BEAUTY OF SWITZERLAND

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 247, 18 October 1941, Page 11

BEAUTY OF SWITZERLAND

CWITZERLAND recently issued a stamp to its agricultural workers featuring a farmer ploughing his Held behind a white horse, with snowcapped mountains in the background.

By James Montagues

Tiny Switzerland Is best known to philatelists for its fine scenic stamps issued in recent years, both as regular postage and for surtaxed charitable purposes. Included among these are the mountain views on the child welfare stamps of 1931, the regular issues of 1934 and 1936 and the national exhibition set of 1939. Switzerland began issuing stamps in 1850, although previous provinces, or cantons, as the Swiss call them, issued stamps as early as 1843, three years after Great Britain. The cantons of Geneva and Zurich Issued

stamps in 1843, Basle in 1845. These stamps are among the scarcest in the world. In 1849 the Swiss cantons had a preliminary federation, but Geneva and Zurich continued to issue their own stamps. The federation began issuing stamps in 1850 for all Switzerland, the design being a white cross on a red shield. The allegorical figure of Helvetia, or Switzerland, first appeared on stamps in 1854. She has appeared in various 'poses and design on stamps ever since. Switzerland was early the home of international organisations, and in 1900 issued a stamp to the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Universal Postal Union with headquarters in Switzerland. The story of the Swiss soldier, William Tell, who was ordered to shoot an apple from his son's head, has been feitured on Swiss stamps since 190 T. Pictorial scenic stamps first appeared in 1914, have continued since, each time showing more of the mountain views. In 1919, on the declara-

tion of peace, Switzerland issued three stamps to the end of the war. Because Switzerland became the home of the League of Nations and the meeting place of international conferences, there are a number of stamps issued to the disarmament conference of 1932. to the League of Nations buildings in 1933, to the International Red Crosd headquarters in Switzerland in 1910. Stamps to Switzerland's history were issued in 1938. and in 1932 a set was printed for the 50th anniversary of the building of Switzerland's famous* St. Gotthard railway tunnel. In 1937 a stamp was issued for use on mail sent by way of the travelling motor post office. Swiss charity stamps have been issued mainly for child welfare, a set having appeared practically every year since 1913. Surtax stamps have also been Issued for national defence, historical events, national festivals and the Red Cross. Air-mail stamps have appeared since 1919.