The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-02

| and they were generally of such attractive
| designs that the younger and less informed
collector was sure to prefer them to the less
| snowy but more legitimate issues.
! 30 great were the possibilities OF wealth
| IN TINS direction that one dealer, M. f.
Heeoeck, more enterprising than his col
| leagues, started stamp factory of his own.
| his methodo of operation was simple and
| most effective. He made contracts with
| some OF the impecunious countries. OF
central America, whereby he agreed to
| FURNISH them new issue each year with
out cost to them, providing the surplus
| stamps OF each year reverted to him, and
he took good care to see that there were
ample reverslOns. At present such con-
tracts are in force with Honduras, Mica
| ragua, Salvador and Ecuador. When cur
rent the sets of some of these countries are
worth as high as $40, but when obsolete
they are retailed for about 40 cents.
Among the other countries charged with
lndulglng in speculative stamps are many
OF the colonies of Great Britain, of France
and Of Portugal, San Marine, Roumania,
Japan, many Chinese treaty ports. Hong
Kong. and quite number of independent
and Insignificant minor countries, such as
the principality of Trinidad, off the coast
OF Brazil; Brunie, Sarawak, Labuan and
North Borneo.
Each month for the past year may be
SAID to have seen new issue from former
stamp-lssuing countries or from govern
ment that had hitherto found no need of
the postage stamp, many not even having
postal service.
The outcry against the imposition thus
practlced on the Stamp-collecting fra
ternlty at last became so general and pow
erful that the matter was taken up by the
Phllatelic Society of London, the most
influential OF its kind in the world and to
which many of the mem bers of the royalty
of Europe belong. At a recent meeting
the following resolution was adopted:
That this society is of the opinion that the
great increase in the production of speculative
stamps for sale to collectors threatens to have
a very serious effect on the collection of gen.
ulne postal issues throughout the world, and
that committee be appointed to consider the
best means to be adopted to put stop to the
scandal.
Another strong move in the same direc-
ton was made later by the City of London
Phllatelic Club, which resolved, ''That the
time had arrived when collectors and deal
ers should combine to put stop to the
sale OF speculative issues, and that leading
dealers should De approached with the
view of inducing them in future to refrain
from chronicling and cataloguing all doubt
Jul issues until their bona-fde character
had been established"
AS the direct result of the steps taken by
these societies, Stanley Gibbons (Limited)
of London opened communication with
the C. H. Mekeel Stamp and Publishing
Company of st. Louis, Mo-, looking to Sc
curing their cooperation in mitigating or
graduating the evil complained of. In
Stanley Gibbons letter to the Mekeel Com
pany occurs the following:
There is great danger to our trade and
to the future of philately, in that, through
such issues as these Chinese locals, prin-
clpality of Trinidad, French colonial, etc. J,
ridicule will be cast upon collecting, and it
is ridicule that kills every hobby. If you
agree with us, we ask you to join with us in
ignoring such stamps. We are writing to
the leading stamp merchants of the world
similar circular letter to this to get at the
opinion of the trade. We propose from
now on to cease to catalogue these locals
and speculative emissions, to omit all
notices OF them in our journals, to cease to
import, to sell or to buy them in any way,
and, in fact, to ignore them as far as pos
sible."
In answer the Nickel Stamp and Pub
fishing Company wrote that they would be
glad to cooperate with them
The two firms above mentioned are
among the largest of the kind in the world,
the London firm carrying stock valued
at $4,000 and the St. Louis firm one
valued at $50, 900. The leading dealers of
this city, W. Sellschopp & Co., have also
announced their intention of cooperating
in the matter.
There is. therefore, now reason to believe
that the speculative stamp has seen its
most prosperous days.