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Law on Telegraphs - 1938

LAW OF TELEGRAPHS


15 Sombula 1317


ARTICLE 1: The telegraph offices shall observe the provisions of these regulations is receiving and communicating telegrams.


ARTICLE 2: Telegrams shall be communicated at their prescribed times. No persons is authorized to demand the immediate transmission of any message.


NOTE: The Ministry of Posts shall decide on working hours for telegraph offices.


ARTICLE 3: Telegrams shall be transmitted in accordance with their special forms Special receipts shall be issued to the sender for each types of telegram.


ARTICLE 4: Personal telegrams whose contents are contrary to religious affairs and national interests or those which are considered injurious to the national security or against the laws of the security shall not be transmitted.


ARTICLE 5: Following is a list of the various types of telegrams.


  1. The original source:

(1) Government telegrams: telegrams sent by various government departments and by foreign diplomatic missions.


(2) Service telegrams pertaining to the telegraph departments.


(3) Personal telegrams.


(b) The contents:


ARTICLE 6: Government telegrams shall be transmitted prior to all other telegrams. Service telegrams shall be transmitted prior to personal telegrams.


DEFINITION OF THE VARIOUS TYPES OF TELEGRAMS


Plain Telegrams


ARTICLE 7: Plain telegrams are those XXXX words and sentences to one or any of the authorized languages. These telegrams shall contain plain intelligible message and each word or sentence shall be used in its conventional meaning. Such messages can be a mixture of words and numbers that have no cryptic meaning. Such telegrams can contain trade mark expressions, XXXX abbreviations, or other current abbreviations.

NOTE: The minimum charge for a plain telegrams is on the basis of 10 words even when the message contains less than 10 words.


Code Telegrams


ARTICLE 8: Code telegrams are those containing words in code. Code words are he following:


  1. Artificial expressions.
  2. XXXX expressions that are used to XXXX a meaning other than what they denote in the plain language in which they are used.
  3. A mixture of artificial and XXXX expressions defined above. Code and artificial expressions shall not be longer than words.

NOTE: Letters in a code message can be in any combination desired by the sender but they must not contain the letter “a”. Charges on code telegrams shall be in accordance with international tariffs and agreements based on a rate of 10 percent at the country of XXXX.


ARTICLE 9: Any telegram containing at least one code word – even when all the rest of the message is in plain language – shall be classed as code telegram (CDE telegram). Thus all the rest of the words in such a message shall be counted on the basis of five XXXX to a word – such five letters to the message shall constitute are word; any letter is excess of the last five shall constitute one word.


ARTICLE 10: Any telegram containing at least one code letter and the rest numbers or groups of numbers shall be considered as a code message for charging purposes provided that the numbers and the group of numbers do not XXXX one-half of the words used in the address and the signature.


NOTE: Code telegrams shall contain the expression “CDE”. This expression shall be transmitted to the destination without any charge. The minimum charge for a code telegram shall be based on 10 words even when the message continue less than 10 words.


Cipher Telegrams


ARTICLE 11: Cipher telegrams are the following:


  1. These composed of Arabic XXXX, i.e., Arabic XXXX arranged to XXXX and converting XXXX meanings.
  2. Those composed of letters, names, and phrase – except the letter “XXXX” with an accent – which do not convey any XXXX in plain language or in XXXX.

ARTICLE 12: Letters and numbers shall not be combined to make one group having a cryptic meaning.


The minimum charge for a cipher telegrams is on the basis of 10 words even when the message does not contain 10 words. Cipher telegrams can only based for government XXXX.

Mixed Telegrams


ARTICLE 13: Mixed telegram are those in which plain and cryptic words are used one after another. If the cryptic words are considered codes, code rates shall be charged for them; otherwise the cryptic words shall be charged on the basis of cipher and plain words on the basis of plain words.


ARTICLE 14: The sender of a code or a mixed telegrams shall upon the request of the telegraph department provide the telegraph office XXXX with XXXX key to the code used in the message.


ARTICLE 15: A telegraphic message shall be writing in intelligible writing. Any changes on the XXXX, additions, or deletions shall be certified by the sender or his representatives.


