Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-06-10
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

| problem WHICH COlCSeoAo N~oAA>
solved promptly and conclusively Is
that OF first-day cover arrangements.
Post Office Department officials, it Is
understood, have the matter under
| consideration, and it is important
that the views of the philatelic pubic
should be registered Immediately.
But a difficulty arises from the fact
that collectors are divided in their
| opinion. There are first-day cover
enthusiasts who, loyal to the original
tradition, want all new stamps placed
on first-day sale in Washington, the
Nations Capital, exclusively. They
have the advantage of elementary
logic in their contention. Beyond all
question or doubt it is in Washington
| that the Federal Government is CEN
| tered it is in Washington that stamps
originate, are authorized, designed,
engraved, printed and stored; it is
from Washington that stamps are
distributed to other towns, large and
small. And 1t seems natural that
what Is begun in Washington should
be completed in Washington, not in
some obscure, distant and inconven-
lent place which has only local or
neighborhood claims for consideration.
However, second group of collec-
tors, smaller in number but not less
insistent, takes the position that COM
memorative stamps are intended to
advertise local events or local charac-
tiers, and that it therefore is right
and proper that they should have
initial sale in the State or town most
directly concerned These people
stress the Immediate historical sig
niflcance" Of the issue; their attitude
is that the stamps are primarily
neighborhood rather than national
affairs. In effect, they contend that
since they have persuaded the Ma
tional Government to grant them a
special honor. they and they alone
should have the exclusive first fruits
of their campaign.
But a third group, of increasing
proportions, has suggested a compro-
mise. 1t is their conviction that while
on occasion 1t may be appropriate to
place new stamps on firSt-day sale
in some locality of unparalleled his
torlcal imrortance-liket the Yorktown
!
tribute toward the economy, the eff
cheney, the publicity and the good will
OF the occasion if there also were ar
rangements for first-day accommoda-
tons In Washington. Their reasoning
mat certain stamps may be in
TENDED to commemorate purely local
incidents, but that in each case the
incident so honored is one of truly
national significance. 1t is the
nation, they say. that sponsors the
stamp; therefore it should be the
Nation and not merely one single
community that should be advantaged
by it. Gu
Practical considerations SURELY should
be taken into account by the depart
ment chiefs. Granted that they NAV
desire to avoid offending a Senator
or Representative or a neighbor-
nood group of dealers or collectors
they should be and probably they will
De guided by the opinion of the
phllatelic public at large. 1t is the
collectors in general who buy the
stamps and who through their pur-
chases justify the expense of manu-
1acture and distribution. What col.
lectors as a class want, therefore
should dictate the decision.
And If the verdict in the matter is
reached by that process of reasoning
all new stamps will go on first-day
IN Washington as well as in specially
designated communities elsewhere In
the country; both the claims of the
Capital and those of focal groups will
be granted in the same way and al
the same time
!: To test pnilatelic opinion The Star
stamp department has asked the edi.
tors of the three most important
stamp weeklies in America to state
their views with regard to plans fol
the first-day sale of the National Parks
series. The question was: Which
would collectors prefer: First-day sales
arrangements in the parks exclusively
in Washington exclusively or in both
the parks and Washington? Tele-
grams, so phrased, were sent to Harry
L. Lindquist, editor, Stamps Magazine
New York; Willard o. Wylie, editor
Mekeels Weekly Stamp News. Beverly
Mass; and Al Burns. editor, Weekly
Philatelic Gossip, Holton. Kans.
And the answer was unanimous
The National Parks series should GO
on flrst-day sale in both the parks
and Washington.
This judgment has been Endorsed
by Chester l.. Landlord, president
Franklin D. Roosevelt Stamp Club
Douglas, Ga. Alden H. Whitney, vice
president, Washington Collectors Club
Albert F. Kunze. leader Washington
Stamp Club of the Air; Michael l.
Eidsness, jr., former superintendent
of the division of stamps and chief OF
the philatelic agency; Oliver Over
Kuhn, managing editor. The Star
Robert A. Truax, American PhilateliC
Society and Washington Philatelic So
ciety; William Shrader. president
Chevy Chase Stamp Club. and many
other representative collectors.
Star readers are invited to particle
pate in the symposium Address COM
munications to the editor of the stamp
department.
The model for the 2-cent National
Parks stamp was approved and en-
gravers started work on the plates
Thursday. The design shows a view
of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.
Crater Lake has been substituted
for Sequoia on the Scent National
Parks stamp. The color may be
changed from pale olive green to a
darker and richer shade of blue-green
or green-blue.
Indications are that the first three
values of the National Parks series
will be placed on initial sale about
July 10.
There are no post Offices in Mount
Rainier, Acadia or Great Smoky
Mountains national parks.
| Models have been prepared and
submitted for the Wisconsin Tercen-
tenary stamp. As previously an
nounced, it will be a Scent value
lavendar or purple in color, and prob
ably of the same size as the Mothers