{"id":"C1912L00038","name":"Returns of Retail Prices by Shopkeepers and Return by Gas Suppliers Regulations (Provisional)","slug":"returns-of-retail-prices-by-shopkeepers-and-return-by-gas-suppliers-regulations-provisional","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":"38 of 1912","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":20474,"registerId":"commonwealth-C1912L00038-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Returns of Retail Prices by Shopkeepers and Return by Gas Suppliers Regulations (Provisional)","content":"STATUTORY RULES.\n\n1912\\. No. 38.\n\nPROVISIONAL REGULATIONS UNDER THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS ACT 1905.\n\nI, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, do hereby certify that, on account of urgency, the following Regulations under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 should come into immediate operation, and make the Regulations to come into operation forthwith as Provisional Regulations.\n\nDated the 14th day of February, One thousand nine hundred and twelve.\n\nDENMAN,\n\nGovernor-General.\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command,\n\nKING O’MALLEY,\n\nMinister of State for Home Affairs.\n\nReturns of Retail Prices by Shopkeepers.\n\n1\\. (1) The owner of any shop at which any of the articles specified in any of the forms prescribed by this Regulation are sold by retail shall, as soon as practicable after being required by the Statistician so to do, furnish to the Statistician the particulars set out in the prescribed form of return which relates to the articles sold by him.\n\n(2) In order to comply with this Regulation, the owner of the shop shall fill in the required particulars in the prescribed form so far as those particulars include articles of the kind said in the shop, and shall sign the form and send it to the Statistician.\n\n(3) In this Regulation—\n\n“owner” includes the manager or person for the time being in charge of a shop; and\n\n“shop” includes any store, van, vessel, or place in or from which articles of any kind specified in the prescribed form are sold.\n\nC. 1833.—Price 3d.\n\n \n\n(4) The prescribed forms of return are as follows:—\n\n(a) As regards Groceries, Form R.P. 2, as hereunder set out—\n\nTown.........................State..................\n\nOffice No. R.P. 2/....\n\nRETAIL PRICES.\n\nName.................................................\n\nAddress................................................\n\nThis half-sheet is to be detached and posted to the “Commonwealth Statistician,” Melbourne.\n\nIn filling in this form please follow Instructions carefully.\n\n```html\n

Article.

Unit of Quantity.

Predominant or Most Frequent Price.†

s.

d.

Bread..............................

Per 2 lb. loaf................

......

......

Butter..............................

„ lb.....................

......

......

\"\"Cheese New....................

\"\" Matured..................

„ lb.....................

„ lb.....................

......

......

......

......

Eggs New laid....................

Fresh......................

„ dozen.................

„ „..................

......

......

......

......

\"\"Flour Ordinary....................

Self-raising..................

„ 25-lb, bag...............

„ *.......lbs. packet..........

......

......

......

......

Tea...............................

„ lb.....................

......

......

Coffee.............................

„ lb.....................

......

......

Cocoa.............................

„ ½ lb...................

......

......

\"\"Bacon Middle cut..................

Shoulder...................

Ham......................

„ lb.....................

„ lb.....................

„ lb.....................

......

......

......

......

......

......

Sugar (white granulated A1)...............

„ *.....lbs.................

......

......

Rice...............................

,, lb.....................

......

......

Sago..............................

„ lb.....................

......

......

Jam (Australian).......................

„ *......lbs. tin..............

......

......

Oatmeal............................

„ *......lbs.................

......

......

Raisins.............................

„ lb.....................

......

......

Currants............................

„ lb.....................

......

......

Starch.............................

„ lb.....................

......

......

Blue...............................

„ dozen squares............

......

......

Candles............................

„ lb.....................

......

......

Soap (household, ordinary)................

„ *......lbs. bar.............

......

......

Potatoes............................

„ 14 lbs..................

......

......

Onions.............................

„ lb.....................

......

......

Kerosene...........................

„ gallon.................

......

......

