REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1923.

I, THE DEPUTY OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the undermentioned Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1923, to come into operation on the 1st October, 1932.

Dated this twenty-second day of September, 1932.

PHILIP GAME

Deputy of the Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

J. E. FENTON

Postmaster-General.

Amendment of the Postal Regulations.

(Statutory Rules 1927, No. 144, as amended to this date.)

1. Sub-regulation (1.) of regulation 7 is amended by omitting paragraphs (c) and (d) and inserting the following paragraphs in their stead:—

(d) Any attachment shall consist of paper or other very thin substance and adhere completely to the card. Stamps (other than those in prepayment of postage) liable to be mistaken for postage stamps may be affixed only to the back.

2. Regulations 14, 15 and 16 are repealed and the following regulations inserted in their stead:—

14.—(1.) The following articles shall not be accepted for transmission as Second Class Mail Matter. They shall be enclosed in sealed covers, and the rates and conditions prescribed for letters shall apply:—

(a) Except when enclosed in bankers’ packets—cheques, money orders, postal notes, bank drafts, bills of exchange, acceptances, promissory notes payable to order, interest coupons, and bank notes;

(b) Treasury bonds payable to bearer except when sent from one bank to another within the Commonwealth, or when sent from the Commonwealth Treasury or a bank to a Registrar of Inscribed Stock or vice versa;

(d) Notices or information relating to lotteries (not including art unions) and schemes of chance.

2826.—Price 3d.

(2.) Perishable substances, such as game, fish, flesh, fruit, and vegetables are not eligible for transmission as Second Class Mail Matter. The rates and conditions prescribed for parcels shall apply.

15.—(1.) Commercial Papers comprise formal business documents and communications of a routine character, consisting of—

(a) routine communications or formal documents, for which a printed form is used;

(b) formal documents (not in the form of correspondence) wholly prepared by hand,

and shall be eligible for transmission at the rate of postage stipulated for Commercial Papers, subject to compliance with the relative conditions.

(2.) Postal articles transmissible at the rate of postage prescribed for Commercial Papers shall not exceed 5 lb. in weight.

16.—(1.) Matter which is wholly printed and complies with the relative conditions shall be eligible for transmission as Printed Matter.

(2.) The limit of weight of any article transmissible as Printed Matter shall be 5 lb.

3. The following regulations are inserted after regulation 16:—

16a.—(1.) Subject to the permission of the Postmaster-General having first been obtained and the prescribed conditions being complied with, printed circular letters posted for delivery within the Commonwealth may be transmitted under sealed cover at Printed Matter rate of postage.

(2.) In addition to the prescribed postage a fee of One halfpenny shall be paid in respect of each postal article posted under the provisions of this regulation.

(3.) The envelope of each article so posted shall bear on the address side, in print, as a symbol of the permit issued, the letters P.M.G.—P., together with a letter indicating the capital city in which the permit is issued, the number of the permit, and figures representing the month and year of issue, e.g., P.M.G.—PS246/7/32.

(4.) In common with other Second Class Mail Matter, the articles shall be subject to the right of the Postmaster-General to open for the purpose of inspecting the contents.

(5.) A permit to post printed circular letters under the provisions of this regulation shall continue in force for a period of one year from the date of issue, and shall be renewable on application at the discretion of the Postmaster-General. The permit shall, nevertheless, remain in force only during the pleasure of the Postmaster-General, and shall be subject to immediate cancellation in the event of the holder failing to strictly observe the conditions laid down in regard to the posting of mail matter under this regulation, and such cancellation shall be without prejudice to any action taken under the provisions of the Post and Telegraph Act or under sub-regulation (6) of this regulation.

