New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-23
ENGLISH POSTAGE STAMPS.
A SUBJECT WHICH AGITATEs LONDON.
TEE NEW PENNY STAMP AND THE wRETCnED OLD
ONE WHICH WAS CLUMSY, BRITTLE,

fraou THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
LONDON, Jan. 6.--The London world, and
suppose the rest of England. is at pres
ant agitated on the subject of postage
stamps A new penny stamp has just been
issued by Her Majesty's Postmaster-General The
old one which this replaces was probably the
worst stamp in existence, 1t had every fault 1t
WAS mean III design and ugly in color; II was made
Of paper which was too thick ii brittle; 1t
eurled mp on the slightest provocation; 1t inl
perfectly perforated, and would tear anywhere but
in the proper place; the coloring matter off on
Vour fingers and the whole stamp came off the let
ter unless great care used il applying it. The
green used on the back was both nasty and poison
ous Tie public hayeused this stamp and grumbed
about il for thirty years. Scientific bad during
that period repeatedly published warnings against
the danger of wetting stamps with the tongue. a
process which is certainly employed in nine cases
out of ten Tor aixiDg the things 10 letters But the
Post Office. is a bulwaTk OF conservatism. and has
deied all remonstrsnces and ignored all complaints
until now. 1t has issued numbers of other stamps.
meanwhile, which were free from many OF she faults
which made the constant use Of the penny stamp
such nuisance. We used to be told that contracts
had still long time to run, and that was why no
change could be made. 1t was better that the
public should suffer than that the revenue OF the
Department should be diminished by penalty.
But when the stamps were put III
hand il appeared that the contractors had nothing
10 do with the material of the old. They simply
manufactured what the Department ordered. 1t
was the Post Office itself which supplied the design
and stipulated for the particular thickness OF paper
and the particular hue of bTick-red and the par
tieular flthiness of paste which made the old stamp
10 odious.
One would be glad to speak well of the now stamp
and 1t NAV be said truthfully TO be an improvement
on the old in some points 1t is Of thinner paper,
and the adhesive matter the back is cleaner bnt
il seems hardly equal even in these elementary re-
gulsites to the twO-pence -hali-penny stamp when
hasIong been III use for fore circulation Perhaps
the authorities are of opinion that the pubic Is
not entitled TO so good article for the
cheaper price, But the expense of producing
stamp can bear only an infntesmal proportion TO
the sum for which it is sold. What we pay for is
not the stamp but the carriage of the letter ana
the stamp is only evidence of prepayment OF post !
age.
In design. the stamp is inferior to the
old, ana is a more glazing anachronism |
The head which ills the greater part
of the field is the same girls likeness |
which the British public were invited TO accept rs
portrait of thoI Queen forty years ago. Very prob
ably it bore a resemblance to Her Majesty in those
distant days At present the most loyal subject |
would be puzzled 10 discover any similarity between
tins youthful cOuntenance ana the anstere 1eatuie5
of his aged sovereign. RcmonstranceS. respectful |
Inconsistencies have, it is said, been addressed to
the Queen on tins subject. She has been reminded
that stamps and more especially coins, have ms
torical significance well as commercial purpose.
What was truthful and appropriate on the face Of q |
shilling in 1897 is no longer But this is case
where the woman rules the sovereign, ami
posterity will be expected to believe that
the Victoria Of 1850 preserved the good
looks and girlish contour of the Victoria OF
1887 Change she will not admit. In TIE nature
of things there is reason why woman Of sixty
should have the round freshness of girl of seven
teen; but the Queen will have it so, aud there's an
end
The die is coarsely cut tho border es
pecially looking as if it were done by
mechanic. Artistic merit it has none.
Whether the easy excellence of practical
usefulness has been attained seems doubtful L OBJ
serve that the sheet lying before has already be-
gun to curl under the very moderate heat OF read
Ing lamp, and that the stamps when handled be-
come blurred while some OF the pale red when |
has disappeared from their surface now ornaments !
the ends of my fingers. This reminds me that the OH
cial inventor of this treasure regards fugtiVeness
of color rs merit. 1t prevents, says Barnace, the
dishonest practice Of using these labels twice over
BY removing chemically the obliterating stamp
If you remove the obliterating black, you remove
also the red BaTnace does not trouble himself
about the honest portion Of the public who would
like TO be sure Of using their stamps once. lhaVe
never had much experience thsprocesS OF chemical
oblj,eration 10 winch Banacle objects. But have
aharassng suspicion that the appearances produced
by ebemical dangerously resemble the appearances
mechanically yet honestly. produced by handling.
with little chemical help from heat and
moisture 1t will be awkward to be
called on 10 prove 10 the satisfaction OF
a police magistrate precisely how this smeared
and faded look was occasioned. But Barnacle con-
s;ders that the public exists for bis beneht and
that the daily Inconvenience and loss resulting
from his foolish fugitive colois are not to be
taken into account against the pleasure OF puzziIDg
a stray rogue or two. The rogue, none the less
will proye too much for Barnaclc in the long run.
Chemist against chemist. 1 would back the
man who has the offensive side. just as i'll warfare
the ouns are always getting the best of the aTInor
Rarnsele the Barnacle of Britain, might, at any
rate answer this question Why the postage
,ta,ops of France of Italy, OF Germany, and of SO
many other countries should be clean and conven-
lent and not the postage stamps of Engandi
Not 10 press the question, will suggest one ex-
planation The Post Office Of Great Britain, with
All its many merits, is pervaded DIV the spirit OF
oiea,ism which sooner or later sezes on all public
denartuepts II makes revenue ats hrst OBJECT;
public convenience its second or third. PERHAPS
the second beng to prove on every possible
occasion that the Department and It's officers are
infallible Many complaints addressed to the
functionares of ST. Northumberland They are
always so far my experience goes, poiitely III
auired INTO They are seldom redressed. They are
often met nv answers which have. perhaps, a
technical completeness. but which eyade
the real grievance If remedy IS promised, II holds
good for a little while, then the old abuse
creeps back and establishes itself more firmly than
ia fh2 rr1pN-