\n```\n\n\\* Enter quantity most frequently sold.\n\n† See instructions, paragraph 4.\n\nRemarks (Enter here the cause of any material advance or decline in the price of any article since the middle of last month)......\n\n...............................................................\n\n...............................................................\n\n(Continue remarks on back of sheet, if necessary.)\n\n \n\n(b) As regards Butcher’s Meat, Form R.P. 3, as hereunder set out—\n\nTown.......................State.....................\n\nOffice No. R.P. 3/....\n\nRETAIL PRICES.\n\nName.................................................\n\nAddress................................................\n\nThis half-sheet is to be detached and posted to the “Commonwealth Statistician,” Melbourne.\n\nIn filling in this form please fellow Instruction carefully.\n\n```html\n

Articles.

Predominant or Most Frequent Price.*

s.

d.

Beef (fresh)—Sirloin...........................................per lb.

......

......

Ribs......................................................

......

......

Flank......................................................

......

......

Shin (without bone) Gravy Beef....................................

......

......

Steak—Rump...................................................

......

......

Shoulder....................................................

......

......

Stewing (Buttock).............................................

......

......

Beef (Corned)—Round.............................................

......

......

Brisket (with bone).............................................

......

......

„ (without bone)..........................................

......

......

Mutton—Legs..................................................

......

......

Shoulders...................................................

......

......

Loins......................................................

......

......

Necks........................................................

......

......

Chops-Loin....................................................

......

......

Leg.......................................................

......

......

Neck......................................................

......

......

Lamb—Forequarter...............................................

......

......

Hindquarter..................................................

......

......

Pork (fresh)—Leg................................................

......

......

Loin......................................................

......

......

Belly......................................................

......

......

Chops.....................................................

......

......

\n```\n\n\\* See instructions, paragraph 4.\n\nRemarks (Enter here the cause of any material advance or decline in the price of any article since the middle of last month)......\n\n..............................................................\n\n..............................................................\n\n..............................................................\n\n..............................................................\n\n(Continue remarks on back of sheet, if necessary.)\n\n \n\n(c) As regards Fuel, Form R.P. 4, as hereunder set out­\\-\n\nTown.......................State.....................\n\nOffice No. R.P. 4/....\n\nRETAIL PRICES.\n\nName.......................................................\n\nAddress.....................................................\n\nThis quarter-sheet is to be detached and posted to the “Commonwealth Statistician,” Melbourne.\n\nIn filling in this form please follow Instructions carefully.\n\n```html\n

Article.

Predominant or Most Frequent Price.*

s.

d.

Coal.....................................................per cwt. †

......

......

Coke..........................................................†

......

......

Firewood.......................................................†

......

......

\n```\n\n\\* See instructions, paragraph 4. † If sold by bag or sack, please state average weight.\n\nRemarks (Enter here the cause of any material advance or decline in the price of any article since the middle of last month)\n\n........................................................\n\n........................................................\n\n........................................................\n\n(d) As regards Milk, Form R.P. 5, as hereunder set out—\n\nTown.......................State.....................\n\nOffice No. R.P. 5/....\n\nRETAIL PRICES.\n\nName......................................................\n\nAddress....................................................\n\nThis quarter-sheet is to be detached and posted to the “Commonwealth Statistician,” Melbourne.\n\nIn filling in this form please follow Instructions carefully.\n\n| Particulars. | Cash Price. |\n| ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |\n| | d. |\n| Milk......................................................per quart | |\n\nRemarks (Enter here the cause of any material advance or decline in the price of any article since the middle of last month)\n\n...............................................................\n\n...............................................................\n\n...............................................................\n\n...............................................................\n\n...............................................................\n\n \n\nReturn by Gas Suppliers.\n\n1\\. (1) The owner of any works at which gas is produced and supplied to the public for illuminating, heating, cooking, or motive purposes, shall, as soon as practicable after being required by the Statistician so to do, furnish to the Statistician the particulars set out in the prescribed form of return.\n\n(2) In order to comply with this Regulation the owner of the works shall fill in the required particulars in the prescribed form, and shall sign the form and send it to the Statistician.\n\n(3) In this Regulation “owner” Includes—\n\n(a) Any municipal corporation or trading company.\n\n(b) The clerk of any municipal corporation, and the secretary of any trading company; and\n\n(c) The manager, superintendent, or person having the direction or management of any gas works.\n\n(4) The prescribed form of return is as follows:—\n\nTown.......................State.....................\n\nOffice No. R.P. 6/....\n\nRETAIL PRICES.\n\nName......................................................\n\nAddress....................................................\n\nThis quarter-sheet is to be detached and posted to the “Commonwealth Statistician,” Melbourne.\n\nIn filling in this form please follow Instructions carefully.\n\n```html\n

Particulars.

