Evening star., 1937-04-25
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.


The Stars suggestion for a confer
snce OF Government officials and
phllatelists in the interest OF more
attractive and better printed stamps
has been generously Endorsed by rep
resentative spokeSmen for both groups.
1t has been proposed that the meet
Ing be scheduled for early in June, and
the Hotel Carlton, Sixteenth street,
probably will be the place of assembly.
Those who have indicated an inter-
est in the plan include Hugh NJ South
gate, president of the Bureau Issues
Association; Eugene Klein. president
Of the American Philatelic Society;
Mrs. Catherine L. Manning, philatelic
curator OF the Smithsonian Institu-
ton; Philip Simms Warren, treas
urer Of the Washington Philatelic
Society; Willard o. Wyle, editor of
Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News; o. C.
Lightner, publisher of Hobbies Maga-
zine; August Dietz, editor of the Stamp
and Cover Collectors Review; Justin.
L. Bacharach, philatelic editor of the
New York American; Beach Conger,
acting stamp editor of the New York
Herald-Tribune; Hugh M. Clark,
treasurer of the Scott Stamp & Coin
Co. and editor of the Standard Postage
Stamp Catalogue; Chester L. Lank-
ford, president of the Franklin D.
Roosevelt Stamp Club, Douglas, Ca;
Laurence B. Mason, president of the
Collectors Club of New York; r. c.
Keefer. secretary of the Chambersburg,
Pa, Stamp Club, and j. w, Long
necker, secretary of the Hartford,
Conn, Stamp Collectors Club.
Also, Sidney F. Barrett, director Of
the American Stamp Dealers Assocfa-
ton; Michael L. Eidsness. jr., former
superintendent of the Division Of
Stamps, Post Office Department.; Ger
ard Ten Eyck Beeckman, founder of the
c. C. C. stamp clubs; Ralph E. Smith,
regional vice president of the Trans
Mississippi Philatelic Society; Emil F.
Hirschberger, Washington correspond
ent for Die Postmarke, Vienna; Rob-
ert B. Patton, stamp writer for the
Camden, N j., Courier-Post; David H.
Davenport, Washington correspondent
for Mekeels Weekly, and Alden H.
Whitney, regional vice president of the
Society of Philatelic Americans.
Albert F. Kunze, writing in Weekly
Philatelic Gossip for April "a, ap-
proves the conference plan as follows:
The calling of representative con-
vention' of Government officials, stamp
collectors, philatelic publicists and
others interested has been suggested
and might be praiseworthy under
taking, since 1t would have one or
two desired results: either the objec-
tions voiced would be answered and
silenced, or the errors Of the present
would be corrected. -.
The alleged faults lie in the philos-
ophy that, If a stamp carries the mail,
It serves It's purpose. This philosophy
might be changed if sufficiently
large and representative group under
took to clarity the atmosphere. e.
1T would seem that the stamp COL
lector, who plays so large a part in
the financial background, is privileged
to take the initiative in any plan to
call on Uncle Sam to shoulder a part
Of the burden in producing stamps
which will have the same attractive
appearance as noted on the engraved
stamps of some European nations.
The stamps of this class produced by
Switzerland, Austria, England, Czecho-
slovakia and other nations are with
out question superior in appearance to
our own. 1t may be true that the
foreign stamps may be produced by