(6.) Any person who—

(a) avails or attempts to avail himself of the provisions of this regulation without having first obtained the authority of the Postmaster-General; or

(b) posts in an envelope bearing the symbol of a permit issued, under this regulation an article other than that covered by such a permit; or

(c) having been authorized to post mail matter under the provisions of this regulation fails to comply with the conditions set out in the permit; or

(d) posts an article in an envelope bearing the symbol of a permit issued under this regulation when such permit has expired or has been cancelled,

shall be guilty of an offence. Penalty £50.

16b. Notwithstanding that the sender may have been granted a permit to post mail matter under regulation 16a, the Postmaster-General may at any time refuse to accept postings under such regulation if, in his opinion, the articles tendered for posting contravene the provisions of the Post and Telegraph Act or of any relative postal regulation or rule, and may immediately return such articles to the sender without prejudice to any action taken under the Act or regulations.

4. Regulation 142 is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead:—

142.—(1.) To be eligible for transmission by registered post within the Commonwealth an article shall be enclosed in a cover which is in a sound condition, shall be packed as prescribed in Part V. of these Regulations, and shall be secured in the following manner:—

(a) If the article is contained in an envelope, the envelope shall be securely fastened with a strong adhesive in such a way that no portion of its contents can he removed without external and visible damage to the envelope. An envelope with black or coloured borders shall not be used;

(b) If the article is contained in a cover other than an envelope, the cover shall be securely fastened with a strong adhesive in such a way that it cannot be opened without leaving obvious traces of violation,

but the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this regulation shall apply only to—

(i) articles bearing letter rate of postage;

(ii) articles mentioned in sub-regulation (2.) of this regulation;

(iii) other articles (including parcels) on which a registration fee of at least 4d. is paid;

(iv) C.O.D. parcels on which a registration fee of at least 1d. is paid in addition to the prescribed commission;

(2.) Jewellery and other valuable articles shall be enclosed in a strong box or case which must be covered in an efficient manner with a wrapper of linen, canvas, strong paper, or other substantial material, and be securely fastened with a strong adhesive. Coin shall be so packed that it cannot move about. The address shall be written on the cover of the package. When sent by Merchandise post a registration fee of at least 4d. must be paid on the package.

(3.) A postal article shall not be accepted for registration if—

(a) it is addressed in pencil (except copying-ink pencil);

(b) it is addressed to initials or a fictitious name without a supplementary direction for the delivery to the care of some person, firm, or company;

(d) it bears the appearance of having been opened and resealed.

5. Regulation 172 is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead:—

172.— (1.) The following articles shall not be eligible for transmission by parcel post within the Commonwealth:—

(a) Articles constituting the sign of a monetary value such as cheques, money orders, postal notes, bank drafts, bank notes, &c., whether eligible for transmission as Second Class Mail Matter or not.

(b) Bullion, precious stones, jewellery, &c., which may be transmitted as Second Class Mail Matter only when enclosed in a sealed cover and forwarded by registered post.

Such articles may, however, be transmitted by parcel post to places beyond the Commonwealth if the parcel is addressed to a country with which the system of parcels insurance is in force and to which the transmission of such articles is not prohibited and on the condition that the parcel is insured for at least a part of the value of its contents.

(2.) A parcel which after posting is found to contain any of the articles mentioned in the last preceding sub-regulation and not to comply with the conditions prescribed therein shall be transmitted as a registered parcel to the Dead Letter Office for return to the sender upon payment of a fee of 6d.

(3.) If an uninsured parcel received from a place beyond the Commonwealth is found to contain any of the articles mentioned in sub-regulation (1.) of this regulation it shall be registered and a surcharge of 6d. imposed which shall be paid by the addressee upon delivery.

6. Sub-regulation (2.) of regulation 191 is omitted and the following sub-regulation inserted in its stead:—

(2.) Jewellery and other valuable articles shall be enclosed in a strong box or case which must be covered in an efficient manner with a wrapper of linen, canvas, strong paper, or other substantial material and be securely fastened with a strong adhesive. Coin shall be packed so that it cannot move about. The address shall be written on the cover of the parcel.

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.