Evening star., 1946-11-10

its fight against the willful and de-
Iiberate mutilation and destruction
Of stamps on letters and packages
passing through the mails.
Postmaster General Robert E.
Hannegan on Tuesday notified all
employees of the postal system that
every stamp has potential phiia-
telic value and should be treated
accordingly. The complete text OF
his instructions is reproduced from
the Postal Bulletin, November S,
1916, as follows:
Notwithstanding the many oc-
casions upon which the excessive
DETACHMENT of postage stamps has
been cited for corrective attention,
the department is still receiving nu-
merous complaints from collectors
regarding stamps which have been
rendered completely unsatisfactory
for collection purposes.
"In most such instances, COM
memorative stamps are involved,
which should make mail matter to
which applied readily recognizable
as being of philatelic interest. 1t
is not the intention, however, to re-
strict careful postmarking to mail
bearing commemorative stamps as
it is particularly desirable that all
postage stamps, so far as possible,
be invalidated in manner which
will permit them to remain attrac-
tive for philatelic use. Special ar
rangements made for the treatment
of philatelic mail when rendered
as such should not be looked upon
as sufficient action to cover this
general situation.
"Postmasters and employees of the
postal service are again being di-
rected to see that the following
instructions are carefully and fully
observed:
81. All canceling equipment, in
Guiding machine dies, steel and rub
ber hand postmarking stamps, and
stamp pads, must be kept clean and
in good working order to insure
sharp legible impressions. Worn
canceling equipment should be i'm
meulaLely replaced.
%. Letters or parcels bearing
blocks of either commemorative or
ordinary stamps should be Cancelled
with the least possible number of
clear impressions required to prop
erly protect the postal revenues.
Instructions for the treatment OF
'skips' in cancellation were fur
nished by the First Assistant Post
master General in Postal Bulletin
of october 9. l945. Under no con-
ditions should daubers, old canceling
machine ink rollers, pencil. crayon
or devices other than those regu-
larly issued by the department for
the canceling of postage stamps be
used. Under no circumstances may
any ink other than regularly issued
black canceling ink be employed to
invalidate stamps"
But if these orders are to be ef-
fective, collectors must cooperate
with the department by reporting
all violations of them as promptly
as possible. Destruction of stamps
in transit is an old evil. 1t dates
back TO the issuance of the first
postal label ever produced-the
penny black of Great Britain, 184O-
and it will not stop Immediately
just because the Postmaster Cen
eral has ordered its termination
Covers mutilated by postal clerks
should be forwarded to Mr.. Hanne-
gan at the main Office of the de-
partment, Pennsylvania avenue and
Twelfth street NV, Washington
D. c., with full information re-
garding the same This likewise ap-
plies to envelopes from which the
stamps have been scraped or torn
in canceling machines not properly
adjusted.
Credit for what already has beer
accomplished in the line of neces-
sary reform is due to the Postmaster
General himself, who personally au.
thorized the orders announced last
Tuesday; also to Samuel r. Young
his administrative assistant; Robert
E. Fellers, superintendent of stamps
and Herbert S. Chamberlin, as
sistant superintendent.
The Information Bureau of the
Post Office Department on Wednes-
day announced that airmail service
will be inaugurated on or about
November % on route AM-76 be-
tween Los Angeles, Oxnard-Ventura
Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, San
Luis Obispo, Coalinga, Monterey
Santa Cruz and San Francisco
Calf.
Special cachets will be provided
at Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Maria
San Luis Obispo, Coalinga and
Santa Cruz, Calf. Persons desiring
first-fiight covers should send them
prepaid and self addressed, to the
postmasters at these offices accom-
panied by letter authorizing the
holding of the covers for the first
flight and requesting application OF
the cachet. Space approXima tely
212 by 21a inches to the left on the
address side of the cover is required
for the cachet. Covers flown into
the above named points on the first
flights will be backstamped to show
date and hour of receipt. Covers
originating at these offices and sent
to the first Office on the route to
be served by the first fight in each
direction at request of the mailer
will be backstamped at these offices
Cachet service will not be provided
at Los Angeles, Santa Barbara,
Monterey and San Francisco, Calf.
because this has been done pre-
viously, but souvenir covers received
STAMPS AND COINS.