1788
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 68

Transmission of Telegrams by Telephone.

38. (1.) Subscribers to telephone exchanges may, by prearrangement in writing with the telegraph-office, have telegraphic messages which are addressed to them forwarded by telephone from the office of destination to their business or private address. Such messages will, after transmission, be posted for delivery to such address, and be marked on the front “Transmitted by telephone.”

(2.) If desired, short Press messages up to fifty words may be telephoned to newspapers, the proprietors of which are subscribers to a telephone exchange, and who agree to pay the fee for so doing. After being telephoned such messages will be delivered by messenger, when their values (if “collect”), together with the fee for telephoning, will be collected.

(3.) This system may be availed of during the ordinary hours for attendance of officers at the telegraph-office, except in the case of offices where officers are on duty until 10 p.m., when the telegrams may be telephoned up to that hour.

(4.) The charges for transmitting telegrams as above shall be as follows:—
A fee of £5 5s. per annum, paid in advance; or, in other cases, for each separate transmission, provided the telephone conversation does not exceed three minutes … … … … 0 6
For each additional three minutes or fraction thereof … … … 0 6
When the fee is paid by time, one conversation may include two or more messages, including any referred to in the next succeeding section. The fee is to be affixed in stamps to a docket which will be provided, and presented to the telegraph-office immediately after the message has been telephoned.

(5.) Telephone exchange subscribers who have signed the usual form of application may also telephone to any telegraph-office connected with a telephone exchange, during the ordinary hours of telegraph attendance, if the exchange is open, any messages, not exceeding fifty words in length, to be further transmitted from the telegraph-office to the respective destinations of such messages as telegrams, provided the usual cost of such telegrams is paid in addition to the above rates.

(6.) Prior to telephoning any such message the sender shall have reduced such message to writing, and, immediately after transmission, if telephoned before 5 p.m., deliver the written message to the telegraph-office, with the charges affixed in stamps. Messages telephoned after 5 p.m. and before 8 p.m. must be handed in to the telegraph office not later than 10 o’clock the following morning. To prevent duplication the word “Transmitted” should be written in a conspicuous place on the form after the message has been telephoned.

(7.) The department reserves the right to exclude any person from the privilege of sending or receiving telegrams by telephone under this system until any arrears of fees which may be due are fully paid, and to demand a deposit before registering any application.

(8.) The transcribed copies of messages telephoned by subscribers will, so far as the department is concerned, become the original telegrams, and the department will not assume or be subject to any liability by reason or on account of any failure, delay, or mistake in or about the transmission, receipt, or delivery of any telegram under this system, from whatever cause the same may arise.

(9.) On payment of a fee of 6d. and the charge for the transmitting—at the prescribed rates for urgent or ordinary telegrams, as the case may be—of such words as may be required to convey the direction hereafter mentioned, the sender of a telegram may insert in the place for instructions thereon the direction “To be telephoned,” and thereupon such telegram, upon arrival at the telegraph-office of destination, shall be forthwith telephoned through the Telephone Exchange to the addressee, if such addressee be a subscriber to such Exchange; and in other respects the provisions made for the transmission of telegrams to addressees through Telephone Exchanges at their own request shall, as far as applicable, apply to such telegram.

SPECIAL MESSENGER SERVICE.

1. There are special-messenger services at the following offices:—
   Ashburton, Greymouth, Oamaru,
   Auckland, Hawera, Onehunga,
   Blenheim, Hokitika, Palmerston North,
   Bluff, Invercargill, Port Chalmers,
   Christchurch, Lyttelton, Thames,
   Dunedin, Masterton, Timaru,
   Feilding, Napier, Wanganui,
   Gisborne, Nelson, Wellington,
   Gore, New Plymouth, Westport.

2. An express delivery is made by telegraph message boy. (For definitions see “Express Delivery Services,” elsewhere.) The sender may, however, direct that delivery be made at the post-office, in which case the words “To be called for” must be written underneath the words “Express delivery.”

3. A receipt must be given by the recipient for each specially delivered article.

4. “Expressed” letters, properly stamped for delivery from the post-office, also telegrams fully stamped for transmission, may be handed to any telegraph messenger for delivery at the office. In no case, however, will the messenger wait while the letter or telegram is being written.

5. A special messenger will be placed at the disposal of any telephone exchange subscriber on request being made to the exchange. Such messenger may be utilised for running an errand, ordering a cab, delivering a small parcel or letter, or any similar service. The fee to be paid will be the same as for express delivery; but beyond three miles and up to five miles, cab-hire, or return tram-fare, must be paid, in addition to the mileage fee. The whole of the messenger’s journey will be counted as from the post-office. For example, if the telephone exchange subscriber lives half a mile from the office and the messenger has to deliver an article a mile beyond the subscriber’s residence, the charge will be as for two miles. In the event of a boy being required to deliver a number of parcels or letters to different addresses, or to return with a reply, the charge will be at the rate of 1s. for the first hour and 6d. for each succeeding half-hour or portion thereof. Payment of these fees may, at the option of subscribers, be made either at the time of the service being performed or included in the account rendered for rental of a telephone connection at the end of three or six months, as the case may be. Receipts for payments made at any time will be given free of charge.

6. The special-messenger service will be available during the hours the telegraph-office is open for public business.