Evening star., 1935-09-15
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RY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
The Golden Jubilee Convention
Exhibition of the American Phtla'
telic Society at the National Museum
closed yesterday. It had opened Au'
gust 4, been visited by thousands Of
collectors and friends and earned FOL
itself the verdict of "the best show
of its kind ever staged in the United
States"
The sudden and tragic deaths Of
Queen Astrid of Belgium and VIII
Ropers and Wiley Post have occa-
stoned a renewed discussion OF me-
mortal stamps. In Brussels 1t has
been announced that the Snow Prin-
cess will be paid the same philatelic
tribute accorded her father-in-laW,
King Albert, last year, but the Post
once Department of the United
States thus far has turned deaf ear
to the Nationwide petition for recog-
milton of the well-beloved philosopher
and the courageous aeronaut who
perished in the barren wastes OF
Northern Alaska.
It is true, Of course, that the Amer
lean habit has been to issue mourning
stamps for none but Presidents-Lin-
coin in 1865, Garfield in 1882 and
Harding in 1928. The antiquity Of a
custom, however, is no excuse for its
continuance, and there would be little
If any, objection to more liberal
attitude on the part of the Govern
ment with regard to stamps in tribute
to great personalities whose contribu-
tion to civilization may not have been
official. Precedents are numerous In
foreign lands. Austria has issued
stamps in homage to Premier Dolfuss
Brazil for the flyer Santos Dumont,
Bulgaria for the journalist James
David Bourchier, China for the states
man Tan Yuan-chang, France for
Aristide BRAND and Paul Doumer
Germany for Presidents Ebert and
Won Hindenburg, Yugoslavia for King
Alexander, Latvia for the patriot 2. A.
Meierovics and President Jahnis
Tschakste, Lithuania for the trans
Atlantic flyers Darius and Girenas
Mexico for Capt. Emilio Carranza
Poland for Marshal Pilsudski, Russia
for Nikolai Lenin and other leaders
and Spain for the novelist Blascc
Ibanez. Not all were mourning issues
but each was intended to mark ma
tional appreciation of national service
The people of the United States are
not exempt from the impulses Of graf
itude which move other peoples, and
sooner or later such lives as those
of Rogers and Post will be commem-
.orated In stamp designs in America
as careers of similar value are else
where
The long-expected Boulder Dam
stamp will be issued. Postmaster Gen.
eral Farley has said so. Details will
be announced in due course.
Nothing definite Is known as yet
about the proposed potato tax stamps.
They will be revenues in classif1ca-
tion, but the problem Of what de-
nominations will be issued, what de-
signs they will show, what color they
will be, etc, remains to be solved by
the Government. Those interested
are referred to an editorial on the SUBJ
iect in The Star of Friday last.
Surinam has a new series of char
ity stamps to illustrate fundamental
human fellowship, the design showing
two hands in a clasp of brotherhood,
one white, the other black. The val
ues are: 1c plus 111c, black brown:
&c, plus 1c, indigo; SC plus 12c, green;
&c plus &c, orange; SC plus 212c, black,
and 1oc, plus SC, red.
SCOTS 1886 catalogue will go on
sale September g. Mint sets Of
United States stamps will. be listed
as follows: Columbian Exposition,
$135.75; Trans-Mississippi. $53.72;
Pan-American, $685.; Louisiana Pur-
chase, $11.35; jamestown, $685.
Panama Pacific, perforated IL, s8.95;
perforated 10, $40; Pilgrims, s2.25;
Huguenot- -Walloon, $1.30; lexington
Concord. S1.25; Norse-American,
$1.30: Kansas, 1925; Nebraska. s4.2s;
and George Washington Bicentennial,
$1.es.
An editorial in the New York Her
aid Tribune recently discussed philat-
ely as an investment. with the sale
in London last week Of the stamps
of Latin America, Hawaii and the
Philippines one of the worlds great
stamp collections and the largest sin
gle investment In the Arthur Hind
estate was finally dispersed" it said.
Beginning in November, 1888. with
his United States and Confederate
stamps, auction sales have been held,
first in New York and then in Lon
don, at intervals Of few months
where group by group collectors have
paid $875,000 for the stamps from
what has been popularity called mil
lion dollar collection
Hind loved his stamps and liked
to hear them called the worlds great
est collection. And 1t came near be-
ing so, If considered from the stand
point Of diversification. He kept an
inventory Of its cost over the years
1t was in the making and annually
added 6 per cent as to an investment.
In pre-depression days his worth was
variously estimated at from $1,000, 900
to s10,000,000 in textiles, railroads,
real estate and stamps-the latter rep