The San Francisco call., 1897-06-18
STAMP COLLEC TORS
ARE Up IN ARMS
Preparing to Fight a Suit
Brought by the Gov
ernment.
Local Philatelists Will Contri-
butte Largely TO the Cam.
paign Fund.
Henry ]. Crocker's Fine Collection OF
Periodicals Involved in the
Litigation.

The stamp collectors of this City. in
common with those all over the United
States, have been called upon 10 defend
| their right to possess periodical stamps,
and have been asked 10 contribute to he
fund now being raised to assist the Walter
S. Scott Stamp Com pany of New York IN
fighting the suit recently brought against
1t by the Postotfice Department.
As the finest and most com plete collection
of United States periodical stamps in the
world is owned by Henry J. Crocker, and as
other local philalelic enthusiasts possess
thousands Of dollars worth of the stamps.
it is expected that the request will meet
with ready response.
Mr.. Crocker is one of the most enthusi
! astic collectors in America and his vast
collection has been accumulated during a
! period OF many years and at a large ex-
| pense. The suit filed by the Postoffice
| authorities against the Scott Company
was for the possession of one stamp of the
| face value of 6 cents, but the real amount
| involved runs into the hundred of thou
| sands, for should the Government be
successful it would open the door for the
SEIZURE of all of the periodical and news
| paper stamps now held In this country.
! The periodical stamp is not supposed to
| go out of the possession OF the postal au-
! thorities under any conditions. When a
! publisher, having the right to send his
| paper or periodical as second-cla matter
! pays the postage he receives a receipt torn
out of a sIubbook. The postoffice through
/ which the matter passes pastes a stamp or
stamps corresponding IN face value o the
number OF dollars aud cents paid by the
| publisher, and this strip is eventually
| sent TO Washington.
For short period prior 10 1875 the Gov
eminent allowed the "perIodicals" TO go
/ into the hands of dealers and collectors,
| but this was finally stopped. Thereupon
the stamps became rare and correspond
| ingly valuable 10 collectors. Many ways
! of procuring them were tried, from buying
! from small foreign Governments TO whom
| the stamps were sent for the pur
| pose of familiaTiZing their postal authori-
! ties with United States issues to inducing
| United States employees to part" with
| them.
! Recently the traffic became so heavy
/ that the United States Government de-
clded TO test the right of collectors and
! dealers to hold them, claiming that pos
session was prima facie evidence that theS
| had been stolen and that therefore the
stamps were subject to seizure. The suit
! for 6-cent stamp that has stirred phila-
| telic circles to their very foundations is the
result.
! a few days ago the Pacific PhiIatelic
| Society received the following communi-
cation from the Collectors Club OF New
York that explains the situation:
THE COLLECTORS CLUB.
351 FOURTH AVENUE, (
NEW YORK, June ), 1897 }
Dear Sir: At the eCular meeting OF tue d.
rectOTs of the Collectors Club, held on June z
at the clubhouse, 351 Fourth avenue il was
unanimously agreed tha the club should uu-
dertake the defense of The suit brought by the
United States Government against the Walter
:. Scott Stamp Company for Offering for sale
certain United States newspaper stamps The
resolution passed by the National Philatelical
Society was Endorsed, as 1t covered ali points
in controversy, and II was considered bitter
TO have the same resolution passed by every
society in the United States.
committee was appointed to take up sub
scTiptions from every collector in the United
States, and it is expected that at least 10 600
viii respond immediate Y, as it is essential
that the high-handed proceedings OF the de-
partmeut should be condemned at once by
the highest courts
The committee wishes to call your attention
to the fact that the nominal defendant in thi
case is the least interested of any one con-
nected with stamp-collecting, as the stamps
that were unlawfully seized were only in the
defendants keeping and were not the prop
erty of the cor oTporaton; moreover the said
company having only recently been organ
lzed, they had no newspaper stamps in stock,
but if this case were allowed 10 go by default
the cost would have been trifiing, the Govern
ment only suing for cents, apparently in the
| hope that the company would think this the
| easiest settlement OF the suit.
| If collectors should be short t-sighted enough
| to allow this termination of the case, United
States deputies would go the rounds OF every
| stamp collector in the country ana confiscate
! the stamps previously sold by the various post
offices. Ii is, therefore, hoped that YOU will at
resolutions cOndemnlng the action OF the
| Government and also make liberal donation
I I, 1oFava srl,
| usl mem Der should subscribe according TO the
value OF all newspaper and department. stamps
! in his possession, for it should bs borne
| in mind that this is oaly an enter
ing wedge and If the department
| can successfully take The newspaper
| stamps there is nothing to prevent them TAX
! ing every other stamp in the possession of
| collectors. All were regularly sold at the post
offices throughout the country, and they have
! as much right to one as the other. II seems
| the settled policy OF the Postofice Department
! under the present management to injure and
l annoy stamp collectors in every way possible
1t was very different under the management
! Of Postm as ster-General Wauamaker who thank
| fully acknowledged that he bad made So. .OOO,-
! 600 out OF stamp collectors. Respectfully,
! JOHN W. SCOTT, Chairman.
Individual mem bers have pledged them
| selves to contribute 10 per cent of the face
value OF their collections of periodicals to
! help the fight and it is understood that
| eX-Attorney Olney will conduct
! the case of the New York firm.
Among the local collectors and firms
and dealers who will be heavy losers
should the case go against the Scott Com
pany are Henry J. Crocker. whose peri
odicals'' are valued at $1,000; a. H. Weber
| of the HUNT boldt Bank, w. n. Riddell.
DR.. Z. S. Clark, w. Z. 10y, w. J. Gar
diner, w. Sellschopp, E. L. Cams, J. H.
! Makins and Others
The periodicals run from l cent TO 500
| face value, and a perfect collection. in
| Guiding sets showing the plate mum ber. is
rrOrfh SpVaral thn11sn I'D LII -