Stamp Stories FLOOD AND- OTHER RELIEF STAMPS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22435, 23 June 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

Stamp Stories FLOOD AND - OTHER RELIEF STAMPS

Because of the unsettled conditions of the country, it it possible that stamps will not be issued for the benefit of the sufferers from the terrible floods in China. In the past, though, there have been several instances where postage

stamps and charity labels have been sold for the alleviation of distress/ In 1921 a great famine was 'responsible for thousands of deaths in China, and at the suggestion of European and American Bed Cross workers, a set of four stamps was sold to .assist in the purchase of food. The 2,4, and 6 cent Chinese stamps of the 1915 issue were overprinted with the new values 1,3, and 5 cents respectively, and with a Chinese inscription meaning "Contribution of 1c for victims of the famine.” These stamps were

peculiar in that they were sold at the original face value, but paid postal dues only for the new value, so that 1 cent of .the amount paid for each stamp went to the famine fund. This caused confusion, and subsequently, pictorial labels have been issued inscribed “Famine Relief.” and these have been similar in nature to the Christmas seals, in that they were not accepted for postal use. China is not alone in having suffered from floods. In 1921 the Volga river in Russia overflowed its banks and many people were rendered homeless. The Russian authorities issued a set of four stamps which are curious for two reasons* first

they were printed in a very large second, of the amount of 2250 roubles charged for each stamp, the postal value - was only' 280 roubles, the, remaining 2000 roubles being contributed to the ; famine fund. Two instances'are to

(By R, J. G. Collins) -

be found of the issue of special stamps by British possessions for the benefit of relief funds. In January, 1907, Barbados issued a 2d stamp overprinted “Kingston Relief Fund Id,” to assist the victims of a disastrous hurricane that swept the group. This stamp was like the Chinese set, because it was sold at the original face value, and the extra Id represented a contribution to the fund.

A hurricane was also the cause of great damage and distress in the central American colony of British Honduras. In September, 1931, the city of Belize was completely destroyed and the inhabitants were so greatly in need of help that not only were special appeals made in Great Britain and in the United States of America,

but it was also decided in 1932 to obtain extra contributions by the issue of a set of five stamps, which like our New Zealand Health issues, were sold at double the postal value. A hurricane was also responsible for the issue of a set by the Dominican Republic in 1930. There were four values in designs showing the damage to the city of Santo Domingo. These relief stamps were printed with part of the sheet upside down, so it is possible to get a pair of stamps, one normal and one inverted. These varieties are known in philately as tete-beche pairs. The first instance that 1 can trace of special flood relief stamps was a special set of Hungary in 1913. Of the European countries, Belgium has also given us flpod -stamps, when three were issued in 1926. ' . '

During the war and in the years immediately, following the Armistice. large r numbers of Red Cross issues appeared, and many countries have now adopted the annual charity issues, principally for the benefit--ofr-sicls children. > -

Even excluding the war issues, a large and interesting collection can be built up of the various relief stamps.