Evening star., 1935-02-10


Printing may employ the same plates,
but it is fair to ask If the exact
paper, ink and craftsmanship can be
duplicated. Moreover, some of the
contraband stamps were postally used
as long as q year ago and thus have
their originality authenticated. Others
bear the autograph Of Mr.. Farley and
are dated in his hand, and in at least
one instance the autograph Of Presi-
dent Roosevelt likewise has been en-
tered on q margin.
Much, Of course, depends upon the
attitude of the publishers Of SCOTS
catalogue. II they list the outlaw
varieties as distinct entities, and
especially If they provide spaces in
their albums for them, collectors will
have been hoaxed But it would
seem that the Scott company may
have no choice but to take this posi-
tion. The sheets distributed by Mr..
Farley and those manufactured for
philatelic sale almost certainly will
be different and will have TO be
recognized as such.
Mr.. Farley, then, has not solved the
problem. Instead, he merely has COM
plicated it. Collectors who aim at
completeness in United States issues
perforce will buy the imperforates
but they cannot be expected to like
them.
Meanwhile, the Philatelic Agency
already swamped, will be in chaos
The stamps will be available nowhere
else, all the business will be concen-
trated in one Office, and collectors
know without being told that that
will mean confusion. delay and every
other sort Of inefficient service.
Whether or not the reprints will be
sold in part-sheet form remains to be
decided. Mr.. Farley is reported to have
said they would, but Clinton B. Ellen.
berger, third assistant Postmaster
General, is understood to be opposed
to that concession.
The exact list Of issues to be re-
printed also is in doubt. II every
thing produced since the New Deal be-
gan is to be included, 20 varieties are
ndicated-3-cent Newburgh; 1-cent
Century of Progress. perforate anc
imperforate; 3-cent Century OF Prog
ress. perforate and imperforate; 3-cent
N. r. A; 3-cent Byrd, perforate anc
imperforate: scent Kosciusko; 3-cent
Maryland; 3-cent Mothers day, rotary
and flatbed; Scent Wisconsin. 10 Ma
tional Parks. plus the Atlantic City ant
| Omaha souvenir editions: 16-cent air.
mail-special delivery; Scent orange
airmail, and 50-cent Zeppelin. Full
! sheets of these would necessitate ar
/ investment Of s37475. A block Of foul
OF each would cost a purchaser S6.72
single specimens of each Sl68.
All the reprinted issues, it has beer
announced. will go on sale the sam,
/ day-Friday, March l5 But no first
day cover arrangements can be ne
! gotiated with the agency, and col
lectors who desire first-day cancella
tions will be obliged to take care o
them personally or through agents.
The whole unhappy affair is a seri
Gus blow to American philately. It
effect, spokesmen of all parties agree
will be to widen and deepen the chasn
which separates collectors from tn,
present administration OF the Pos
/ once Department.
The debate about the imperforatt
sheets in the House brought forth
much interesting commentary. Anon.
the prize pearls Of the discussion werl
these remarks: Representative Richard
M. Kleberg. Texas. II do not thinl
the Postmaster General did wrong il
giving out few unperforated, un.
gummed. unmarketable stamps to {
few gentlemen worthy of high trus
who are his friends; Representative,
Donald c. Dobbins, Illinois, IT thinl
the philatelists of the country conced,
to the Post Once Department a yer,
emcient management Of its stamI
service, and know that those VIII
do not concede it ought to conced,
it,; Representative Frank e. Hook
Michigan, will the gentleman tell m
what good this country is getting ou
of a bunch of stamp collectors?"
Representative John j. O'Connor. New
York. by reason of the issuance o
these stamps millions OF dollars o
revenue came into the Post Offict
Departmental very substantial sourc,
of income; Representative James M
Mead, New York, Men who know th'
Postmaster General know that he ha
been a very generous giver for man,
years." and Representative william
w. Arnold. Illinois. If the gentleman
had requested this information from
the Postmaster General. he woult
have received all the information tn,
Postmaster General could give hin
without an investigation"
Representative Thomas L. Blanton
Texas, however, was the department.
principal defender. "This resolution,
he said, els nothing in the world bu
. political ambuscade and is to'
picayunish to be worthy Of any con
sideration. There Is nothing
unusual about a man in the Govern
ment service wanting to keep as s
memento something incident to hi
service. . Mr.. Farley is the mos
approachable Postmaster General
have ever seen. the most genial Post
msster General who ever sat in
cabinet. -" . All Of this hullabalot
has been raised over nothing. Peopl,
are not interested in it at all"
Statements to the effect that i'm
perforate sheets have been offered TO
sale to philatelic brokers have beer
denied by department executives ant
members Of Congress, but such con
tradictions are useless. One dealer II
Washington has been approached b!
four different persons, each Of whom
was ready to sell his share Of Mr.. Far
ley's courtesy.
George Taylor Jones writes: There
are more stamp collectors in the
United States than there are veterans
of the World War, yet members o.