Evening star., 1947-10-12

Inc newest pnllatellc organization
to develop in Washington is the Gov
ernment Printing Office. Stamp Club,
recently launched under the leader
ship of Phil Tralinsky. proofroom,
and Yves. M. Tryon, mono keyboard.
Membership is open to all GPO en-
ployes and their families. Meetings
are held in Harding Hall at 4:45
pm, first and third Thursdays.
James L. Brewrink has been re-
elected president of the Woodbridge
Stamp Club. Serving with him will
be Mr.. Tryon, vice president; Mrs.
Helen D. Rice, secretary-treasurer.
The projected industrial series of
stamps much talked about some
months ago may be authorized soon
after January l. "Commemora-
tives" for organized labor also are
conceivable. The year 1948 is a
presidential election year.
The Baltimore Sun says editori-
ally: "The Post Otice Department
is reported to be seriously contem-
plating a Christmas issue of Santa
Claus stamps. The stamps, if run
OF, will be 3-centers with a picture
of Santa Claus as the central figure
of the design. The first sales of the
stamps are scheduled to be held in
Santa Claus, Ind, where thousands
of packages and Christmas cards are
sent each year for remailing with
a Santa Claus postmark.
IF the Post Office Department
goes through with its plan, it. will
run into difficulties which are we'll
known to all moviegoers who saw
The Miracle of 34th Street. That
movie was involved with the politi-
cal controversies that arose when a
New York judge had to decide
whether there was or was not an
actual Santa Claus. The Post Office
Department will have to face the
same ticklish question on a national
scale. 1t is the unwritten law of
American stamp design that no liv-
ing person shall appear on a stamp.
Therefore. if the Post Office Depart
ment puts Santa Claus on a stamp,
it will be announcing its decision
that Santa Claus is not living
person.
stop and think. Mr.. Hannegan;
is it smart politics at this time to
go on record with the opinion that
there is no Santa Claus? Thousands
of parents will never forgive you,
and the opposition will have field
day at your expense"
The photograph of Thomas Alva
Edison used in the designing OF the
Scent Edison centennial comment :,
orative was selected from a file of
$500 portraits of the famous in
ventor. Walter Scott Shinn was the
camera artist responsible for the
picture. The date was May 13, 1919.
Airmail from Washington to Rio
de Janeiro, it seems, requires eight
days; mail transported by steamship
80 days.
Finland has issued five charity
stamps in aid of the national child
welfare and antituberculosis move
ments. The designs are attractive
representations of healthy looking
infants in their birthday raiment.
H. E. Harris IL Co., Boston, an
nounces new illustrated catalogs of
the airmail stamps of the world and
the stamps of the United States and
British North America. The first of
these booklets contains comments
on airpost collecting by the well
known American philatelic writer"
George Van Den Berg, otherwise
Prof. Lowell Ragatz of George
University, even better
known under his own name as a
popular teacher of history.
The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York, soon will make an
announcement of interest to eollec-
tors of stamps and other adhesive
labels of esthetic distinction.
Senator Cameron, postmaster gen.
eral of the Australian Common
has notified the American
press that arrangements have been
completed to set up post Office on
Heard Island when the Australian
expedition establishes a
base there and that covers to be
postmarked at that station may be
forwarded under wrapper to: Post
master, Heard Island, Care Super
Mail Branch, Melbourne