Postal_Guide_1939 — Page 400

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FORMS TO BE USED.

Radiotelegrams should be written on the Govern- ment Radio Office form RTO1., obtainable at the Government Radio Office.

DEFINITION OF PLAIN LANGUAGE.

Plain language is that which presents an intel- ligible meaning, each word and each expression having the meaning normally assigned to it in the language to which it belongs.

Plain language telegrams may be in any language but they must be written in letters of the English alphabet.

A single check word or check number not exceeding five letters or figures may be placed at the beginning of the text of a banking or similar telegram in plain language telegrams.

COUNTING: PLAIN LANGUAGE

TELEGRAMS

The maximum number of letters allowed to pass at the charge for a single word is 15, any excess being charged for at the rate of 15 letters to a word.

Subject to this limit, the following are counted as single words if written without break:

Ordinary compound words;

names of towns, countries, provinces, and

so on;

family names and names of ships;

names of streets, squares, and so on; compound numbers written in words.

and so on, or

The words STREET, SQUARE, and so their equivalents in other languages, can be combined with such names so as to form a single chargeable word.

an

If joined by a hyphen, or separated by apostrophe, compound words or names are counted as so many separate words.

Words incorrectly spelled, so as to bring the number of letters within the maximum, or incorrectly joined together, contrary to the usage of the language, are inadmissible.

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