Evening star., 1944-06-25
Stamp-Making
Anniversary
Bu James Waldo Faucet.


By James Waldo Faucet.
July l will be the 50th anniversary
of the day on which the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing began to manu-
facture the postage stamps of the United
States. The story of how the change
from private production came about
never previously has been told. Only
recently has it been possible to collect
the data needed for its chronicling
AS usual in such matters, single
individual initiated the movement of
reform. His name was Claude M. John
son, and he deserves to be remembered
as man of a distinctive creative genius,
among whose many talents was the skill
to appreciate the gifts of others. Be-
coming chief of the bureau on July l,
1893, he appears to have applied himself
Immediately to the task of building up
the facilities and personnel of the insti-
tuition which, as result, he later could
call "the most extensive and complete
establishment engaged in the work of
engraving and plate printing in exist
ence"
The fiscal labels of the Government
| had been made in the bureau ever since
| the Civil War. Tax stamps to show
payments of levies on fermented liquor,
beer, tobacco, snuff, oleomargarine and
various narcotic drugs were on the
presses regularly. Mr.. johnson, with
logic which seems to have been
characteristic of him, asked: why not
add the most important stamps of all?"
He expressed his point of view in his
annual report for the fiscal period 1894
in this fashion: "For many years the
only securities of the Government pro-
duced outside of this bureau were the
adhesive stamps required by the Post
Office Department, which were pro-
duced under contract by a private cor
poration in New York City. Early
in the last fiscal year, the Postmaster
General advertised for proposals for
the manufacture of these stamps. Feel
Ing that the interests of the Govern
ment required that all Of its securities
should be produced in its own estab-
lishment and under the immediate
direction of its own officers, and that
this work could be done by this bureau
at considerably less cost than 1t was
done by private parties =. sub
mitted proposal to the Postmaster
General for the execution of this work.
The rates submitted in this proposal
aggregated $22,91409 less than the
lowest responsible bidder, which was
the company then executing the work
-$68 ,882.08 less than the rate at which
1t was then performing the work"
John N. Luff, in THE Postage Stamps
of the United States" 1902, quotes Third
Assistant Postmaster General Kerr
Craige to the effect that: "By adver-
tisement, dated October 16, 1893, pub
Ished in (a) number of prominent
newspapers for four weeks, the depart
ment invited proposals up to Novem-
ber Is, 1893, from parties carrying
on the business of steel-plate engraving
and plate printing or from those
who had had experience in conduct
ing that business for furnishing ad-
hesive postage stamps Of the several
classes in use during the period of
four years, beginning on July l, 1894"
The advertisement brought proposals
from the Hamilton Bank Note Co.. ask
ing $179294.40 for the manufacture of
the desired stamps; the American Bank
Note Co., asking 1852 ,401 81, and Charles
F. Steele Of Philadelphia, asking $146,-
454-93. AS soon as the bids were made
known, the two lower bidders filed pro-
tests against each other. Meanwhile.
Mr.. johnson prepared to put his claims
forward The first step was to persuade
the Secretary of the Treasury. When
that had been accomplished, the chief
OF the bureau asserted "the right to COM
pete for the work" and undertook to per-
form it for $139, ,48774.
** Xxx
AS he doubtless expected, Mr.. john
son encountered resistance in a num-
Der of different quarters. The American
Bank Note Co., firm honorably proud
OF its record in stamp production-it
had proved its capacity most notably
In the case Of the noble Columbian
Exposition commemorative" of 1893
| engaged an attorney to argue that the
OS'SAitiAASAie was IlOU 10 70
into the stamp business In rivalry with
private concerns. Mr.. Steel also con-
suited a lawyer and filed a lengthy
brief. The various locals" of the
knights of Labor sent in veritable
snowstorm of protests against moving
the trade" to Washington.
But Mr. Johnsons contentious were
accepted on the grounds of obvious ex-
pediency, and Post Office Department
Order No. l8 awarded the contract to
the bureau on February 81, 1894 A
formal agreement" between the Post
Office Department and the Treasury
Department, prescribing rules for stamp
manufacture, was entered into' on
June 8 following. Under the terms
OF the arrangement, the bureau was to
make ordinary postage stamps at cents
a thousand, postage due stamps at
sos 5/lo0 thousand, and special deliv-
cry and news and periodical stamps at
$.11 4/10 thousand
The actual date of the termination of
the relation between the Post Office
Department and the American Bank
Note Co. was March 81, 1894 A
three-month extension ended on June
30 The United States Postage Stamp
two, of