The morning call., 1894-07-01
NEW u. S. STAMPS.

From this date our stamp collectors will
scrutiniZs with even more than usual care
the stamps of the United States, for be-
ginning with the 1st of July, or rather
the ID, the first falling on Sunday. they
will be printed by the Government Bu-
reau of Engraving and Printing instead of
by the American Banknote Company
which has done this work for many years.
The contract for furnishing postage
stamps is usually made to cover period
of four years, and the required stamps are
supplied at an agreed price per thousand.
When the Postoffice Department some
months ago advertised for bids consldera-
Bile surprise was manifested when it be-
came known that the Government
printing establishment intended to COM
pete against the oldtime contractors, and
this surprise was greatly intensified when
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was
awarded the contract.
On first learning of the proposed change
| in the printers of the postage stamps it
was generally assumed by collectors that
an en- tirely new series of stamps would be
engraved and issued. So much interest
attached to the subject that well-knOwn
collector, to learn just what to expect, ad-
dressed the following letter to Postmaster
General Bissell:
Sir: learn that the contract for the print
ing OF our postage stamps, which Is now held
by the American BanknOte Company of New
York, has been awarded TO the Government
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, such award
10 take effect al the beginning of the fiscal year.
July /, 1894 l would like TO inquire If the
new contract Will carry with 1t the Old plates of
the present stamps (not the Columbians), or If
the bureau Is to furnish new designs for new
issue of stamps to take the place of the present
issue,
In due course the following reply was
received from the Third Assistant Post
master-General:
Sir: Yours, addressed to the Postmaster.
General, has been referred to this office. In
reply / have TO say that it is the intention OF
the department TO continue the use of the cur
rent issue designs OF postage stamps under the
new contract.
While this correspondence sets at rest
all doubts as to a new design, it is be-
lieved that new set of plates may be en-
graved by the present contractors 1t is
not known whether the plates engraved
| by the American Banknote Company
will be transferred to the bureau or not;
but the chances are that they will not be.
| Should new plates have to be made there
will undoubtedly be minor differences In
| the designs of each denomination of the
series, and there is almost certain to be
| changes in the shades OF color and in the
quality of the paper. Any differences of
| the character mentioned will enttle the
stamps to be classed as new varieties with
| collectors, hence the widespread interest
being manifested by the samples.
| Whatever the result to collectors. the
general public will be benefited by the
| change in the contractors, as the saving to
| the Government will be considerable. and
| there is every likelihood that better
quality of paper will be used than what. 10
phileteic circles. has been derisvely
termed the "Waaamaker bargain paper "
which is used in the current stamps and
was also used in the Columbians, and
which made the separation OF the stamps
preearious task.
The full advantages Of having the post
age stamps printed by the bureau are best
described by Claude NJ. johnson. who In
recent interview said:
1.-THE Postmaster-General. who Is d.
rected by law to pr ebare postage stamps.
is now expending for them more than
$780, 600 a year, and the number used is
increasing at the rate of about per cent
per annum. In making the bid for the
new contract, the American Banknote
Company, which has had the contract Tor
a number OF years. placed the flg2re5 at
1852, 401 81, based upon the consumption
of 1893. The Bureau of Engraving and
Printing, with the approval OF the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury, submitted an essi-
male based upon the actual cost of doing
| the work. and offered to do it for $780,
4S7 81, proposing thereby to the Postmas-
ter-General saving OF S22.914 year in
| the expenditures OF his department, which
| he has accepted.
"Ihe cost of additional machinery is in-
cluded IN the estimate submitted by the
bureau; therefore, after tho first year, it
can be safely estimated that an annual