The Jubilee Library Stamp Issue

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2280, 11 November 1897, Page 7

The Jubilee Library Stamp Issue

TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, — As a philatelist, I note with regret the intention of our Free Library Committee to raise funds for their object by a special issue of stamps. I will not call them postage stamps, as such irsues are tbe veriest rubbish and no more wortby of a place in a true collection of po-tage stamps than are Our local beer labels. It w*s stated in your issue this morning fchafc the issues of Victoria and New South Wales have been great successes, 'but as one who knows I may state that 90 per cent, of the purchasers were merely speculators and nofc philatelists, and these men, when they fcry to unload, will find themselves in a hole. In proof of this, I may state that the " society in London for the Suppression of Unnecessary Issues " has warmly taken the matter up, and if they put their ban on same no decent collector in Europe or Ameiica will look at same. The society tome 18 months ago put the Grecian Olympic Games Society under the " black list," and the i»sue was a dead failure, so they are » power to be reckoned with. Apart from the above, why should the unfortunate philatelist be the milch cow selected nowadays to provide funds for hospitals, libraries, &c Just as well strike a set of special coins and pander to tbe coin collector. The appended cuttiDg from the "Philatelic Record," a lending samp paper in London with a circulaliou of over 20,000 a" month, has a strong bearing 'on what I have written.— l ampke., . -. William: L. Hooper.

But New Soutli Walts leads the way in downright speculation. After the New South Walea " O.S.'"swindle stamp collectors will not expect the postal authorities of New South Wales to be over-nice. Consequently they will not be surprised at the unadulterated cant that announces an issue of two values of Id and 2id to bo s ild at Is and 2* 6.1 respectively, the amount realised m excess of the postal value being devoted to the hospital fund. This issue, we are told, is designed to commemorate the Record Reign and to enable charitably disposed persous to contribute small sums to the fund for establishing a hospital for consumptives But in order that the charitablydisposed may not be subjected to too great a strain, the issue, or opportunity, will be limited to about two months, and only 40,009 of the 1* and 10,000 of the 2s 6d will be issued. Is it. possible that stamp collectors are really such absolute flats as to, be caught with such, twaddle? . . » Ib seems to be considered by certain postal authorities that so long as they admit some charitable institution to * share of the plunder they ought to be allowed to escape the ban of th« S S S.S. But we would remind them that that society was established to warn collectors and dealers not only against speculative/ but also against unnecessary issues , and a more unnecessary issue than the Canadian Jubilee ltarops or the New South Wales hospital stamps it would be impossible to conceive.

A large frame of photographs, which is afc present being exhibited in the window of Me W. R. Froifc, in George streafc, i« attracting ft considerable amount of attention. Ib contains photographs of all the officers in the Dunedia Post Office, and is intended to be a 6ouvenir oE the Diamond Jubilee, year. The likenesies of the members of the staff are in some cases excellent, and in all cases are good.. The Public Trustee notifies that from date he will administer aa unclaimed land an area of 12 perches (more or Ies»), situated in the extension of the township of St. Andrew's, being allotment 22, block I, on a plan of subdivision of part of seotion 20, block VI, town district, having a frontage to Peter street of. 75 links by a depth of 102 links.