Evening star., 1935-11-10

The plan called for two sets of stamps
Irregular and airmaiD, total face value,
s2.25, to be sold between October IL
AMI 31-remainders to be demonetized
and turned over to the Columbus So
ciety of Cuba for the philatelic mar
ket. But the sponsors reckoned with
put consideration Of the Canal Zone
Collectors Club, an organization OF
stamp enthusiasts watchful to protect
their hobby.
Interested individuals" including
members of the organization, investi-
gated and then protested to President
Arias, with the suit that, on Octo-
Der II, 1t was announced that he had
ordered the cancellation Of the en-
tire issue. Thus collectors and deal
erS." says Mr.. Scilecker, were saved
thousands of dollars"
Meanwhile, Ecuador brought out a
similar set for the benefit of the CO.
lumbus Society. Sale was restricted
to one week. and the surplus probably
soon will appear in the stamp shops
of Europe and America.
Michael L. Eidsness, jr., associate
editor, Stamps Magazine, New York,
writes about the Treasury Depart
ment's recent ruling that it is lawful
to illustrate the stamps of dead"
or "defunct" governments The de-
cision," he says, signifies the great
est victory won in recent years for
scientific philately. In plain language
it means that the postal issues of all
'out-of-busineSs' nations may be re-
produced without risk of conflict with
statute provisions. The advantage to
the philatelic press and to the au-
thors and publishers OF philatelic
books is too obvious TO require argu-
ment. :" .
But before the collecting public
proceeds to exuberant rejoicing. let
me give warning. I do this with
regret, yet from ample experience OBJ
tanned during a dozen years of con-
tact with the problem.
The law forbidding the illustra-
ton OF stamps is not in itself a bad
regulation. On the contrary, it Is,
in effect. largely a good one. 1t has
prevented the manufacture of coun-
terfeits which would have flooded the
philatelic market and hurt philately
as a recreation, q cultural study and
business.
Now that the statute has been lib
eralized by Interpretation. collec tors
will have TO be on guard against
frauds and fakes as never before in a
generation.
Meanwhile. philatelists should be
grateful to William H. Moran, chief
Of the Secret Service, without whose
consent the commissioner of customs
almost surely would have ruled against
Mr.. Klein and Mr.. KunZe. He has
upheld the law because it was his duty
SO to do. He has compromised con-
cerning the stamps of dead and de-
funct' governments because he is nat
urally fair-minded But the philatelic
press must not fall to justify his con.
fidence In any way. That think
would be the rankest ingratitude."
Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News re-
ports the following additions to the
list of available precancels: Old
Orchard Beach, Me; Boonsboro and
Woodstock, Md; Farwell. New Buffalo
and Onandaga, Mich. Pennock,
Mimi; Greenville and Piney Woods.
Miss: Golden City. Isadora. La Plata,
Sweet Springs and Valley Park. Mo-;
Marquette and Ragan. Nebr.; Brad
ford, Bristol. Colebrook, North Con-
way and Warren. N. H.: Cedar Grove
and Mountain View, N. j.: Center
vile, East Greenwich, Far Rockaway.
Hawthorne, Hartsdale. Honeoye Falls,
Larchmont. Lake Ronkonkuma, Lin
denhurst, Morris, Mountainville. New
Hartford. Red Creek, Rensselaer,,
Rockville Center. Seaford. Seneca
Falls, Sharon Springs, Smithtown
Branch. Southampton. Stowe and
Waterford, N. Y.
The New York Sun has brought out
a new and up-to-date edition OF
United States Commemorative
Notes" an invaluable handbook oi
information.
Stamps Magazine for November 9
contains an interesting article on
Peace and Postage Stamps" by Emil
Master. The author lists and de-
scribes philatelic material of indi-
Gated significance from Argentine,
Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia, British
Honduras, Estonia. France, Greece,
Hungary, Jugoslavia. Lithuania, Meth
erlands, New Zealand. Oltre Giuba,
Paraguay, Portugal, Russia. Spain,
Switzerland and the United States.
The 1886 edition of Scott's special
lied United States catalogue has ap-
peared. Consular fee and custom
house stamps are included for the
first time.
When a professor Of zoology in
quired why the cassowary and the
cockatoo appear on the stamps OF
North Borneo, since neither is indige-
nous in that territory, he was asked
to explain the lion on the stamps Of
Great Britain and the angels on the
stamps of Canada.
And, 1t might be added, there never
was any such ornithological mon
strosity as the alleged eagle on the
16-cent airmail special delivery stamp
Of the United States.
Emil Bruechig. New York airmail
stamp dealer, has gone to Europe on
philatelic business. He will be absent
only three weeks.