Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-04
THE GOVERNMENTS STAMP OUTPUT

stamps. At another machine these sheets
are again divided. each part containing
100 stamps, and the perforating Is COM
pleted. The ultimate use of the stamps
beyond this point determines the next
step. They may be bound into the IA
miliar little books or they may be made
into coils for use in stamp-vending ma
chimes. Or yet again they may be packed,
10000 to package, and made ready for
the 10000 post offices all over the United
States. When this last named operation
takes place the sheets of 100 are put In
packages Of 100. sealed and marked with
the initial Of the packer-this after they
have been examined by previous
worker. Following the sealing they are
sewed, in order to prevent sheet from
being removed. an act which would be
to the discredit OF the person whose
initials appeared on the seal. Once
packed, these lots Of 10000 are then
ready for the shipping room.
The acquisitions from the postmasters
are sent to this shipping room and the
stamps required are made
Large ready for shipment to
Nu-L them. The largest num-
Der OF stamps made into
single bundle Is 100000. Five ten-thou-
sand packages are put together. and four
Of these combinations make the 100000
The one essential requirement Of this
room is accuracy. This holds true Of the
entire work done at the bureau. but here
more than any place else. When a pack
age Of stamps leaves this room it must
contain the specified number Of stamps
beyond the slightest shadow Of doubt.
After the packages have been put up,
each containing the stamps ordered by
the postmaster to whom it is addressed.
1t is carefully sealed and not the small
est opening is left unprotected. This is
the final operation in the manufacture of
stamps at the bureau. Following this
they are placed in large cases on wheels.
which each morning, long before most
Industrious citizens have begun to think
about getting up, are placed in guarded
truck and taken to the registry division
Of the city post Office.
Under the personal supervision of a
representative Of the bureau. the stamps
are carried to the registry division, and
again under his personal supervision they
are unloaded by a. force Of men belonging
to the latter Office. These are the ones
who later place the packages in the
matter of stamps. as in practically all
else. the supply is dependent upon the
demand, and this demand is dependent
largely upon the season of the year.
An average days work at the shipping
room OF the bureau is the preparing of
about 100000 COO stamps for shipment One
day. however. the number reached 49,
100000, which is on record as the largest
amount ever packed there in a single day.
According to the amount packed at the
bureau. SO corresponds the work at the
registry division. as each days orders
must be shipped promptly. The face
value of the stamps leaving the registry
division daily is often enormous. being
as much as $1,OOO.OOO a times, and even
more. The number of stamps being sent
to a single post Office depends, OF course
upon its size. New York, for instance.
often receives as many as 3n.O0OOOO in
a single order.
All these figures have nothing TO do
with the revenue and customs stamps.
which are nevertheless an
Uthcr important feature Of the
Co.,. work done by the bureau
0nPS. in manufacturing stamps.
The number Of kinds and denominations
is greater in these classes of stamps
than in the postage stamps. There are
no less than 3O3 different stamps. The
number of sheets used annually for print
ing these stamps is II. 300. 600 odd. or but
little more than 2O.cOO.OOO less than the
amount used in printing postage. The
number of stamps. however. is greatly
ing but 3.l3S. .fO COO odd. or about one
third the output Of postage stamps. The
difference is due to the fact that the
revenue stamps used on cigar boxes are
SO large that one requires the same
space in which about fifteen postage
stamps could be printed. The daily out
put OF revenue and customs stamps
amounts to about 11.SOO,OOO.
Uncle Sam makes more money printing
revenue and customs stamps than he
does printing postage stamps. and at a
smaller cost Each year he spends $491.-
these stamps and they bring him in. an
nually, s2e9, $4,000. or 1856. 80 every day.
This yearly income for these two classes
Of stamps exceeds his income from pos
tage stamps by more than SlOO.00o 600.
Taking his postage stamp business in its
entirety he makes. every year, on an in
vastment Of lint l:ttle more than 81 ,0OO-
OO0. over s470. 100000. His daily in
come. all told. from all kinds of stamps
amounts to almost 81, $4,000
The superficial area covered by the
revenue and customs stamps is 3,l4O
acres in one year, or ten
Striking and one-half acres every
c..4 day. Made into a huge
0Iat1StiCS. wall these stamps would
De lUU 1eeL lOHS. ~ lccl iileA anu ~ iOCS
wide. The output for one day would
make a cube containing 133 square feet,
or for a year 10000. The same COO per-
sons occupied in producing the postage
stamps are engaged In manufacturing
these, while besides the cost of their la
Dor $4,000 is spent In a year for paper.
and Sc 600 odd for ink. Another big
item in connection with tho production
of stamps In general Is the plates used
In printing them. Their cost for the
postage stamps is $500 a year, while
for the revenue and customs stamps
more than $4,000 is spent. This means
that about 500 is spent, all told. every
day for the plates. In the matter OF
weight, also. the revenue and customs
stamps are in the lead. as over $40 tons
40 tons of ink. 1t Is interesting to note
that while the paper used daily In
printing revenue and customs stamps
weighs 81 tons. the finished stamps for
the Same length OF time weigh 80. or just
three-Quarters of ton more. These
same figures for postage stamps show
an increase much larger. The paper
weighs one and one-half tons per day,
and the gum one, while the finished prod
uct weighs daily three odd tons.
The work OF manufacturing revenue
and customs stamps Is practically the
same as In the regular postage stamps.
There is one difference, however. Neither
Of these kinds OF stamps Is sent to the
shipping room OF tho bureau. The revenue
and customs stamps are sent, the same
way as Is the money. to the Treasury
Department.
The same caro- that is taken with post
a. 49, &C. q xsrHA b.