Evening journal., 1919-08-13
TW0-CEEINITI WKO CENT AIR AIR MAIL MAIL
STAMPS LOOKED FOR
Collectors Hoping Uncle
Sam Will Add Another
Issue TO Present Series
AERIAL RATE
IS REDUCED

stamp collectors the world over are
wanlns TO see II the United States gov
ernment will issue two-cent red frank
Ing adhesive in connection with the
postonice Departments recent an
nouncement thar une rate FOR carrying
an ordinary letter by airplane was now
tNa cents instead OF six. Incidentally
the United States is the first country
TO charge for airplsne letters only the
same rate OF postage necessary TO pay
for transportation through the other
channels. Heretofore IN the United
States IL has always cost more than
the customary tax TO send letters
through the air, and in all other oOun-
tries where the flying machine has Of
flcially been put TO this use there like
wise has been an extra charge.
Airposts are springing up all over
the wOrld-in Europe, Asia, Afrlsa and
the two Americas, and 10 Is understood
tho postal authorities in Australia are
considering the situation. For use in
these services special stamps alre3dy
have been issued by Switzerland, New
f0undland, Austria, Tunis. Italy, Hun
gary and the United States: and France
has special series in preparation f0ri
some OF these airpOsls. as in Italy, Hun
gary. Austria and the United States. the
appearance OF these special stamps were
Fastening by conditions arising out of
the war Tic airp0st labels Of Swis- |
zerland and Tunis, and those to be IS
sued in France, IRE products OF me /
rapid strides in aer0nuaiics consequent !
upon the wartime Development Of ,h9
arplane for many uses. The ai-pOst
adhesive cmanating from Newfoundland
marked the pioneer endeayOrs. one a
failure and. the s1ehr success 20 cross
The ocean in heavier-than-air mach 'nes.
american collectors like TO regard |
fhe airplane stamps OF their own cOun-
try as The most interesting, partly be-
cause the postmaster general, in rec
ogntiOn 81 the propaganda value Of
special labels for use in This connection
had distinctive adhesiyes issued. with
an airpane as the central design:
whereas all these stamps issued In
other countries are the current one
everprinted with designs or texts TO
indicate the new use to which. they
were TO be put.
When Uncle sam officially inaugir-
ated regular air-mail service between
-NtW loThs fHlldutiplhd ana washing .
ton in May, 1918. a 2i-cent red. white
and blue alrplane stamp unexpectedly
made its appearance The surprise was
heightened when one sheet OF 100 OF
these came forth with the airplane up
side down on each stamp. and these
today have a philatelic value Of $3.50
apiece. Only 2,i35OOO Of the 2i-cent de-
nomination were issued-a supply 80
meager for collectors that today they
are selling at from 30 cents to 81 each.
depending on condition, original posi-
tion in The sheet, etc.
The airplane letter rate was reduced
20 &c cents In July, 1913 and l6-cent
green airplane label appeared In De
cember The rate was again reduced Do
six cents. and a siX-cent orange was
issued. 10 is the appearance Of these
Is and cent values az the time when
hose reductions became effective that
Iad led collectors 10 hope now that a
wo-ceni one OF the same design will
10 issued
The United States was not the pioneerl
\ issuing airpOst labels Congestion
nsltalian railroads during wartime re-