Evening star., 1938-08-14
Capital Sidelights
By WILL p. KENNEDY.

Interesting data regarding the branch
of the Federal service which touches
closest all the people of the country, the
postal system and postage stamps, are
given by two prominent members of
Congress. Representative James M. Mead
Democrat. of Buffalo. N. Y, and Repre-
sentative Charles A. Plumley. Republican,
of Northield, VT, the latter one of the
best-read men in the National Legisla-
ture
Jim" Mead, who is chairman of the
House Committee on Post Ohices and
Post Roads. is himself a noted stamp
collector. He emphasizes that the Sew
enty-f1fth Congress made history by en-
acting law permitting United States
stamps, both Cancelled and uncanceled.
to be printed in newspapers. Our postal
system. he points out, started as far back
as 1877, when upon petition of Boston
merchants John Hayward was appointed
by the court TO take In and convey let
ters according to their direction" In
1710 the British Parliament passed an
act authorizing the British postmaster
general to establish one chief letter office
in New York and in each of her majesty's
provinces or colonies in America. Ben
jamin Franklin served as deputy post
master general for North America from
1755 until 1774
July rs, ITS, the Continental Congress
created the office of Postmaster General
for the United Colonies, at a salary of
$1,000 a year and $340 for a secretary
and controller. Benjamin Franklin was
unanimously chosen as the first incum-
bent of that office. Some postmasters
had special stamps provided. and these
imprints of 'postmasters' stamps have
been sold to collectors for as much as
$4,000 each.
Adhesive postage stamps were first put
on sale in New York City on January l.,
1847. They had been sold for seven years
previously in England, the invention of
James Chalmers of Dundee. Scotland.
M. de Villayer of Paris in 1853 invented
letter covers or wrappers with a distinc-
tive mark and organized collection and
delivery system of his own. England
was the first country to adopt the ad-
hesive postage stamp and in 1889 passed
the Uniform Postage Act, originated by
Sir Rowland Hill On his death 40 wears
later he was buried in Westminster Alb
hey. On January 10, 184O, the 2-cert
postage rate was started
The first stamp. the penny black. was
Issued May 6. 1910, and f2,5O0 worth
were sold the first day. AS they were
printed in fast black ink frauds were
perpetrated by washing off the cancella-
tion marks and using the stamps over
again. In nine months stamps were
printed from the same die in fugitive red
ink. The use of the adhesive stamps in
the United States was not made obliga
tory until July l. 1855. The first United
States series in 1847 had only two denom-
inations-a scent stamp bearing the
likeness of Benjamin Franklin and a 10
cent stamp bearing the likeness of George
Washington.
Plumley of Vermont tells us that the
first postmaster in his home town of
Northfield, Oliver Ayerill. received COM
pensation of $2l.32 for his first year IS
work. He challenges the claim of Texas
people that they had the only independ-
ent republic, demonstrating that Ver-
mont was an independent republic for u
years. and had coinage and postal sys-
tenn OF its own. it's Legislature meeting at
Bennington. There were five postoffices,
at Bennington, Rutland, Brattleboro,
Windsor and Newbury. The intriguing
part is that the statute provided for these
omces under such regulations as are
provided for the government of post
Offices in the United States
BY the treaty of peace with Great
Britain. signed at Paris September 3,
1913, Vermont was included in the terri
tory belonging to the United States.
However. from that time until her ad-
mission to the Union she was declared on
her copper coins to be THE Republic of
the Green Mountains" independent of
every other government. This republic
established its own standard of weights
and measures, regulated the value of its
coins, established its postal system, with
postmaster general. and gave post rid
ers the exclusive right to carry letters
and packets.
Plumley traces back the history OF
postal services to the Israelites, and to q
letter post established in the Hanse towns
of the 18th century, but comedies that
the real beginning Of letter posts for
private and business purposes dates from
the year 1916, when Roger, County OF
Them. established riding posts in Tyrol
connecting Germany and Italy. He finds
the first English postmaster general wa
Sir Brian Tuke, described in the record,
of 1888 as "Masister Nuncrorum, Curse.
rum, Sire, Postar,lm."