STATUTORY RULES.
1922. No. 3.
REGULATIONS UNDER THE WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ACT 1905-1919.
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 Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905-1919, to come into operation forthwith.
Dated this fifth day of January, 1922.
FORSTER,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
A. POYNTON,
Postmaster-General.
Amendment of the Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 1920.
(Statutory Rules 1920, No. 256.)
1. Regulation 19 is amended by omitting paragraph (2) and inserting the following in its stead:—
(2) As a general rule candidates who desire to obtain the Post Office Certificate enabling them to act as Ship Operators must be natural-born British subjects and the children of a father who was also a natural-born British subject. No exception will be made to this rule without reference to the Naval and Military Authorities. Foreign nationality of the candidate’s mother will not necessarily be a bar to the issue of the certificate; but all cases of candidates whose mothers were of late-enemy origin will be referred to the Defence Department for a report.
2. The following regulation is inserted after regulation 19:—
Watchers’ Proficiency Certificates.
19a. (1) It shall be necessary for every person acting as a Wireless Telegraphy Watcher, in accordance with the provisions of section 231 of the Navigation Act 1912-1920, to hold a certificate of proficiency as a watcher issued by the Postmaster-General, or by the Postmaster-General of the United Kingdom, or by the proper authority in any part of the British Empire, certifying that the holder is capable of receiving and understanding the Radiotelegraph Distress Signal and the Safety Signal, and has sufficient knowledge
C.15308.—Price 3d.
of the apparatus on which he will be required to keep watch, to know, by means of a buzzer or other simple test, that it is in proper condition to receive signals.
(2) As a general rule candidates who desire to obtain the Post Office Certificate enabling them to act as Ship Watchers must be natural-born British subjects and the children of a father who was also a natural-born British subject. No exception will be made to this rule without reference to the Naval and Military Authorities. Foreign nationality of the candidate’s mother will not necessarily be a bar to the issue of the certificate; but all cases of candidates whose mothers were of late-enemy origin will be referred to the Defence Department for a report.
(3) A certificate of proficiency as a watcher shall not be issued to any person under sixteen years of age.
(4) A fee of Five shillings shall be paid by the candidate on each occasion on which he is examined.
Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
Overview
The Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 1922 were enacted to amend the Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 1920 under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905-1919. This legislative instrument was introduced to address the need for stricter regulations on the qualifications of individuals operating wireless telegraphy equipment, particularly in maritime contexts, and to ensure that only suitably qualified personnel are allowed to act as ship operators and watchers. The regulations were made by the Governor-General in accordance with the advice of the Federal Executive Council. The policy objective behind these amendments is to maintain high standards of proficiency and security in the operation of wireless telegraphy apparatus on ships, ensuring that operators and watchers are capable of understanding and responding to distress and safety signals effectively.
Scope and Application
The Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 1922 apply to individuals who seek to operate wireless telegraphy equipment, specifically those who aim to obtain a Post Office Certificate to act as ship operators or watchers. These regulations are designed to ensure that such individuals meet specific criteria, including nationality requirements and a minimum age, in order to be capable of understanding and correctly interpreting radiotelegraph distress and safety signals. The regulations specify that candidates for ship operator and watcher certificates must be natural-born British subjects or the children of a father who was a natural-born British subject, with some exceptions that require Defence Department review. Furthermore, individuals under the age of sixteen are not eligible for a watcher's certificate. These regulations extend across the Commonwealth of Australia and are made under the authority of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905-1919. Subordinate instruments may further detail the application of these regulations, although specific exclusions or exemptions are not outlined in the statutory rules provided.
Key Provisions
The key provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 1922 (C1922L00003) amend existing regulations by modifying the eligibility criteria for obtaining the Post Office Certificate to act as Ship Operators and Ship Watchers. Specifically, Regulation 19 has been altered to state that candidates for these roles must be natural-born British subjects and children of a father who was also a natural-born British subject (Regulation 19(2)). The new Regulation 19a introduces a requirement for every person acting as a Wireless Telegraphy Watcher to hold a Watchers’ Proficiency Certificate (Regulation 19a(1)). This certificate must be issued by the Postmaster-General, the Postmaster-General of the United Kingdom, or the appropriate authority within the British Empire, and attest to the candidate's ability to understand distress and safety signals and their familiarity with the necessary equipment (Regulation 19a(1)). The eligibility criteria for obtaining this proficiency certificate mirror those for Ship Operators, with a specific provision that candidates must not be under sixteen years old (Regulation 19a(3)). Additionally, a fee of five shillings is to be paid by candidates for each examination (Regulation 19a(4)).
The obligations imposed by these regulations primarily concern the qualification and certification of individuals seeking to work as Ship Operators and Watchers. Individuals must meet specific nationality requirements and obtain the requisite certificates before they can perform these roles. The regulations also establish the authority responsible for issuing the Watchers’ Proficiency Certificates and the fees associated with these examinations. These obligations ensure that personnel operating wireless telegraphy equipment are adequately trained and qualified.
Breach of these regulations, such as acting as a Ship Operator or Watcher without the necessary certificates or failing to meet the nationality requirements, may result in legal consequences. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text, it is reasonable to infer that such breaches could lead to civil or criminal penalties, as is common with regulatory compliance issues. The exact nature and severity of these penalties would be determined by the applicable laws and regulations in force at the time of the breach.