The Washington times., 1913-07-11
STICKY STAMPS DUE
| TO HUMID WEATHER
Glue Is Unaffected by Heat or
Cold, Is Statement of Men
in Postoffice Department.

Don't carry your stamp book in
your vest pocket during the hot
months" This is the advice of Di-
rector Ralph, of the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing. who makes
them
Stamps are somewhat like humans,
in that they are prone to wilt when
the humidity is great. When it comes
TO standing heat alone, however. the
ordinary variety of Uncle Sans post
age stamps has the edge.
hot weather has absolutely no effect
on the stamp gum, according to As
sistant Postmaster Robinson, and Off
Gals OF the city postoffice and Post
onice Department who handle thou
sands of them, and Director Ralph.
Ihere was a time when two kinds
OF stamps were made-summer stamps
ana winter stamps But now they are
all the same. The difference a few
years ago was simply in the gum.
summer gum was very hard, while
winter gum yielded more readily to
heat and moisture.
Is Perfect.
Three years ago experts in chem
istry at the bureau so perfected the
stamp gum however. that one stan
dard was adopted. This standard is
perfection itself, according to Direc-
tor Ralph, and he should know. To
back his judgment he cited the fact
that last year the bureau turned out
$4,000, 100000. valued at $50, ZOO, 000
and there was not a single complaint
against any one of them. The new
gum will meet all climatic conditions,
standing the torrid temperatures in
the Philippines and Porto Rico, where
millions have been sent and used
without complaint.
Consequently If your stamps don't
stiff and solid, don't blame it on the
weather. Stop a moment to see il il
Is not your own fault. The official
evidence is Overwhelmingly in favor
they are stuck to something else, or
won't stick to your letter or postal.
you have permitted them to become
Moist; Nc othsrwise they would i be good
melt the gum, according to Director
Ralph.
If you carry your stamp book in
months the moisture from perspirs:
tion, or the humidity of the body, If
you prefer, will readily soften the
gum. Once softened. the gum loses
part at least of its adhesive power.
Loss By Tearing.
There is no loss of stamps in the
Washington city postoffice from the
softening or loss of gum, according to
Assistant Postmaster Robinson. The
office is sometimes pretty warm he
declared, but it did not make the
stamps stick. The only loss of stamps
is in the tearing of sheets apart along
the perforations, when sometimes, the
clerk in too great haste, tears one
acros. 1t is then no Good and must
be replaced.
There have been one or two occa-
sions when whole sheets of stamps
were accidentally dropped in water
or had water spilled on them. This
has a bad influence on the gum. Nat;
urally the Ohio river Goods were Dad
medicine for stamps in inundated
postoffices.
Hot weather is not so hard on the
stamp gum as were the water bugs
that at one time menaced all stamps
stored in the department and in the
CITY postoffice. These bugs caused
Postmaster General Hitchcock to
make a frantic appeal for aid in a
war against them. They have since
been in a large measure eradicated
The bugs used to banquet OFF the
stamp gum. preferring it to other
foods.