different distances and times of day, as well as special rates for press conversations and inter-state trunk lines. Users, on the other hand, must adhere to the specified charges and ensure that they do not exceed the allotted conversation times if other persons are waiting to use the lines. The Regulations also outline consequences for non-compliance. While the specific penalties for breach are not detailed in the text, under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916, breaches of regulations could lead to fines or other penalties as prescribed by law. Non-compliance with attendance requirements or charging standards could potentially result in enforcement actions by regulatory authorities, impacting the operations and financial standing of the service providers.

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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.