War Precautions (Paper) Regulations 1918

Legislation au C1918L00294 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1918. No. 294.

REGULATIONS UNDER THE WAR PRECAUTIONS ACT 1914-1916.

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 War Precautions Act 1914-1916, to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this thirtieth day of October, 1918.

R. M. FERGUSON,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

G. F. PEARCE,

Minister of State for Defence.

War Precautions (Paper) Regulations.

Short title

1. These Regulations may be cited as the War Precautions (Paper) Regulations 1918.

Definitions.

2. In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears—

“Controller” means the Controller of Paper appointed for purposes of these Regulations.

“Magazine” means any publication (not being a newspaper) consisting of literary and other printed matter, with or without advertisements, and published at intervals.

“Newspaper” means any publication consisting of news and other printed matter, together with advertisements, published daily or at intervals not exceeding one week.

“Paper” includes—

(a) all kinds of paper;

(b) all kinds of board, including cardboard, paper-board, box-board, leatherboard, manilla-board, and strawboard;

(d) all material usually coming under the terms, whether imported into or manufactured or stored in the Commonwealth.

“Trade circular” means any publication consisting of trade information, advertisements, catalogues, or price lists.

Application of regulations.

3. (1) Subject to sub-regulation (2) of this regulation, these Regulations shall apply to all paper which is manufactured or stored in, or imported into, the Commonwealth or cleared for home consumption, after the commencement of these Regulations.

(2) The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, exempt for such period as is specified in the notice, paper of any particular class or manufacture.

Controller of paper.

4. (1) For the purposes of these Regulations there shall be a Controller of Paper, who shall be appointed by the Minister.

(2) The Controller of Paper appointed before the commencement of these Regulations shall be deemed to have been appointed for the purposes of these Regulations.

Functions of Controller.

5. Subject to these Regulations, and to the approval the Minister, the Controller shall exercise control over the supply and distribution of paper.

Requirement to deliver paper.

6. (1) Where any person, firm, or company has in his or its possession a supply of paper in excess of 100 reams or two tons, the person, firm, or company may be required by the Minister or the Controller, by notice in writing served on the person, firm, company to permit any other person, firm, or company specified in the notice to take delivery at any reasonable hour in the daytime, upon payment or tender at the price fixed by sub-regulation (2) of this regulation, of such quantity of paper as is specified in the notice.

(2) The price to be paid for paper taken delivery of in pursuance of this regulation shall be the maximum price for paper fixed under the War Precautions (Prices) Regulations, and if the price has not been so fixed, the price to be paid shall be such amount as represents to the person, firm, or company supplying the paper the cost to him or it of the paper (including the cost of its delivery to him or it), plus 10 per centum on such cost.

(3) In default of agreement between the person, firm, or company supplying the paper and the person, firm, or company taking delivery of it, as to the amount payable by the latter to the former in respect of any paper supplied in pursuance of this regulation, the amount shall be determined by the Minister.

Standard of paper.

7. The Minister may, upon the recommendation of the Controller, approve of a standard for any description of paper and may, by notice in the Gazette, direct that in ordering paper of that description from places outside the Commonwealth persons shall order paper in accordance with the standard.

Control of orders abroad.

8. The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, direct that orders for paper shall not without his consent, or except in accordance with conditions specified in the notice, be despatched to places outside the Commonwealth.

Consumption of paper.

9. The Minister may, upon the recommendation of the Controller, by notice in the Gazette, specify the persons or classes of persons to whom paper may be sold, and the quantity of paper which may be sold to any person or class of persons, and any person who sells or otherwise supplies paper except to a person or class of persons specified in any notice under this regulation shall be guilty of an offence.

Sales not to exceed one ton.

10. No. person shall, without permission, in writing of the Minister, sell to any one purchaser, in any one month, more than fifty reams of any one description of paper, or, in the case of paper sold by weight, more than one ton thereof.

Size of newspapers, magazines and trade circulars.

11. The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, as regards any newspaper, magazine, or trade circular, or any issue thereof, direct—

(a) the maximum number and size of pages which may be used;

(b) the weight of paper to be used;

(d) the proportion of a newspaper that may be used for advertisements;

(e) the prohibition of the return to the proprietors of unsold copies and of allowance for such copies;

(f) the limitation of the issue of free copies; and

(g) the limitation of circulation.

Issues not to be increased.

12. The proprietor of a newspaper, magazine, or trade circular shall not, except with the permission in writing of the Minister, increase the number of the issues or editions of the newspaper, magazine, or trade circular beyond the number prevailing at the commencement of these Regulations.

Publications requiring more than 100 reams of paper.

13. No person shall, except with the permission in writing of the Minister, print, issue, or cause to be printed or issued, any trade circular, catalogue, book, pamphlet, or other printed matter requiring for its publication more than 100 reams of paper.

Advisory Board.

14. (1) The Minister may appoint a Commonwealth Advisory (Paper) Board.

(2) The Board appointed in pursuance of this regulation may make recommendations to the Controller in relation to matters arising under these Regulations or affecting the paper trade generally, and shall advise the Controller on matters referred to it by him.

Committees.

