Evening star., 1949-09-04
Stamp News
By james Waldo Fowcett

aldo Fowcett
reproduced in the Congressional
Record of August Is in association
with a poem on Poe by James Pat
rick McGovern.
The Scent stamp for the last
encampment of the Grand Army
of the Republic nowhere says
Grand Army of the Republic,
but it twice displays the initials
&C. A. r."
Clint Davis. director, Forest
Fire Prevention, U. S. Forest Serv-
ice. writes: You will be glad to
know that cancellation dies using
the forest fire prevention message
are now in service in over 100
cities; also that forest fire preven-
ton posters are being displayed on
bulletin boards in approximately
$4,000 post Offices, branches
and stations throughout the
United States, Production also
is under way on a four-color spe-
cial forest fire prevention card
which will be displayed on ap-
proximately $4,000 Post Office De-
partment mail trucks. beginning
October l." Readers desiring
copies of the 1949 forest fire
prevention poster label may OBJ
tain sheets of them by writing
directly to Mr.. Davis, in care
the Forest Service, Department Of
Agriculture.
The stamp program for next
year already is under discussion
in the Post Office Department.
1t almost certainly will include
a commemorative for Eugene
Field. the poet who wrote Little
Boy Blue and many other verses
for or about children. He was
born on September or 3, 1850.
A precedent for a stamp in his
name may be found in the ad-
hesive for James Whitcomb Riley,
issued nine years ago.
A citizen wrote to the Post
Office Department asking for a re-
fund of excess postage in amount
of 81. Months went by and he re-
ceived no answer to his request.
Then he sent the department a
pair OF ScissorS-to cut the red
tape which he believed was re-
SponSible for the delay.
The Fish and Wildlife Service
of the Department of the Interior
has announced a competition for
the design of the So duck hunters
license stamp of 1950-51, but
has no money to provide for
prizes. THE winning artist" the
official publicity release, explains,
will receive no direct compensa-
tion, but the distinction Is unique
and worthwhile"
President Harry S. Truman
wrote to the Society of Philatelic
Americans recently: II think that
stamp collecting is very much
more than a hobby. although the
enthusiasm Of its devotees is
ample evidence of its appeal in
that regard. 1t also arouses inter-
est in geography and thus leads
to acquaintance with the location
OF remote lands and familiarity
with the life and customs of peo-
pies Of all climes and races"
Great Britain will bring out a
set of stamps for the Centenary
Exhibition in 1851.
There is town in Mississippi,
says Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News,
called Hot Coffee.
Criticism of the Saturday Eve
ming Post for printing an un-
checked article on stamp counter
feiting still is current though the
offending issue was dated April 80.
Paraguay has overprinted Ger
tain stamps with surcharges in aid
OF Ecuador earthquake sufferers.
The French zone of Germany
also brought out six stamps in
memory Of Goethe-three for use
in Baden and three in Rheinland-
Pfalz.
A full-page advertisement of
the American Magazine, printed
in the New York Times on August
80, shows a sack of mail being
emptied and, incredible as it may
seem. every envelope bears an ad-
hesive stamp. Not a postal meter
in the lot!
The slogan for National Letter
Writing Week this year is: Don't
Delay-Write Today" It will be
used throughout the postal system
of the United States from October
Is to %.