ARTICLE 16: Each telegrams must contain the following information:


  1. Service Code
  2. Address
  3. Text of Message
  4. Signature

ARTICLE 17: The address shall contain all the information required for the delivery of a message. It shall at least have two words with the name of the recipient XXXX last.


ARTICLE 18: The sender is responsible for completing the address of the recipient. The sender can use a short telegraphic address for the recipient rather than his full name and address. However the proper consent of the telegraph department should be obtained for such usage. Agreement for telegraphic addresses can be reached with the telegraph department for a period of one year against the payment prescribed by the special tariff for this purpose.


ARTICLE 19: Telegrams containing only an address with no text shall not be accepted inter transmission by the telegraph offices.


ARTICLE 20: In writing the particulars of the destination office, publications and lists issued by the international telegraph office shall be considered authoritative.


ARTICLE 21: All words and letters used by the sender is a message shall be counted in charging for the telegram. Dashes separating letters or groups of letters, XXXX dashes, and all other signs and punctuations shall neither be counted nor transmitted in a message. In case the sender should request the XXXX of these signs, each punctuations shall be counted as one word.


NOTE: Indications of the type of telegram, name of the office of issue, number of message, date of transmission, XXXX of transmissions, services codes, XXXX codes, and all other words, letters, and numbers that are used for transmission purposes shall not be counted in charging for a message. However, if the sender should use any or all of these expressions in his text, they shall then be XXXX and charged to him.


ARTICLE 22: In telegrams written in plain language, each word can have a maximum of is letters to it. Any letters in excess of 15 in a word – even if it is one letter in excess – shall be counted with the next word.

ARTICLE 23: In code telegrams each five letters constitute one word. In cipher telegrams each five numbers or letters or groups of XXXX or letters shall constitute one word. Any letter, number, group of letters, or group of members in excess of five in one word shall constitute a new word for the purpose of charging for the message.


ARTICLE 24: A combined family name, XXXX forms of the names of places, XXXX, XXXX, boats, aviation codes, and other combined and contracted expressions that have been authorized for use can be put in a telegraphic message. In the address the name of the destination telegraph office and all other details that have been placed for that purpose of the official list shall be counted as one word.


ARTICLE 25: The signature on a telegram, even in the case of cryptic (cipher), mixed, or code messages can have as much as 15 letters for one word. Any letters is access of the 15 letters shall be counted as constituting a new word.


ARTICLE 26: Charges for internal telegrams shall be collected in cash at the time of the delivery of the message in accordance with the specific telegraphic tariff.


ARTICLE 27: Special telegrams have two categories.


  1. Urgent telegrams: these are sent at the earliest possible time before personal priority messages.
  2. Priority telegrams.

The sender of a telegram can have his message given priority when he has put the necessary terms of “urgent,” “D,” or “priority” on his message and when he has paid the double charge of an ordinary message for his special message. The charges on a priority code (CDE) telegram are also double the charges on an ordinary code (CDE) message.


Prepaid Telegraphic Replies


ARTICLE 28: The sender of any type of telegrams, except a press telegram, can pay the charges for the reply to his message in advance. For this purpose the address of the telegram should be proceeded with one of the following expresses one: “XXXX,” payment made for an urgent reply, “RPD,” pay must made for a priority reply: “RP,” payment made for an XXXX reply: “XXXX,” payment made for a lettergram reply. When payment is made for more than 10 words to the reply, the number of words authorized to in the prepayment arrangement should be put in the message together with the letter “W.” for example, “XXXX” would denote that payment has been made for an urgent reply containing 12 words.


ARTICLE 29: The office of the XXXX, upon receiving a message with indication of the prepaid arrangement for a reply, shall forward the message to the recipient together with a special telegram form upon which the number of words allowed for the reply is printed. The recipient can use this form within three months of the receipt to send any message at any post office within the country up to the amount that has been allowed on the form.


NOTE: Should the charges on prepaid telegram exceed the amount prepaid, the person who dispatches the reply has to pay the differences in cash at the time of delivering it to the telegraph offices concerned. Should charges on the prepaid message be less then the amount.

prepaid, the difference shall be XXXX to the XXXX who originally paid for the message provided that such person supplies to the telegraph office for each refund within six months of receiving the reply message.


Confirmation Telegrams


ARTICLE 30: The sender of a telegram can request for the XXXX of his message through all the channels to its destination for the purpose of XXXX. To do this he shall put the XXXX code “TC” on his message.


