The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-13
Tho Bureau OF Engraving and Print
ing Generously Takes the Blame.

To THE EpIToR OF THE SuS-Str: Con-
WINGED as I am by long acquaintance
that THE Sun would not knowingly do
any one an injustice. l beg 10 call atten-
ton TO the fact that the editorial ar
;!cle ~ June S headed The Burleson
Shoddy Two Cent Postage stamp places
the blame for the defeat complained OF
In the stamp upon the Postmaster
General when as a matter OF fact e
should be aid on The Bureau OF En-
craving and Printing.
The editorial article complains that an
Inferior quality OF paper Is now used
and that the most casual inspection OF
ono OF me stamps would show this TO
be tire case as the hore Is so slushy, the
paper Is so soft. the perforation Is 40
poorly done. that Il is a work OF deli
cacy and caution TO separate a sheet OF
stamps into its component parts with
out destroying from two 10 forty Of the
one hundred units"
Il Is 10 doubt true tina in attempt
ing 20 separate the tamp the difficulty
encountered would lead one 10 believe
that the fault is due 20 inferior paper,
hut this H. not so. as the standard quality
has been fully maintained and the paper
how I'm u.e is equal. IL not superior, 10
any heretofore used.
The fact Is that for many years the
stamps We're perforated with tho per
furatiors close enough together TO per-
init OF the stamps being readily sepa-
rated without mutiia,ing them, but as
the automa'ic stamp vending machinery
was developed and stamp ahiNing ma
chimes were devised 1t was found nee
essary 20 modify the style or perforat-
.nC 20 meet the needs OF these machines
and the rerforattons were consequently
placed further apart, THIS made the
paper stronger along the Enc o! per-
f~oratiou tina in the printed part OF the
stamp In many cases, n as n result,
while the stanrs were perfectly adapted
FOR the mechanism Of the vending ma
chimes. they gave difficulty 70
who used them IN sheets. BY direction
Of the rostmaster-Gcneral steps have
been taken TO remedy this defect by
making a closer perfora''on. which K Is
believed Will entirely obviate any cause
Tor complaint.
While the article states with regard
20 the two cent lamps that the hue OF
the Ink IL changed but slightly. II at
all, | would add as pertaining 20 ms
subject that Il would not have been
surprising Il the criticism OF the stamp
had referred entirely 20 the color, az Il
Is a fact that the tanp that have been
issued for the past several months have
been OF various shades NJ red. In some
cases so decidedly different from the
standard that +. has been expected that
| some public criticism would he made re-
rtriInE Il. This variation Is due TO the
fact that tho bases Of many OF the colors
used In printing are manufactured IN
Germany and since tho war began 4 has
Noon worry diHlcu,t 20 procure sufficient
supplies 81 regular Colors 10 maintain
the standard co'ors OF the lamp For
t~unate'y by quick action NJ the beg n
Ming OF the war IN procuring as large
supplies as possible It has been rrac-
t!cable 10 maintain an approximation
TO the standard. but there Is a possibility
that II the war should continue for "A
considerably longer period Il nay be
necessary 10 change tho shade OF this
color entirely.
deem II my duty TO write you on TITS
subject in Justice 70 tho Postmaster
General for the reason that ne Is en-
t!re.y blameless with regard 10 the
change In the style OF perforat!on that
has given r!sn 10 the difficulty on which
your article is based.
JOSEPH z. RALPH,
Director Of the Bureau OF Engraving
and Printing,
WAsHINGToN, Juno II.