Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-20
By jones Waldo Fowcett

: %
On June 10, the General
Services Administration an
nounced that it will continue
on a permanent basis q pro-
gram Of collecting and selling
used postage stamps on incom-
ing mail directed to Federal
agencies in Metropolitan WASH
tngton, D. c."
In connection with this
statement, it was explained:
IAN experimental program,
conducted last April at the
suggestion of Roger Stefan OF
the White House staff. resulted
in the collection from q few
agencies of SIS pounds Of cam
celled stamps which were sold
on spot bids for 1899. Edmund
r. Mansure. Administrator OF
General Services. said the ex-
pertinent was on a very limited
basis. However, the results
show that we can realize q
little extra revenue by extend
ing it. We are committed to a
program of economy and every
little bit helps Under a regu-
lation which becomes effective
June 10, executive agencies
throughout Washington will
begin saving all incoming for
eign stamps and all domestic
commemorative having a
value of more than three cents.
Mail rooms will simply cut the
stamps from envelopes and
forward them, five pounds at
q time, to the GSA Regional
Office, where periodic sales will
be held"
What all this will mean to
stamp collectors remains to be
seen. A committee Of five has
been appointed to advise Mr..
Mansure and his deputy, VIII
liam A. Miller. GSA Regional
Director, in the, management
of the new philatelic business
enterprise Of the Government,
the group including John
Thomas, GSA Property Divi-
sion; Robert E. Fellers. Direc-
tor of the Philatelic Division
of the Post Office Department;
Franklin r. Bruins, jr., Phila-
telic Curator Of the SmithSon-
ian Institution; Burton Atkin-
son. Chief Of the Reference
Department Office Of the Lii
brary of Congress, and C. c.
Bream, jr., Acting Chief Of the
Recreation Division Of the De-
partment of Medicine and Sur
gerry of the Veterans Admins
tration. These men have no
administrative power over the
operations Of the stamps sales
program, but they do have
counseling responsibilities and
opportunities, and it is obvious
that changes Of policy already
are indicated.
For example, the GSA soon
after June 10 discovered that
the directive to agency en-
ployes to begin saving all in
coming foreign stamps and all
domestic commemorative hav-
ing a value of more than three
cents" was wrong in purpose
and effect, and it has been al
tered to read: Save all foreign
stamps and all domestic conn
memoratives and regular post.
age stamps of Accent denomi-
nations and higher" Another
correction in procedure re-
quires agency employees to
allow half-inch margins on
stamps clipped. Collectors,
when informed Of this stipula-
ton, suggested that the clip
pers should be guided by the
two by four" rule-cutting of
cancellations as well as stamps
since cancellations nowadays
often are more interesting and
valuable than the postal adj
heSives to which they have
been applied.
Here, by the way, is q field
In which the GSA really could
be very helpful to the phila-
telic public. Because of the
contraction policy" of the
Post Office Department, the
number of new stamps Of ma
tional significance has declined
STAMPS.
BIJRMA-1OO DTFF.. 81 an USED