ARTICLE 31: The charges for a confirmation telegram shall be one and one-half of the charges on an ordinary similar telegram even when the message is urgent or priority. The charges on a CDE confirmation telegram shall be equal to one and one-half times the charges of the XXXX telegram XXXX non-confirmed.


ARTICLE 32: Government telegrams and service telegrams shall be confirmed officially and without any charge.


Telegrams with Receipts


ARTICLE 33: The sender of a telegram can request that the date and time of the delivery of his message be sent to him by telegram or by post. If he wants the information by telegram, the services code PCP shall be put on his message and he would be charged for an ordinary XXXX rate telegram. If he should want the information by post the service code PCP shall be put on his message and the information shall be mailed to him. In this case, he shall be charged XXXX.


NOTE: The office of the destination shall immediately after the delivery of the message transmit or mail the receipt to the telegraph or postal office of XXXX and the office of origin shall convey the information to the original sender.


Telegraphs with Identical Texts Sent to Different Address


ARTICLE 34: Telegrams with identical texts shall be accepted for different addresses falling within the jurisdiction of the same telegraph office. The service code TM or the term “several addresses” should be put on the message. The name of the office of destination shall be put only once at the end of all the addresses.


ARTICLE 35: A telegram with several addresses shall be considered as one telegrams and all the addresses shall be XXXX to XXXX the XXXX of words for charging purpose. However, the Afghani shall be charged for each copy that has to be made of the office of destination for delivery.


Press Telegrams


ARTICLE 36: Press telegrams are those written is plain language and are addressed to the offices of newspapers, periodicals, and information organizations and are for the purpose of publication. Such telegrams are charged at one-half the price of ordinary telegrams.


In XXXX telegrams the service code “PRESSE” shall be placed. In addition such telegrams can have the service codes “URGENT,” “TM,” and “PRIORITY.”

NOTE: The XXXX charge for a press telegram to 20 words. XXXX telegrams that do not conform to the above requirements XXXX be charged at the full rate.


Aviation Telegrams


ARTICLE 37: Aviation telegrams are XXXX sent by a recognized aviation service or by a filter to his airline office concerning aviation information. Flash telegrams shall be XXXX free of charge.


NOTE: Aviation telegrams must hear the service code OBS.


Lettergrams


ARTICLE 38: Lettergrams are those sent in plain language which are transmitted after all other types of telegrams have been transmitted. The charges on such telegrams shall be one-third of the charges on ordinary telegrams.


ARTICLE 39: Lettergrams XXXX be sent as urgent or priority. Lettergrams shall have the service code LT. The minimum charges for lettergrams shall be XXXX words.


Decorative Telegrams


ARTICLE 40: The sender of a telegraphic message can request that his message be delivered to the recipient on a decorated form by writing the service code LX on his telegram. One Afghani shall be charged in addition to the normal charges for sending decorative telegrams.


ARTICLE 41: Government telegrams should beer the seal of the sender of the message. This is to insure that there is no doubt XXXX the origin of the message.


NOTE: Government telegrams should have the service code ETAT.


ARTICLE 42: The sender of a telegram, by entering the service code XXXX, can say that, if the recipient is not at the given address, the massage he sent to an alternative address of the recipient. In such cases, the alternative address should be provided with the original message.


ARTICLE 43: The charges for sending the message to a XXXX address shall be collected from the recipient. In case the recipient refuses to pay the additional charges, the message shall be delivered to him and the office of destination shall inform the office of origin to collect the additional charges from the sender.


ARTICLE 44: If the service code for re-xcuting a message is not put on the telegram and the recipient has changed his address without requesting the telegraph officer to retain his telegrams for personal collection, provided that his new address is known to the office of destination, his telegram shall be sent to XXXX by mail.


NOTE: When such telegrams are sent by post, the recipient shall be charged for the postage at the time of delivery. When a person is changing his address, he can ask his telegraph office to forward his messages to him by telegram or by post, in which case telegraphic or postal charges shall be collected from him as the case may be at the time of delivery of any message.

ARTICLE 46: Provided hat there is sufficient time, the sender of a telegram or his legal representative one stop his message from XXXX from the office of XXXX or one delay it an-route before delivery to the recipient. He should present his receipt for the telegram at the time of making the request.


