Evening star., 1945-10-21
stamps
By James Waldo Fawceft.

able memorial for. Maj. Otho Larkfn
Rogers, former philatelic agent, first
Post ONCE Department employe to
give his life for freedom in the Sec
ond World War, should be provided.
The Star suggests that Postmaster
General Robert e. Hannegan ap-
point three representatives OF the
Post Office to confer with three
representatives of the Marine
Corps appointed by Gen. Alex
ander A. Vandegrift and three rep
resentatives of the philatelic public
nominated by Harry L. Lindquist,
president Of the National Federation
of Stamp Clubs, and decide upon a
feasible plan. Maj. Rogers was
killed at Guadacanal in the autumn
of 1912. His widow, Lieut.. Iva Rogers,
U. s. M. c., also, of course, should
be consulted.
Postmaster General Robert e.
Hannegan has accomplished at
least one reform which the phila-
telic public has wanted for a long
time. On October 8 the Postal Bull
letin, published under his admins
trative supervision, printed the fol-
lowing notice:
The department has received a
large number of justifiable COM
plants from collectors of covers
and used postage stamps that the
stamps have been so heavily can
celed as to render them unfit for
collection purposes. With the ex-
pected early return to peacetime
conditions, steps should be taken
to remedy the matter complained
OF. The following directions should
be complied with:
i. Daubers should be removed
from the distribution cases and
any mail received by the distribu-
tors which has not been postmarked
or stamps properly Cancelled should
be set aside to be returned for
proper poStmarking either by the
canceling machine or by a suitable
hand stamp.
z. All canceling equipment, in
cludlng machine dies, steel and
rubber hand postmarking stamps.
and stamp pads must be kept clean
and In good working order to obyi-
ate snleary or blurred impressions.
3. Badly worn canceling equip
ment should be replaced.
4. Letters bearing blocks of
stamps should be Cancelled with the
least possible number of impressions.
.. Only regulation black canceling
INK furnished by the department for
the purpose may be used in the can
collation. OF postage stamps.
.. The circular part of steel or
rubber hand postmarking stamns
must not be applied directly over
postage stamps; the defacing bars
are for this purpose"
This means that every letter.
every card, every parcel passing
through the mail has been conceded
to have philatelic value and to
merit being treated as a property
OF consequence to all persons in
teresteo IN such material. Any en-
ploye OF the Post Office Department
VINO wllfully mutilates a stamp or
cover hereafter will be guilty of a
violation Of regulations which are
oennite and unequivocal, Stamn
collectors as a class should make il
Gneir business to cooperate with the
Post Ofice Department by reporting
cases OF vandalism to local post
masters and also to Mr.. Hanneean
personally. A stop to the deliberate
destruction of philatelic property
mas been ordered. The philatelic
public should do its part to see that
the order is obeyed.
Artists In the Bureau of Enerav.
ing and Printing are at work on de.
signs for victory stamp. One
composition is known to show the
Liberty Bell and the Statue of Lib
erty. It is indicated that there ara
several other sketches under consid-
Grafton but details have not been
disclosed.
The AL Smith stamp will be reg.
uiar postage size, 100 to the pane.
1t is reported that the Texas
statehood commemorative which
should have been placed on sale on
december 10 actually will not ap-
pear until next August.
Inc S-cent Navy stamp is to be re.
leased at Annapolis on Saturday and
through the Philatelic Agency on
Monday, October 20.
Stamps Magazine announces the
death of Paul F. Berdanier, jr..
Killed in an airplane accident at
Greenwich, Conn, August IS. An
artist Of distinction, art director and
vice president of the ]. Walter
thompson advertising agency, for
mer secretary Of the Collectors Club
OF New York and chairman of the
committee of artists which several
years ago urged the Government
to open stamp designing to con,pe.
tltlon In the interest of more beau
tiful designs, he was an American
citizen who cannot be replaced. His
Washington friends mourn his un-
timely departure.
William w. Wylie, columnist for
Western Stamp Collector, now is
night editor in charge of the Kan
sas City. Kans., Office of the Kan.
sas ClLy G&-.
G. E. Stiles. 37lS Brandywine
street NV, has an interesting cover
from Hitchin, Herts., England, show.
ing the Victory postmark of bells.
the letter "V" and killer bars con-
tanning the Morse code symbols for
the same.
Frank L. Graham now is stamp
editor Of the San Diego Tribune
Sun.
The Collectors Club of Washing
ton will meet at the Pythian Tenn
pie, l0l2 Ninth street NV, Tuesday
evening at 8 o'clock.
Program arrangements for a
meeting OF the Washington Philatelic
Society at the Lee Sheraton Hotel.
Fifteenth and L streets NV, We'd