130
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 3

On Sundays and holidays, outside hours prescribed for telegraph business.—Reopening fee, 1s.; special delivery fee, 1s.; tariff, Sunday or holiday, as case may be.

When in attendance for Press, testing, or departmental business, other than telegraphic.—Reopening fee, nil; special delivery fee, 1s.; tariff, ordinary.

The reopening fee is only to be charged on one telegram alone if more telegrams than one are handed in together by the same person. The special-delivery fee includes the charge for reopening the receiving office—namely, the office which receives the message from the forwarding office, and for effecting delivery of the message within the free delivery.

If officers are required to remain in attendance pending the receipt of a reply, the person at whose request the office was reopened must pay overtime at the rate fixed by the department’s regulations.

35. Charges for ferries, tolls, or for any extra cost incurred for delivery must also be paid by the sender at the time of presenting the telegram. The sender shall also be liable for short charges, should it be subsequently found that the amount collected for carriage was insufficient.

36. Telegrams relating to wagers or bets are not permitted to be sent under these regulations.

Weather Telegrams for Shipping.

37. Masters of vessels are permitted to forward messages at one uniform rate of sixpence for each message (including reply) to the Harbourmasters of the several ports seeking information as to the state of the weather, &c., at the port to which they are bound, or from any port which may lie in their route. These telegrams must be concise, and should be filled in in accordance with the directions to be seen at telegraph-offices. In no case will a larger number of words in the body of the telegram than twelve be allowed. The telegraphic report giving the state of the weather in different parts of the Dominion will be supplied daily at a charge of £1 per copy per annum.

Transmission of Telegrams by Telephone.

38. (1.) Subscribers to telephone exchanges and owners of private lines connected with telephone bureaux 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 addresses. 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:—

At all chief offices, namely,—

Auckland Greymouth Nelson Timaru
Blenheim Hokitika New Plymouth Wanganui
Christchurch Invercargill Oamaru Wellington
Dunedin Napier Thames Westport
Gisborne

For all telephoned messages,—

For any one year or portion of a year exceeding six months ... £ s. d.
1 0 0
For any period exceeding three months but not exceeding six months 0 10 0
For any period not exceeding three months ... ... ... 0 5 0

The annual subscription must be made to fall due on the 1st January, and must be renewed from that date.

Or for each separate transmission, provided the telephone conversation does not exceed three minutes ... ... ... 0 0 3

For each additional three minutes or fraction thereof ... ... ... 0 0 3

At all other offices ... ... ... ... ... Free.

When the fee is paid by time, one conversation may include two or more messages, including any referred to in the next succeeding subsection. The fee is to be affixed in stamps to a docket which will be provided, and which must be delivered to the telegraph-office immediately after the message has been telephoned.

(5.) Telephone-exchange subscribers and owners of private lines connected with a telephone bureau 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, messages 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 rates prescribed above when applicable.

(6.) Prior to telephoning any such message within the limits of a town the sender shall reduce such message to writing, and, immediately after transmission, 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” must be written in a conspicuous place on the form after the message has been telephoned. In country places the same procedure must be followed, except that the written message must be delivered to the telegraph-office within a reasonable time.

(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 or charges which may be due are fully paid, and to demand a deposit before or at any time after registering any application.

(8.) The transcribed copies of messages telephoned by subscribers to telephone exchanges, or by private line-owners, 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. Messages will only be received upon the understanding that the Department’s counting and charging are accepted without question.