THE AGENT-GENERAL AS STAMP DEALER.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10058, 9 June 1898, Page 4

THE AGENT-GENERAL AS STAMP DEALER.

Thk Government have certainly been remarkably enterprising in making as much money as possible out of the recent issue o! stamps. There is a strong suspicion that the " Wakitipu error " was purposely allowed to pass in order to bring additional grist to the mill. The Agent-General fully entered into the spirit o£ the thing, and banged the big drum of advertisement to some effect in the "Philatelic Journal," while managing to secure gratuitous puffs in most of the daily papers. The advertisement in the " Journal" opens in this bold and impressive fashion:— OPENING OF A NEW STAMP SHOP. WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. LARGE STOCKS TO BE CLEARED AT LOW PRICES. THIS IS GENUINE. Westminster Chambers. 13, Victoria etreet, London, S.W., 2nd April, 1898. NEW ZEALAND POSTAGE AND REVENUE STAMPS. NEW ISSUE. Then follow particulars of the new stamps, and the terms on which they are to be obtained. As our readers are aware Mr. Reeves's catohpenny tactics had their due effect, and the result was quite a boom in the new issue so far as the English market was concerned. Wβ think, however, that stamp collectors in the colony have undoubted reason to complain of the way in which they were treated by the Government. They had looked forward to the issue of the new stamps as affording them a good opportunity of making advantageous exchanges with other collectors at Home and abroad. They were of course cut out of this chance by the Government opening their "new stamp shop" at Westminster Chambers. Furthermore, the Government actually gave English dealers and speculators concessions and discounts which were rigidly denied to New Zealand colonists. Here, it will be remembered, stringent precautions were adopted to prevent individuals from buying the stamps in any quantity. At the English "shop" opened by the Government it was announced that only complete sets would be sold, except when orders were for £5 and over, when sets might be broken ; furthermore, that " dealers taking stamps of a face value of not less than £5 will be allowed 2 per cent, off." In other words, Government, at their London shop, did all that they could to encourage the speculator, and gave him the familiar .inducement of "a reduction on taking a quantity." In New Zealand they not only gave no discount, but refused to sell more, than 12s 6d worth of stamps to any one person in one- day. New Zealand philatelists, as we have said, have good cause to complain. The smart practice of the Government, however, has put some thousands of pounds in the Treasury chest, and we have no doubt in this, as in so many other instances, Mr. Seddon thinks that the end justifies the means.