Evening star., 1939-03-05
AMONG THE STAMP COLLECTORS
News Phatec World Its Interests and Peope-Revew
Stamp Press-List of Local MEETINGS.
Bv James Waldo Favcen.


alton of the philatelic exhibition
truck of the Post Office Department
scheduled to start on tour Of thu
country in few weeks.
The committee report said: PRO
posals such as this can certainly b'
deferred until the economic condi'
ton of the country has improved
Furthermore, the committee doe!
not look with favor on the action o.
the department in preparing the
truck for this use prior to obtaining
the approval of Congress for its
operation"
But the view so expressed seemed
short sighted to collectors. Within
q few hours after the report hae
been released campaign was or
ganized to persuade the Senate tt
restore the cut. It was argued thai
philatelic public is paying into the
Philatelic Agency an average of ST.
100000 year for stamps not COM
monty used for postal purposes anc
that. because of the Government.
profit for this business, collectors
WClC llOU ulll CdSOlldOlC lLl CllClA 4So
quest that the truck, designed tt
develop additional interest in theil
hobby, should be permitted to take
the road.
Responding to an appeal by
spokesmen for several different
groups of stamp enthusiasts, Senator
Joseph c. O'Mahoney issued on Fri.
day statement reading in part a.
follows: ITO enable the Post Office
Department to undertake country.
wide exhibition, particularly ir
schools in rural areas, of its 81 1000..
600 collection of United States post.
age stamps, shall urge the Senate
to make an appropriation of $500
which was omitted when the Treas
ury-Post Office Department supply
bill was passed in the House on Feb.
ruary %.
This appropriation will provide
for three additional employees to mar
a philatelic truck which the Post
Office Department is prepared to
send throughout the country to
stimulate interest in stamps and
stamp collecting.
"It may safely be predicted that
this expenditure will result in a
many-fold increase of postal rev.
enues from the sale of stamps to
new collectors.
From a financial point of view.
postal receipts from collectors are
particularly advantageous, for in
most instances the stamps are never
used. They 60 into collectors al
buns and therefore represent prac-
tically 100 per cent profit to the
Post Office Department.
''The philatelic truck which the
Post Office Department plans to
send throughout the country is a
converted mail truck. 1t was pre-
pared in the Chicago Post Office
garage by postal employees and has
been equipped to carry a complete
display of United States postage
stamps. including die proofs and
specimen copies of every stamp is
sued since 1847. This collection rep
resentS the most complete set Of
United States stamps in existence
and is valued in excess of 81, 900, 900
The truck is also equipped to in
clude model printing press such
as postage stamps are printed on
at the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing. 1t is the plan of the de-
partment to exhibit the stamps to
show to those who view this trav-
cling exhibit the various manufac-
turing processes through which a
postage stamp goes.
ut is proposed to send the truck
to different parts of the country
making special stops at schoolhouses
in the rural areas, thus enabling
stamp collectors throughout the
country, old and young, to see the
collection and to witness a stamp
printing press in operation. an op-
portunity they would otherwise not
have without making a special trip
to Washington"
What action the Senate may take
OF course, remains undetermined
Collectors are invited to write or
wire members of both branches of
Congress briefly stating their wishes.
The annual exhibition of the Col
lectors' Club OF Washington opened
at the National Museum Constitu-
ton avenue and Tenth street NV.
Wednesday evening.
Rare and valuable stamps and
covers are being shown by a long
list OF members, including: C. H.
Vaughan, Valdemar Weiergang, H.
A. Robinette, P. O. Peavey. Howard
Perry, DR.. G. G. Frazier, Alden H.
Whitney, J. Michael Brown, Robert
A. Truex, j. S. Petrie, r. j. Borhek,
G. N. Wheat, E. L. Browne, GUY
Greenawalt, C. H. Lambrette, E..
Woodhouse, James E. Crux, Henry
Gabriel, Alexander Halperson, Mr..
and Mrs. Dan Reichgut, Mr.. and
Mrs. Frederick r. Rice, Mrs. H. C..
Workman, Mrs. Grace L. Mac
Knight, Mrs. Florence C. CLANCY,
Mrs. Mabel L. Wilson, Miss Lucy
K. Lea and others.
c. Hercus Just. president of the
club, and Sven Yort, chairman of
sthe Exhibition Committee, have
selected pages from their albums on
display.
The exhibition will continue
throughout the remainder of March.
The National Wildlife Federation
announces that the 1889 series of
conservation poster stamps is ready
Tor release. Eighty subjects are
included - birds, mammals, fish,
trees and wild flowers, all in full
color.
Collectors interested are advised
STAMPS.