NO ADVERTISEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 38, 13 August 1935, Page 13

NO ADVERTISEMENT

IF HEAVILY CANCELLED

NEW PICTORIAL STAMPS

One of the main, reasons for pro-| viding New Zealand with a new set of pictorial stamps was that of providing the Dominion with a good advertisement overseas. But this objective has in a great many instances been defeated by the total obliteration of the main features of the designs when the stamps are postmarked. Heavy cancellations frequently make it impossible to recognise any feature of the design. This is in marked contrast to what happened on the first day of the issue of the new pictorial set. Then, with the expressed purpose of .ensuring that no fault would be -found with the postmarking, particular care was expended on the cancellation of the stamps of the first day covers. That' care, which was much appreciated by philatelists, apparently has not been extended to stamps of the higher values used subsequently on parcels and packages. It is these higher values that go overseas and which should be advertisements for the Dominion if they are not altogether effaced.

The Christchurch Philatelic Society recently took this matter up and a resolution was carried unanimously respectfully requesting the PostmasterGeneral to consider the adoption of improved methods of cancelling stamps on parcels and packages. The cancellation of the' stamps on - letters, being done by machine as a rule, does not altogether obliterate the design and is much neater than cancellation made by hand. The resolution was forwarded to the appropriate quarter and a promise has been received in reply that the matter will be given consideration.

Postage stamps have long ceased to be merely convenient labels to indicate the prepayment of postage. They are now a valuable source of revenue owing to the large world army of collectors, and they are also a very simple method of conducting a widespread advertising campaign. So in issuing and subsequently cancelling them, postal officials have a number of factors to take into consideration if they are to please everyone.

In these days-it is the design on the stamp which is considered to be a means of advertising the charms and features of any country. But some forty years ago—before pictorial stamps had come into use—New Zealand had other ideas on the matter, and actually *had advertisements for soaps, pills, etc., printed on the back of each stamp. This was a short-lived experiment in advertising, for when the stamp was affixed to a letter all chance of the advertisement being read was lost for ever. Hence that bright little stunt for raising extra revenue did not last long, and it was not imitated by other ; countries. Today, when the advertisement (in the shape* of a beautiful view or other attractive design) is on the front of the stamp and not the back, it does seem rather a pity to so heavily obliterate it that it becomes as unreadable as did the advertisement on the back of the stamp.