If the sender XXXX his message before it has been transmitted from the office of origin, he will be charged one Afghani as service charge and the balance of his payments shall be refunded to him. If the message has XXXX through, he shall not receive any refund and by sending a new message, he can stop the delivery of the previous one.


ARTICLE 47: The request for delay and the confirmation shall be charged in accordance with the type of telegram each for this purpose. If he should XXXX for the delay by telegram and the confirmation by post, it shall be charged for the delay message according to the telegraphic XXXX and for the confirmation according to the rate of a XXXX letters. The office that stops the telegrams shall inform the office of origin and the letter shall inform the sender by mail.


ARTICLE 48: After XXXX of the XXXX of XXXX, the telegrams shall be sealed and distributed. XXXX shall be in order of receipt.


NOTE: Ordinary message shall be delivered within 42 hours, priority message within 12 hours, and urgent message within XXXX hours.


ARTICLE 49: Telegrams shall be delivered under the following arrangements.


  1. If the sender has marked a telegrams with the service code MP for delivering XXXX to the recipient, the message shall be delivered to the address XXXX.
  2. Official telegrams shall be delivered to the head of the department concerned or, in the absence of any specific written instruction from the XXXX of the department, to the director of the branch working under XXXX and being concerned with the message.
  3. Telegrams for XXXX XXXX in XXXX shall be delivered to the owners or XXXX of the XXXX or to their legal representatives.
  4. Other telegrams, when the recipient is absent and has not given written instruction XXXX a representative to receive his message, shall be handed to an adult member of his family or to his servants.

ARTICLE 49: Should the delivery of a telegram not be possible under any circumstances, the messenger shall place a notice at the door of the recipient and the letter has to apply to the telegraph office to take delivery of his message.


ARTICLE 50: Undelivered telegrams shall be XXXX at the office of destination for XXXX days: but the XXXX of destination of XXXX XXXX the office of origin immediately by telegram. If the office of origin to XXXX to remove the XXXX for XXXX to delivery, it shall inform the sender. The sender can correct the address of the telegram by telegram or by XXXX.


ARTICLE 51: The sender of a telegram can apply for the refund of the following charges:


  1. Charges on a XXXX that has not been delivered due to the fault of the telegraph office.
  2. Charges XXXX
  3. Charges XXXX a telegram in plain language XXXX has become unintelligible owing to the fault of the telegraph office in transmitting.
  4. Charges on the portion of a plain language telegrams that has become unintelligible or charges on a confirmation on a code or cipher telegram that to proven to have been different from the original XXXX by the sender.
  5. Charges paid for a reply on a telegram that had not been used or had not been accepted by the recipient, provided that the reply form is presented to the telegraph office before the expiration of the three months allowed for this purpose.

ARTICLE 52: Charges collected on an original message or a reply for a prepaid reply message shall be refunded under the following conditions.


  1. When the answer to a telegram is not received due to closing down or XXXX other cause resting with the telegraph office.
  2. When the original telegram is not receive d at the office of destination due to closing down or some other cause XXXX with the telegraph office lettergrams do not fall under this provision.
  3. When extra charges have been collected by XXXX.

NOTE: Any request for refunds should be made within six months of the delivery of the telegram XXXX and in the case of XXXX of Article 51 within three months of the receipt of the telegraphic form. Application must be made to the office of origin and must accompany the following documents.


  1. If a telegram is delayed or not delivered, a written certificate to that effect from the office of destination or the recipient.
  2. If the message had been delivered to the recipient.

ARTICLE 53: Telegrams transmitted to foreign countries shall be subject to the provision of the international telegraphic agreement and the regulations attached to that agreement.


ARTICLE 54: The Government of Afghanistan does not accept any responsibility for telegraphic XXXX.


ARTICLE 55: The Ministry of Post, Telegraph, and Telephone shall be responsible and in charge of the execution of XXXX regulations.


AMENDMENT: No Types of Telegram Charge per Word Remarks
1 plain 40 pals
2 priority 30 pals
3 codes 24 pals
4 air (XXXX) 20 pals


Handwritten telegraphic charges shall be collected in accordance with the above table. 23 Sombuls 1321


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