Evening star., 1933-07-02
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

Second Assistant Postmaster General
w. w. Howes has made the following
announcement: There will be accepted
for dispatch by the return flight Of the
italian air cruise from Chicago to New
York, unregistered letters addressed for
delivery in this country weighing not
over one-half ounce each, which are
prepaid at the rate of $1.70 for each
letter.
This rate includes the postage and
the fee for air dispatch and must be
fully prepaid by means of United States
stamps affixed to each letter.
"A small Government stamped en-
velope weighs little over three grams,
and If these or similar envelopes are
used, If small sheet Of thin paper is
used for any message desired to be sent
the weight can be kept near five grams.
It will be appreciated II senders will CO.
operate in this way.
Letters for this dispatch which are
addressed for delivery in this country
must show, IN the upper left-hand
corner, the return card of the sender,
that is, his name and complete ad-
dress, and be marked diagonally across
the envelope between the address and
the return card as follows: BY Italian
air cruise to New York. and be mailed
in regular course under an outer en-
be held pending the departure of the
planes on flight to New York.
"A special cachet will be furnished
the postmaster at Chicago for use on
the letters sent by this flight from
Chicago to New York, and the letters
will be backstamped at New York after
being put OF the planes.
II the return flight should not be
made the letters sent to the postmaster
at Chicago will be returned to the
senders."
The 2-cent local rate on first-class
mail, announced several weeks ago by
Postmaster General James A. Farley.
went into effect yesterday. The non
local S-cent rate remains. Collectors
will wish to preserve covers showing
the cancellations Of first-day local use.
The return of the old standard local
postage rates, of course means a great
increase in demand for 2-cent stamps.
1t Is estimated that 1000 900 900 letters
Will pass through the mails during the
current month bearing adhesiyes Of that
denomination. The 2-cent Arbor Day
stamp is being used to meet the REQUIRE
ment, and the 2-cent George Washing
ton B1centennial issue also will re-
appear. But apparently the commonest
2-oent stamp in the immediate future
VIII be the old 1923 variety Of the 2-cent
nrst President type. Presses at the Bu-
reau of Engraving and PRINTING are
turning these out day and night.
r. Lei. Parker, acting chief. Bureau
OF 1nsular Affairs, War Department, on
Tuesday last issued the following state
ment: On July /, 1888, the philatelic
once OF this bureau will be discontin-
ued, and no further orders for Philip
pine stamps will be accepted. The sale
OF Philippine postage stamps in the
United States on and after July l
will be conducted by the Philippine
trade commissioner, Room 928, Barr
Building, 80 Seventeenth street north
west, Washington, D. c., to whom fu-
ture orders should be sent"
Postmaster Arthur c. Lueder. Chi
cago, reports that first-day sales of
the Century of Progress commemora-
tive stamps, May IS, reached the total
Of 2,425,900 for the Scent value and
1,586,409 for the 1-cent. First-day
covers mailed numbered 232,25
Altogether. the Post ONCE Depart
ment did about $88, 900 worth of phila-
day OF sale and about $32, 900 worth
on the second day.
Post office arrangements for the rush
Of business have been criticized by
some collectors. It has been said that
the fault was due to the fact that the
local post ofice was obliged to call in
extra help, unfamiliar with the best
routine methods for philatelic service.
In the future all such events, it is
hoped, may be left to the Philatelic
Agency to supervise. There was far
less confusion at Yorktown and at New
burgh than there was at Chicago and
the agency system, Is would seem, is
demonstrably the best
Tho l-cent Century of Progress
stamp, plate 21133, shows cracks in the
upper and lower right panes But
sheets are available in which the vari-
ations do not appear. This fact. of
course, lends added zest to the search