Evening star., 1902-01-04
A ord-Brsaking Burning" in
the Post Office Crematory.
THE LL-FAFED PAN-AMERICANS
Millions of Stamps Returned
UnsoId.
HOW THE WORK IS DONE

ly has an opportunity to accumulate upon
the hinges of its great iron doors and often
times the bricks surrounding this incin-
orator do not become cold until a fresh
fire is lighted in the capacious cavern an
swering to the name of fire box.
To aliay any apprehension that might be
suggested by the thought that the govern
ment is operating a side Issue in the de-
partment building perhaps it should be re-
marked that this crematory handles only
condemned postage stamps; stamps re-
turned to the redemption division for de-
struction, according to the rules of the de-
partment.
Chief George Scott Of the redemption di-
vision is making preparations for burn
ing that will eclipse all previous stamp
confiagrations in the history of the depart
ment; million-dollar pyre. as it were, the
unfortunate victims in this case being the
remainders Of the beautiful two-color Pan
American stamps unsold October 81.
The clerical work in connection with this
undertaking will be something tremendous
considering that in the end all there will
be to show for 1t will be a great mass of
paper ashes. But this constitutes a part
OF the necessary work in connection with
the present system of managing the pos
tai affairs of the country, and every de-
tan VIII be looked after as closely as
though, instead of condemned postage
stamps, twenty-dollar gold certificates we're
being prepared for issue.
The Pan-American Stamps.
The Pan-American stamps were a d,sap-
pointment to the department in two ways
The original requisition on the bureau Of
engraving and printing called for stamps
in the following quantities: One cent, IL
oVo,OoO stamps; two cents, 10000, coo
stamps; four cents, 100000 stamps; five
cents, S,Wo,000 stamps; eight cents, 3,o00-
COO stamps; ten cents. 100000 stamps
This order was slightly in excess Of the
number of the Trans Mississippi commern-
orative series for the Omaha exposition
ana 1t was assumed would prove ample for
all demands, in view of the fact that a
large number of the Trans MississippI
stamps We're returned unsold and finally
destroyed. However, the Pan-Americans
started Off with rush and kept up the
pace. The stamps were placed on sale May
L, with the opening of the Buffalo expo
sition, and by July 1 the demand had
been so great and held 50 steadily that
there seemed to be danger that the supply
would be exhausted two months in advance
OF the closing of the exposition, SO the Post
Office Department sent order to the
bureau duplicating, practically, the first
requisitfon, making the entire order more
than 020,0OO,OOO stamps and this in addition
TO the regular current series of stamps,
which was selling almost up to high-water
mark at the same time.
A Drug in the Market
The bureau of engraving and printing was
hammering away upon the second order
having printed close to half the number,
when the bottom seemed to drop out of the
Pan-Americans. From commodity in
active demand these stamps dropped within
a few days to one which was an actual
drug on the market. Nobody wanted them;
people wanted the common stamps, and, of
course, got them, postmaste having been
instructed to offer the two-colored series
only when called for.
AS soon as it became apparent that the
commemorative series was dead, so to
speak, orders were sent to the bureau to
discontinue printing, and the plates were
tied up and stored away in the vaults.
Perhaps it should be stated that the ordi-
nary postage stamps cost the Post Office
Department five cents per thousand. On ac-
count Of the increased work involved in
their manufacture requiring two impress
sions upon slow presses, the Pan-American
stamps cost twenty cents per thousand. The
only way in which the government could
possibly come out even, to say nothing of
making profit on the venture, was in the
increased sale of the stamps to philatelists,
or stamp collectors, the world over as mani
festly a peculiar style of postage stamp is
no stimulant to letter writing AS the
government must pay for all stamps deliv-
cred, whether used Or not, it behooved the
Post Office Department to move the two
colored stamps. The department had given
it's solemn pledge that the sale of the Pam
Americans should cease absolutely October
81 and this date was but month dis
tant.
Forcing the Sale.
Accordingly it was ordered that the en-
tire stock should be sent to postmasters in
the larger cities, and instructions were is
sued to all postmasters throughout the
country to push the Pan-Americans; to
furnish the ordinary stamps only when spe-
cially requested. 1t was hoped that the
surplus might thus be worked off, the ordi-
nary stamps, temporarily sidetracked be-
ing available for sale without limit of time.
However, the public had been surfeited with
pictures of steamships and railway trains
and automobiles and Niagara bridges, and
was not slow to make the special request
which gave it the ordinary stamps. How
ever, the surplus was to some extent re-
duced, but still the stock remaining on
hand October 81 was exceedingly large.
PostmasterS had orders to forward all un-
sold renlainders 10 the redemption division
at once, and for month this branch of
the department was literally covered up
with Pan-American stamps. They came in
boxes, cases, pouches, bundles and pack
ages of all sizes. A large room in the re-
demption division is reserved for storage of
condemned stamps, being provided with
shelving. The shelves were speedily filed
Inen the HOOr was utlHZod and today is
piled high with the consignmentS of post
masters.
Millions of Returned Stamps.
1t is too early to form anything like even
an approximate estimate of the number
of stamps returned. Later actual figures
will be obtainable but all that Chief Scott
cares to know about the matter he has be-
fore him in the way of ocular evidence He
has all the testimony he wants in the shape
of cubic feet and avoirdupois. However, a
rough estimate would place the number
of returned stamps at 2000O GOO, and this
| may fall far short of the mark. On the
basis Of 20,000, coo, at cost of 20 cents per
thousand, it will be seen that here is an
item of "a, 900 of dead loss to the govern
ment. The stamps were paid for in cold
| cash; they will be ruthlessly destroyed and
with them the $4,000. However the goy-
ernment has not lost money on the series
taken a whole.
Approximately. 325,000.O00 Pan-American
| stamps were delivered to the department
| for which SEA, eco was paid. The same num-
ber of ordinary stamps at cents per thou
sand would have cost about $4,000, leaving
the net extra cost Of the Pan-American
stamps over ordinary stamps $4,000 1t is