SEPT. 17.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2463

Regulations governing the Erection of Private Telephone-lines.

149. Application for permission to erect a private telephone-line shall be made on the printed form “Application for License to erect Private Telephone-lines.”

150. Every such license shall be in the form set out in the Schedule hereto. No fee shall be charged in respect of the issue of a license.

151. The construction or maintenance of private telephone-lines will not be undertaken by the Department, but where Engineers or other competent officers are available their services in a consultative capacity may be given free of charge.

152. The construction of a private telephone-line along a road shall be subject to the owner obtaining the consent of the Electric-power Board operating in the district, as well as the authority of the County Council, Road Board, or other local authority concerned; but such consent shall not abrogate the claims of the Department to the right of the road whenever such becomes necessary.

153. Any private telephone-line interfering with the construction or maintenance of any departmental line shall be liable to removal on the order of the Minister, notwithstanding that the erection of such private telephone-line may have previously been licensed.

154. The written consent to the erection of a private telephone-line, of the Electric-power Board, if any, operating in the district, and of each local authority concerned, shall be obtained by the applicant in the proper space upon the printed form of application before the form is forwarded to the District Telegraph Engineer.

155. A sketch showing the locality and route of the proposed private telephone-line shall accompany each application. If a freehand sketch does not make the position clear, a suitable map or maps should be obtained from the Lands and Survey Department.

156. Every point where the proposed private telephone-line will cross telegraph-lines, electric light and power lines, railway-lines or railway-track, shall be shown on the plan, and be mentioned on the form of application.

157. One side of every road shall be deemed to be reserved for telegraph-lines, and in running a private telephone-line along a road where no telegraph-lines exist the private telephone-line shall be kept to one side of the road.

158. Where one side of a road is occupied by a telegraph-line and the other side by a power line, a private telephone-line may, subject to the written consent of the District Telegraph Engineer being first obtained, and to such conditions as he may deem necessary, be placed upon the same side of the road as the telegraph-line.

159. When a private telephone-line is erected across or over a road it shall not be placed so low as to stop, hinder, or interfere with the passage for any purpose whatsoever along the road: provided that no stoppage, hindrance, or interference shall be deemed to be caused if the line is placed at a height of not less than 18 ft. above the crown of the road.

160. Where a private telephone-line crosses over or under any navigable waters it shall be placed in such manner as not to hinder or obstruct the navigation of such waters.

161. Where a private telephone-line crosses from one side of a road to the other the angle formed by the original alignment and the portion of the line crossing the road shall approximate as closely as practicable to a right angle, and shall not exceed 135°. The crossing span shall be as short as possible.

162. Where private telephone-lines intersect telegraph-lines the crossing, wherever practicable, shall be made at the telegraph-pole at the cost of the licensee, and in every case must be made in such manner as may be considered necessary by the District Telegraph Engineer.

163. Where private telephone-lines intersect electric lighting and power wires the crossing shall be made in such a manner as may be considered necessary by the Department.

164. Where a private telephone-line crosses any Government railway-track the minimum clearance above the rail-level shall be 18 ft.

165. No line of any nature shall be erected or constructed upon, over, or under any part of the Government railways unless it conforms with the Railway Department’s regulations in regard to construction, and until the licensee has obtained the consent of the Minister of Railways thereto as required by section 4 of the Government Railways Amendment Act, 1910 (No. 2).

166. No person shall enter upon any land for the purpose of constructing or maintaining any private telephone-line unless with the consent of the owner or occupier of such land or his authorized agent.

167. In maintaining, repairing, altering, or removing any private telephone-line no unnecessary or avoidable obstruction shall be caused to the traffic along or the use of any road or navigable waters.

168. In cases of accident, and in emergencies such as breakdowns of lines, &c., authorized officers of the Post and Telegraph Department, the Public Works Department, or of the Railway Department shall have the right to cut in by means of portable telephones on any private telephone-line and make use of such line in the public interest.

169. Private telephone-lines shall be maintained by the owners in good order and condition. The Department may refuse to connect an inefficient private telephone-line with any circuit owned by the Department, or may disconnect an inefficient private telephone-line from any toll station or telephone exchange.

170. For the purpose of ascertaining whether these regulations are being complied with, the Minister or any person appointed by him in that behalf, may at all reasonable times enter on the lands or premises used by or in occupation of the licensee.

Default and Penalty.

171. (1.) If the licensee of any private telephone-line fails to observe any of the conditions or obligations imposed upon the licensee by Part VIII of these regulations, then in any such case it shall be lawful for the Minister to revoke the license and to order that the private telephone-line be dismantled by and at the expense of the licensee, and within such time as the Minister may determine.

(2.) If any such licensee commits a breach of any of the regulations in Part VIII hereof or of the terms of any license issued thereunder he shall be liable for any such breach to a fine not exceeding £20.