Predominant or Most Frequent Price.*

s.

d.

Gas, lighting.......................................per 1,000 cub. ft.

......

......

Gas, cooking...................................................“

......

......

\n```\n\n\\* State cash price.\n\nRemarks (Enter here the cause of any material advance or decline in the price of gas—either for lighting or cooking—since the middle at last month)\n\n...............................................................\n\n...............................................................\n\n...............................................................\n\nPrinted and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by J. Kemp, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-realtime","completionTokens":2198},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"These regulations maintain their original narrow administrative scope of collecting retail price statistics for essential consumer goods and utilities as established in the 1912 provisional order."},"complexity_factors":["Extensive tabular data embedding specific product lists (40+ grocery items, meat cuts, fuel types) with precise imperial measurements (pounds, gallons, cubic feet)","Broad definitional scope where 'owner' includes managers, clerks, and persons 'for the time being in charge'","Historical currency notation (shillings and pence) requiring contextual interpretation","Multiple prescribed form references (R.P. 2 through R.P. 6) with specific submission instructions"],"plain_english_summary":"These 1912 regulations require shopkeepers (including managers or temporary caretakers) and gas suppliers to provide the Commonwealth Statistician with regular retail prices when requested. They must report prevailing cash prices for groceries, meat, fuel, milk and gas on prescribed forms and explain material month-to-month price changes.\n\nThe rule created an early, systematic national data collection to monitor living costs and inflation."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"These regulations exercise the Census and Statistics Act power to collect price data by prescribing the forms and duties for shopkeepers and gas‑works owners. They set procedural and definitional detail for returns but do not, on their face, expand the classes of persons subject to reporting beyond those types of businesses described in the instrument."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple prescribed forms covering many commodity categories (Forms R.P.2–R.P.6) increase reporting detail and preparation time.","Statistician’s discretion to require returns ('as soon as practicable after being required by the Statistician' - Reg. 1(1)) creates uncertainty about timing and frequency.","Broad definitions extend duties to managers, persons in charge, vans, vessels, municipal corporations and trading companies (Reg. 1(3) and gas Reg. 1(3)(a)–(c)).","Procedural obligations to fill, sign and post forms (Reg. 1(2)) impose a clear compliance/administrative burden.","Highly prescriptive units, quantities and itemised price fields (forms contain specific units and most‑frequent‑price entries) increase complexity of record‑keeping.","Provisional commencement (Governor‑General certificate) means urgent, immediate operation which may compress implementation time and compliance readiness."],"plain_english_summary":"These provisional regulations require shopkeepers and gas‑supply works to complete detailed, prescribed price‑return forms and send them to the Commonwealth Statistician when requested. The rules define “owner” and “shop” broadly to capture managers, vans, vessels, municipal corporations and trading companies.\n\nWho pays: the businesses that must fill, sign and post the forms. Who decides: the Statistician may require returns. Behaviour change: routine reporting of many retail and gas prices creates an ongoing administrative and record‑keeping obligation for affected businesses."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/returns-of-retail-prices-by-shopkeepers-and-return-by-gas-suppliers-regulations-provisional","history":"/api/acts/returns-of-retail-prices-by-shopkeepers-and-return-by-gas-suppliers-regulations-provisional/history","analysis":"/api/acts/returns-of-retail-prices-by-shopkeepers-and-return-by-gas-suppliers-regulations-provisional/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/returns-of-retail-prices-by-shopkeepers-and-return-by-gas-suppliers-regulations-provisional/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/returns-of-retail-prices-by-shopkeepers-and-return-by-gas-suppliers-regulations-provisional/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/returns-of-retail-prices-by-shopkeepers-and-return-by-gas-suppliers-regulations-provisional/documents"}}