FLC WAS ISSUED A CLB CLRNC BY THE ATCT LCL CTLR; THAT THE ZAB CTLR CLAIMED HE DID NOT HAVE AUTH TO ISSUE; ON THE POAKE 1 SID AT SAF.

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WHILE PREPARING FOR DEP FROM SANTA FE; WE WERE ISSUED THE CLRNC 'POAKE 1 DEP; AS FILED; ALT WILL BE ASSIGNED WITH TKOF CLRNC.' WHEN READY FOR TKOF; THE TWR ASSIGNED US 'CLRED FOR TKOF; CLB AND MAINTAIN 12000 FT; CLRED TO CLB ON COURSE.' I WAS NOT SURE WHAT THE TWR MEANT BY 'CLRED TO CLB ON COURSE.' WE QUESTIONED HIM WHETHER WE STILL HAD TO ADHERE TO THE POAKE DEP OR WHETHER WE WERE NO LONGER REQUIRED TO DO THIS PROC. HE TOLD US THAT 'CLB ON COURSE' MEANT THAT WE NEEDED TO DO THE PROC BUT DID NOT HAVE TO ADHERE TO THE ALT RESTRS; SO WE CONTINUED OUR CLB TO 12000 FT. ONCE WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH ATC; WE WERE QUESTIONED ABOUT OUR ALT AND IF WE WERE ADHERING TO THE XING RESTRS. I TOLD THE CTLR OF THE CONVERSATION WE HAD WITH THE TWR CTLR. ATC'S RESPONSE WAS THAT THE TWR DID NOT HAVE THE AUTH TO GIVE THAT CLRNC AND THAT WE NEEDED TO ADHERE TO THE ALT RESTRS. THROUGH A CONVERSATION WITH CTR; I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT A BIG DEAL THIS TIME; BUT THAT IN THE FUTURE THIS COULD BECOME A PROB. THE TERMINOLOGY THAT SANTA FE TWR IS USING IS CONFUSING; NONSTANDARD AND IS VERY MISLEADING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CREW WAS FLYING A B190 ACFT. THE PROB WAS WITH THE ZAB ARTCC RADAR CTLR. CAPT HAS RPTED THE INCIDENT TO HIS CHIEF PLT AND THE COMPANY DIRECTOR OF FLT SAFETY. THEY HAVE LEARNED; IN AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION; THERE IS AN LOA ISSUED BTWN SAF TWR AND ZAB REGARDING ALT CLRNC RESTRS. SAF IS A CONTRACT TWR.