Evening star., 1939-01-01
AMONG THE STAMP COLLECTORS
News of the Phatec World Its Interests and PeopeRevew of
the Stamp Press-List of Local Meetings.
By James Waldo Favceft.

annual report of the Postmaster
General tOr 1888, released for publ,
cation on Wednesday, Post Office
transactions in postage stamps anc
other stamped paper" during the
fiscal year which ended on June 81
last show total sales of $5l5210,-
455.O8, as reported in postmasters
postage stamp accounts, which
amount, though per cent less than
last year, is higher than the record
Tor any other year since 1881.
Post office sales of documentary
revenue stamps amounted to So
57O,894.34, while the total revenue
from migratory bird hunting stamps
was $783,039.
During the year the production
o. postal cards totaled 2,l88,l22.O 900
the manufacturing cost of which,
amounted to 1914 ,68029.
commemorative issues of postage
stamps were provided during the
year for the sesquicentennial of the
adoption of the Ordinance of 1887
the 3oOth anniversary of the birth
OF Virginia Dare, the sesquicenten-
NAL OF the signing and the adoption
OF the Constitution of the United
States, and the tercentenary of the
first colony of SWedes and Firms
In addition, a special series of four
stamps was issued in recognition of
Alaska. Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the
Virgin Islands: also a souvenir stamp
sheet, containing reprint of the
lO-cent Smoky Mountain National
Park stamp, was authorized. A new
issue of the Scent airmail stamp
was authorized primarily for use in
conjunction with the observance of
National Airmail Week, May 1921,
1888. Also of major Importance in
the stamp program of the current
year was the introduction of a new
series of ordinary postage stamps to
replace designs which had been in
use, for the most part, continuously
since 1929. The new series. now
completed embraces 80 different
denominations from 12-cent to S.,
and, with the exception of the 12-
cent stamp bearing the likeness of
Benjamin Franklin, the li2-cent
stamp with the portrait of Martha
Washington, and the 4i2-cent stamp
showing the White House, these
stamps have for their central de-
signs portraits of all former Presi-
dents from George Washington to
and including Calvin Coolidge, ar
ranged in consecutive order.
THE receipts from the sale of
postage stamps for collection use
through the Philatelic Agency to-
tailed Sl,685, ,751.73 While this
amount is somewhat lower than the
previous year. the number of mail
orders filled increased from 10000
to $4,000. There is every evidence
that sales of stamps to collectors
through local post Offices, though
unrecorded, are showing substantial
gains every year in keeping with the
increasing public interest in stamp
collecting.
I'm accordance with the provisions
OF the law enacted during the last
session of Congress, it is now per-
mlssible to illustrate United States
postage stamps in their entirety for
philatelic purposes in contrast to
only sections of the border thereof
as previously allowed, provided the
reproductions are in black and white
and less than three-quarters or
more than and an one-half times
the linear dimensions of the origi-
nal. This liberalization of the rules
applying to the reproduction OF
postage stamp designs has already
proven to be of distinct benefit to
philatelic writers and publishers
The greater freedom now allowed
In the use of the reproductions in
the illustrating of stamp articles in
newspapers and philatelic journals
IS also serving to give wider pub
licity to stamp collecting than ever
before"
Collectors already are asking how
long the new regular postage series
will last. The official point of view
Is summed up in the word-indefi-
nitely. But it is entirely possible
that some values gradually will be
eliminated and the whole set event
ually will be retired from use The
neglected" Presidents simply are
not important enough to be i'm
mortal in stamp designs.
First-day fiures are announced as
follows: 24-cent, Benjamin Harri-
son stamp, 1922 copies sold 'Sl8,-
295 568), 1882 covers Cancelled. in
Guiding 5,238 with blocks Of four
25-cent, William Mckinley. 76,l9s
copies ($19,048.75), 1851 covers, in.
cluding 5,l32 blocks.
The claims of Comdr. Fontaine
Maury for philatelic consideration
are set forth in an article by Cam
eron MGR. Plummer. printed ir
Stamps Magazine for December 81
His achievements, according to tht
survey provided, certainly woule
seem to indicate that he is entitled
to recognition. He founded the
sciences of cooperative meteorology
and the physical geography of the
sea, invented the submarine mine
proposed many useful reforms il
the interest of conservation anc
transportation, is known as "tht
father" of the Naval Academy a
Annapolis and the Naval Observa.
tory In Washington.
Richard A. Smith. treasurer O
the Detroit Edison Philatelic So
ciety, has suggested that the Unitec
States and Canada issue stamp
STAMPS.