Telephone Regulations (Amendment)

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1922, No. 172, amends the Telephone Regulations, 1913, under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916, aiming to address issues related to the provision of attendance at telephone exchanges based on annual revenue from subscribers. Enacted by the Governor-General in the Commonwealth of Australia, with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, these regulations seek to adjust the hours of attendance at telephone exchanges according to the financial performance of each exchange. The overarching policy objective is to ensure efficient and appropriate service provision at telephone exchanges while considering the financial viability and operational needs of each location. The amended regulation specifies that attendance at telephone exchanges with an annual revenue of less than £150 should be provided on ordinary days from 9 a.m. and during hours determined by the Postmaster-General, and on holidays only during the hours the Post Office is open. Exchanges with an annual revenue of £150 and over should maintain attendance until 8 p.m. unless the non-official postmaster declines to provide attendance between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. for the remuneration offered. Additionally, continuous attendance is required for exchanges with an annual revenue of £250 or more, calculated based on subscribers’ lines and apparatus, local calls, and 20 percent of the revenue from originating trunk line calls.

Scope and Application

The amended Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916 pertain specifically to the operational hours of telephone exchanges based on their annual revenue from various sources, including subscribers’ lines, apparatus, local calls, and originating trunk line calls. The regulations apply to telephone exchanges across the Commonwealth of Australia, managed by the Postmaster-General, who has the authority to determine the exact operational hours. The new provisions dictate that exchanges generating less than £150 in annual revenue will have limited operating hours, generally aligning with the public business hours of the Post Office they are situated in, and on holidays, they will only operate when the Post Office is open. For exchanges generating £150 or more, the operating hours are extended, with a closing time of 8 p.m. unless the non-official postmaster declines to provide additional evening hours. If the revenue exceeds £250, which includes a calculated 20 per cent of originating trunk line call revenue, continuous attendance is mandated. The regulations also modify the provisions of an earlier regulation to remove a specific proviso, presumably to streamline or enhance the efficiency of telephone service provision. This legislative instrument aims to ensure that telephone services are adequately managed according to the financial performance of the exchanges, ensuring efficient use of resources and equitable service provision across different revenue brackets.

Key Provisions

The amended regulations, as set out in Statutory Rules 1922, No. 172, introduce specific provisions concerning the attendance requirements at telephone exchanges based on the annual revenue generated from subscribers’ lines, apparatus, local calls, and originating trunk line calls. Regulation 19 (sub-regulation 1) specifies that if the annual revenue from these sources is less than £150, attendance at the telephone exchange is required only on ordinary days from 9 a.m. and during the hours determined by the Postmaster-General, and on holidays or local half-holidays, attendance will be provided only during the usual hours the Post Office is open for public business. When the annual revenue is £150 or more, as stated in Regulation 19 (sub-regulation 2), attendance is required under the same conditions, with an additional closing hour of 8 p.m. on ordinary days, unless the non-official postmaster declines to provide necessary attendance between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. for the offered remuneration. Continuous attendance is mandated if the annual revenue from subscribers’ lines and apparatus, along with local calls, plus 20 per cent of the revenue from originating trunk line calls, is £250 or over, according to Regulation 19 (sub-regulation 3). The obligations imposed by these regulations are primarily on the Postmaster-General and the non-official postmasters. The Postmaster-General must determine the hours of attendance based on the annual revenue at the telephone exchanges, ensuring that these hours align with the financial viability of the exchange. Non-official postmasters are required to provide attendance during the stipulated hours, unless they decline to do so between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. for the remuneration offered. Furthermore, the regulations mandate that continuous attendance must be provided if the specified revenue threshold is met. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in civil or criminal consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed in the text, breaches of regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1916 could potentially lead to fines or other legal repercussions. The severity of these penalties would depend on the nature and extent of the breach, as well as any additional provisions within the overarching Act. The regulations underscore the importance of adhering to the prescribed attendance schedules to maintain the operational efficiency and service quality of the telephone exchanges.