Evening star., 1934-01-14

Of its original sponsor. former Assist
ant Postmaster General Warren Irving
Glover. and of Presidents Harding
| Coolidge and Hoover and Postmastesl
General Hays, Work, New and Brown
that they had the vision to make the
experiment. That the collecting public
was gratif1ed by the effort to serve II
has been made manifest by the fac,
that during the dozen years Of the
agency's operation to date 1t has done
approximately $4,000. 900 worth Of busi-
ness, its value to Uncle Sam increasing
| from about $20.0O0 in 1922 to more
than 10 times that figure in the last
three months Of 1888.
But, of course, not all the philatelic
business Of the department passes
through the agency. Thousands Of col
lectors buy from local post ofnces and
we never have been able to discover
any way to keep track Of sales OF that
character. A conservative estimate,
however, places the number Of col
lectors at 100000. and think II
would be fair to suppose that prac-
| tically every single one of them buys
mint stamps for collection purposes.
However. 1t has disturbed me on oc-
| casion to observe that there are a few
persons who buy stamps for speculation
rather than for any direct legitimate
philatelic purpose. For example. I
heard the other day of q man who had
accumulated $4,000 worth OF mint
stamps, mostly commemorative, In the
expectation of being able to double his
investment in the course OF a few
months. He was not q collector in any
trary, he was interested only in ex-
plotting collectors. Hard times having
affected him, he wanted advice on how
to dispose of his stock quickly and ad-
| vantageously. When asked what sum
he would accept he answered, Twice
| face value
Now, I submit that the significance
of that man to philately is comparable
with that Of an octpus to bathing
beach. Theoretically, he is doing his
part to elevate the prices Of certain
kinds OF stamps, and by inference to
promote a decline in the prices Of GER
not work out that way invariably. In
deed, any attempt to make mere con-
venience Of the average collector will
have deleterious effect on the stamp
business. both Government and private
commercial. The moment that collec-
tors begin to feel that they are being
used they will resent the fact.
1T was for that reason that I was
worried about the Graf Zeppelin and
Byrd stamps. Both issues, felt, were
dangerous. They established an un-
fortunate precedent. On the one hand
| a German corporation was being SUBJ
sidized; on the other an American ex-
pedition with definite commercial sig
nifcance was being endowed. Both en-
terprises were worthy, but I think it
was mistake to attempt to coerce col
lectors into helping to finance them,
and hope that the department never
again will be trapped into any similar
affair. It was this inexplicable blunder
That has caused the present temporary
breakdown of the philatelic agency.
The question frequently has been
asked as to whether we have had too
many commemorative. One section of
the ph1latelic public answers in the
negative; another section in the af-
firmative. My personal opinion is that
thus far there has been no greater
number than collectors have been able
to absorb. But that does not signify
tnat we can approve great quantities
OF high-value stamps such as italy, for
instance, has sponsored. On the con-
hope to keep abreast of the food OF
new issues II high denominations are
included in each series. With the ex-
cepton of the Zeppelin and Byrd
stamps no special issue Of United
States stamps has been beyond the
reach OF the ordinary collector.
But look forward with pessimisun
70 the new regular series which the
department has in preparation. It may
wei! be that 1t will include 81, 81
ana IS values. If so, few can hope to
secure complete drst-day cover sets.
There also Is the possibility that extra
stamps OF low denominations will be
listed. I have heard talk of q 4h-cent
stamp and q Decent stamp. Neither
are needed, and both should be re-
sisted.
THE designs of the proposed series
nave been announced as portraits of
tne so-called neglected Presidents
,sli,e Gniei executives hitherto not honored in
phnaten: designs. believe may speak
for a great many people when suggest
mat there are other subjects which
would be more eminently worthy of
Such tribute. It happens that not all
the Presidents have been men Of emf
nent talents; some have reached the
Wnlte House by the accidents of poll
Tics. President Roosevelt himself has
expressed such an opinion, and I trust
mat ne may use his influence to pre-
vent the misuse Of the new stamps in
the way proposed.
1t seems to me self-evident that It
would be an error to commemorate men
like James K. Polk and James Bu-
cnanan, while neglecting men like Alex
ander Hamilton and Chief Justice John
Marshall.
=, my faith is that stamps constitute
the greatest potential educational in
strument the Government has, and I
power inherent in them.
I also wish to take this opportunity
to mention another matter In which I
am intensely interested~an improve.
ment in the departments policy with
regard TO the canceling Of stamps. I
know that collectors have had it,st
ground Tor complaint in the past. and
while was in the department I stroye
TO help them to achieve the necessary
reform. I think it should be realized
tnat every stamp has a philatelic value.
II may De large, or it may be small.
respect it. They should be educated to
understand that extravagant or careless
cancelatlons are an aggravation to q
large class OF the people. Germany and
switzerland have shown what can be
accomplished in protecting stamps in
the mails, and what they have done the
United States can do.
Still another problem is that of de-
fective centering. It results from a
mistaken endeavor to economize. But
the collectors want well-ceutered
stamps, and it is right that their
wishes should be taken into account.
However. nothing can be done 20 long
as the Bureau Of Engraving and Print
ing Is hampered by the policy Of penny.
saving. Alvin w. Hall, the bureau de
rector, Is as good friend to collectors
as they have in this world, but he Is
powerless to do anything for them
under prevailing conditions.
AS to difficulties at the philatelic
agency, I have only this to say. The
new chief, Robert E. Fellers. Is an
earnest, hard-working man. have
known him for many years, and he has
my sympathy in his endeavor to bring