Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-31
Phiotelic News
Roto Stamp Scheme May Be Dropped
Following Halt in Bond Production
BY james Waldo Fowcett

OHlVVH S1N
By james Waldo Fowcett
The whole experiment Of the
Eisenhower administration sub
shutting surface printing for
engraving of Savings Bonds
and stamps may be called off.
This became known Thursday
when The Star learned that
production of offset bonds at
the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing had been halted, "at
least for the present" The
story was confirmed by Henry
j. Holtzclaw, associate director
of the bureau, and William w.
Parsons, executive assistant to
UnderSecretary Of the Treasury
Marion B. Folsom. Both of
these officials conceded that the
printing schedule for bonds
had been interrupted on jan
uary IA, only nine working
days after the first run of jan
uary 4. From other authorita-
tive sources it was established
that none of the surface
printed bonds had been placed
in circulation.
Meanwhile, Post Office De-
partment officers reported mo
decision" and mo action" re-
garding the photogravure
models for the projected g.
cent Statue of Liberty stamp
submitted by the Eureka Spe-
cialty Co., Scranton, Pa, in
competition with engraved
models of similar design pre-
pared by the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing. When
these officials were queried
about possible abandonment Of
the departments share in the
surface printing experiment.
they denied that any such de-
velopment was likely "at this
time"
Protests against discarding
engraving continued to be re-
ceived at the White House and
the Postmaster Generals Of
flee. They are coming from
members of Congress. trade
union leaders, artists and writ
tiers as we'll as from stamp
collectors organized and UNI
organized.
Edward M. Weeks, known to
thousands of collectors as a
master maker of beautiful
stamps, writes to The Star:
With more than SO years ex-
perience in the bank note field,
40 of which were in the En-
craving Division, first as an
engraver, then as assistant to
the superintendent and finally
as superintendent of the divi-
sion, now retired, I still have
an interest and a feeling of
pride in the engraved work of
the bureau. In my opinion it
would be a serious error to
change to the cheaper method.
The letter written by DR.. Os-
valid L. Harvey expresses my
views also. and I congratulate
DR.. Harvey on his forceful pres
entation of the case. Thanks
are due to c. Melvin Sharpe,
my old associate in the En-
craving Division. for his letter
recently printed on the edi-
torial page of The Star"
George B. Sloane, writing in
Stamps Magazine for January
%. says: II learn through the
press that the Post Office De-
partment is giving considera-
ton to having stamps printed
by photogravure or other
processes instead of from in
taglio engraved plates. We
are assured that the depart
ment thereby would save
millions of dollars as a result
of such a changeover. My
immediate reaction is: How
many millions? Figures are
always impressive. Has any
one yet checked to learn ex-
actly how much the Post Of
flee Department has been pay
ing the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing annually over
the past several years to sup
ply postage stamps? In all
the stories and comments
have read to date. these fig
ures have not been quoted.
How much of this cost is based
on actual plate-making and
press work? That's where the
millions must be saved since
other operations in production
would likely remain. When
the topic finally wears down
to hard pan I think the dis
cussion will just blow away"
The answer to the main
question asked by Mr.. Sloane
appeared in The Star on jan
uary 10, as follows: The Blu
reau of Engraving and Print
ing currently charges the Post
Office Department only IL
cents per 1000 for the small
sized engraved stamps such as
the pilot Scent stamp will
be-" Presumably, double sized
commemorative would cost
between 20 and "a cents per
1000.
But Post Office Department
officers have not claimed that
Surface-printed stamps will be
cheaper than engraved stamps.
In fact, they privately have
1-0xr, oy,o,,inU OF tho Cha~o$o~