Mar. 16.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 669

Electric Lines Regulations Amendments.—Private Lines and Private Telephone Lines.

JELLICOE, Governor-General.

ORDER IN COUNCIL.

At the Government House at Wellington, this 14th day of March, 1922.

Present:

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL IN COUNCIL.

IN pursuance and exercise of the power and authority vested in him by the Post and Telegraph Act, 1908, and the Post and Telegraph Amendment Act, 1919, and of all other powers and authorities enabling him in this behalf, His Excellency the Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand, acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Dominion, doth hereby make the regulations and fix the charges set forth in the Schedule hereto with respect to the erection and maintenance of private lines and private telephone lines; and doth order and declare that any regulations and charges of similar purport heretofore made are hereby revoked in so far as they are not in agreement with the regulations and charges made in the said Schedule, but that otherwise any such other regulations and charges shall remain in full force and virtue, and shall be read and applied together with the regulations and charges hereby made and fixed; and doth further order and declare that such revocation and the regulations and charges hereby made and fixed shall have effect on and after the date of publication of this Order in Council in the New Zealand Gazette.

SCHEDULE.

PRIVATE-LINE REGULATIONS.

1. For the purpose of these regulations the following words and phrases shall have the meanings attached to them respectively:—

“Department” means the Post and Telegraph Department of New Zealand:

“Private line” is a non-departmental line erected and maintained by the Department usually within town limits for and on behalf of a person, company, or corporation, and used for some purpose other than that of a private telephone line:

“Private telephone line” means a line used for telephonic or other approved means of communication and as a general rule adapted for being linked up with the Department’s telephone system as provided by these regulations, but not erected or maintained by the Department:

“Telephone exchange” means a telephone system established by the Department for the purpose of providing telephonic intercommunication between groups of subscribers:

“Telephone office” means a Departmental office at which telephonic communication over the Department’s toll lines may be obtained and to which private telephone lines may be connected as provided by these regulations:

“Road” includes street.

PRIVATE LINES.

2. At the principal centres or other places specially approved, and where there are poles or cables which, in the opinion of the Chief Telegraph Engineer, may be conveniently used for carrying private lines without detriment to the Department’s business, private line circuits between places of business or other premises may be erected at the cost of the applicant, including in the case of open aerial wires an initial charge of 5s. for each pole to which the wires are attached.

3. If a private line or any portion thereof cannot be erected on any existing telephone poles, and therefore necessitates the erection of new poles, the applicant will be charged with the cost of the labour in erecting the poles plus the 5s. pole privilege in respect of each pole, but where such new poles are required exclusively for the private line the whole cost of the line will be charged.

4. The maintenance fees in respect of such private lines are as follows, payable half-yearly in advance:—

For the first mile of single-wire circuit, or where the total distance is less than one mile, £3 per annum, and 15s. per annum for every additional quarter of a mile or fraction thereof.

For the first mile of metallic circuit, or where the total distance is less than one mile, £4 per annum, and £1 per annum for every additional quarter of a mile or fraction thereof.

5. The rates for maintenance of private lines as above mentioned do not include the maintenance of any telephones or other instruments connected with such private lines, nor do they include the maintenance of poles required exclusively for the private line, which will be maintained at the expense of the lessee.

6. The Department may undertake the maintenance of telephones of approved pattern which are connected with private lines, the charges to be at the rate of £1 per annum per telephone.

7. The installation of additional instruments or any alteration to the circuit must not be undertaken without first obtaining the approval in writing of the District Telegraph Engineer.

8. The lessee of a private line must use the line for his own bona fide business only, and must on no account, directly or indirectly, allow the line to be used for any purpose which might be construed as an attempt to deprive the Department of revenue.

9. Application for the erection of a private line should be made on the printed form “Application for Private-line Connection.”

10. The District Telegraph Engineer will supply any information regarding the cost of construction and the conditions under which private lines will be erected and maintained.

PRIVATE TELEPHONE LINES.

11. Private telephone lines as heretofore defined may be used in the following respects:—

(a.) For communication with a telephone office.

(b.) As an extension of a departmental telephone-exchange subscribers’ line.

(c.) For communication between premises not connected with the Department’s telephone system.