Evening star., 1955-01-23
Philotelic News

k1O AVA CNnot III 4A4G oval C(N-
eral weeks ago, the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing is re-
placing the presses built by the
late Benjamin r. Stickney, sr.,
roughly a generation ago.
These machines, having pro-
duced hundreds Of millions Of
stamps during approximately
80 years, were worn out as far
back as 1945, but were patched
up for continued service and
still are capable Of use. But a
new economy program" in
augurated by the Eisenhower
administration last year. fol-
lowing an efficiency survey Of
the plant and its equipment.
includes the purchase Of new
presses geared to increase the
speed 6fsstamp processing.
No ofacial announcement
has been made and none Is
contemplated at present. yet
1t is known that 20 Stickney
machines are to be retired.
They will be replaced in part
at least by i've Cottrell web
fed rotary. presses capable Of
printing half again as many
adhesives an hour as the
Stickney maximum. Paper Is
to pass through these new
rotaries at approximately $50
feet minute. Installation has
been planned to start in about
SIX weeks. The presses will be
built by the Cottrell organiza-
tion at Pawcatuck, r. l., and
will be brought to Washington
ready to set up on the floors
Of the Postage Stamp Printing
Division Of the Bureau.
Each of the five machines
will cost about $3.50, 900. The
economy" project also calls
for the introduction of one
Giori press from Wurzburg,
Germany. and one De la Rue
press from London, England.
It is expected that the for
eign-rnade machines also will
be installed soon. Meanwhile
the Huck experimental press,
on which work has been in
progress for many months. is
being run three shifts a day.
Paper used on it Is an oxford
stock, much more brittle than
ordinary paper. The Scent
Pennsylvania Academy of Art
tCharles Wilson Peale) stamp
was started by dry process but
1t was found imperative to wet
the stock S per cent or better.
New ideas in connection with
the printing Of currency in
clude engraving titles" only
about half as deep as in the
past--that is, about 4l1,000ths
of an inch as compared with
N, ,0O0ths. Bureau officers who
were asked to examine Dutch
currency manufactured on a
Giori press reported that 1t
was unsatisfactory"
It Is understood that the
Cottrell. like the foreign ma
chimes are to be trial affairs"
and that the Bureau Is not
being committed to any long
term contract. Automations
now being developed by the
Cross Company. Detroit. and
other pioneer establishments
for the making of coins as well
as stamps, currency and bonds
of all denominations may be
the answer to the overall
ECONOMY and efficiency prob
lem" in the near future,
College Stomp Design.
The design of the 3-cent
Land Grant Colleges COM
memorative. scheduled to go
on first-day sale at East Lam
sing, Mich, February IL, is
almost as poor art as the de-
plorable 3-cent Ohio Statehood
sticker of 1858. It features an
open book supporting symbols
of agriculture. chemistry, en-
gineering and mining. repre-
senting some Of the leading
subjects taught at these insti-
tutions" but omitting aca-
demic learning as such. How
ever, blame for the lack of
artistic quality in the stamp
should not be directed at the
Bureau designers. AS usual in
cases of this kind, they did
their best with uninspiring
material.
Speaking at Philadelphia
January Is. when the Scent
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine
Arts commemorative went on
first-day sale, Assistant Post !.