15. (1) The Board may make recommendations to the Controller for the appointment—

(a) of a committee to represent each State; and

(b) of a committee to represent any industry connected with the paper trade

consisting of such members as are specified in the recommendation, and having such powers and functions as are specified in this regulation, and upon receipt of a recommendation for the appointment of a committee the Controller may forthwith appoint the committee.

(2) A committee appointed in pursuance of this regulation may make recommendations to the Board in relation to matters arising under these Regulations or affecting the paper trade generally, and shall advise the Board on matters referred to it by the Board.

16. Members of the Commonwealth Advisory (Paper) Board, and of any committee appointed under these Regulations, shall not receive fees for attendance at meetings.

Cancellation or variation of contracts.

17. (1) The Minister may cancel or vary any contract or agreement for the supply of paper or of any printed matter, and for the publication of advertisements in newspapers or other publications.

(2) No action or counterclaim shall be brought or made, nor shall any step be taken in relation to any action or counterclaim brought or made, for the breach or non-observance of any contract or agreement, cancelled or varied in pursuance of this regulation, or for damages in respect of such breach or non-observance, whether the claim arose or accrued before or after the commencement of these Regulations.

Provided that where a contract or agreement has been varied in pursuance of this regulation, nothing in this regulation shall be deemed to prevent the bringing of any action or counterclaim for any breach or non-performance of the contract or agreement as so varied, or the taking of any step in relation to such action or counterclaim:

Provided further that nothing in this regulation shall affect the rights or obligations of the parties in relation to goods actually delivered or advertisements actually published under any contract or agreement which has been cancelled or varied.

Offences.

18. Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any notice, direction, order, or requirement made or given by or under these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence.

Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by H. J. Green, Acting Government Printer for the State of Victoria.

Overview

The War Precautions (Paper) Regulations 1918 were enacted under the War Precautions Act 1914-1916 by the Governor-General in Council, to address the need for stringent control over paper supply and distribution during World War I. The regulations aim to ensure that paper resources are efficiently managed and allocated, particularly for the war effort. The enactment of these regulations was in response to the heightened demand for paper products during wartime, necessitating strict oversight to prevent shortages and ensure fair distribution. The Controller of Paper, appointed by the Minister, is tasked with exercising control over the supply and distribution of paper, including setting standards, approving orders, and determining permissible sales. The regulations cover a range of activities from controlling the amount of paper that can be sold to any one purchaser in a month, to specifying the size and content of newspapers, magazines, and trade circulars. The policy objective is to maintain essential paper resources for critical wartime needs while preventing wastage and ensuring equitable access across different sectors.

Scope and Application

The War Precautions (Paper) Regulations 1918 apply to all paper manufactured or stored in, or imported into, the Commonwealth of Australia, as well as to paper cleared for home consumption after the regulations' commencement. This includes various types of paper and paper products, and applies to persons, firms, or companies that hold excess supplies of paper. The Minister of State for Defence, in consultation with the Controller of Paper, has the authority to exempt specific classes of paper from these regulations, as well as to control the supply, distribution, and consumption of paper within the Commonwealth. The regulations also cover the standardisation of paper orders from overseas, the restriction on the number of issues or editions of newspapers, magazines, and trade circulars, and the limitation on the quantity of paper sold to a single purchaser in a month. Additionally, the Minister has the power to cancel or vary contracts related to the supply of paper or printed matter, and any contravention of the regulations is an offence.

Key Provisions

The War Precautions (Paper) Regulations 1918, made under the War Precautions Act 1914-1916, introduce a comprehensive set of controls over the use and distribution of paper within the Commonwealth. These Regulations, which apply to all paper manufactured, stored, or imported into Australia after their commencement, include a series of measures aimed at managing the supply and distribution of paper during a period of war precautions. Key sections include the appointment of a Controller of Paper (section 4), who is tasked with overseeing the supply and distribution of paper under the Minister's approval. The Regulations also mandate that any person, firm, or company possessing more than 100 reams or two tons of paper must allow other entities to take delivery of specified quantities of paper, upon payment of a set price (section 6). The Minister has the authority to specify standards for paper and to direct where paper can be ordered from abroad (sections 7 and 8). Additionally, the Minister can restrict the sale and distribution of paper to certain individuals or classes of persons and limit the quantity that can be sold to any one purchaser in a month (sections 9 and 10). There are also provisions to regulate the size and content of newspapers, magazines, and trade circulars (section 11), and to prohibit the increase of issues or editions of these publications (section 12). Furthermore, the Minister can grant permission for the publication of printed matter requiring more than 100 reams of paper (section 13). The Regulations impose several obligations on the parties they govern, including compliance with the Controller's directives on paper supply and distribution, adherence to the approved standards for paper, and compliance with the limits on paper sales and publication sizes. Failure to comply with the Regulations can result in criminal offences, with the specific penalties not detailed in the provided text, although the general provision for offences against the Regulations is outlined in section 18. The Minister also has the authority to cancel or vary any contracts or agreements related to the supply of paper or printed matter, and such actions exempt the parties from any legal actions regarding the breach of these contracts or agreements (section 17).

Area of Law: National Security Law
Instrument: Regulation
Concepts: Definitions & Interpretation; Offence Provisions; Regulatory Standards

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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.

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