HEALTH STAMP PROCEEDS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27439, 27 August 1954, Page 2

HEALTH STAMP PROCEEDS

DISTRIBUTION BASIS CRITICISED

PHILATELIST SUGGESTS REVISION

"TM Preet" Special Service DUNEDIN, August 25. The method by which the proceeds from the sale of health stamps are distributed should be revised in. the opinion of a leading philatelist, Mr Campbell Paterson. “At present, from every 5d paid for a set of health stamps the Government gets 3jd and the health camps l|d, which gives thfe Government, in my estimation, as much benefit out of the stamps as the camps,” said Mr Paterson. “The Government, naturally, undertakes the postal service, but at least half of the stamps sold are never used, as they are collected and catalogued by overseas buyers.” Mr Paterson also criticised the designs of the health stamps. These, he said, were exceptionally poor and suffered badly in comparison with the similar stamp issues made by foreign countries, notably Switzerland and Holland. “These countries appear to realise that sales inevitably increase with the production of attractive stamps,” he said. “In New Zealand, however, it seems to be the issue which is the important thing, consequently, with designs lacking in artistic merit, the sales and the progress of health camps are retarded. “The cause is a good one and the least that could be done would be to have attractive stamp designs,” Mr Paterson said.