LUXURY PENS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 September 1934, Page 10

LUXURY PENS

POST OFFICE ENTERPRISE LONDON, July 26. The.success achieved in brightening Post Offices throughout . the country has induced the PostmasterGeneral’s Department to tackle the problem of the Post Office pens. In the near future, the PostmasterGeneral announces, 10,000 pens “de luxe” are to be supplied experimental, ly to Post Offices in all parts of the United Kingdom. The new pens will be of an attractive type, and the holders will be specially moulded so that they will be easy to use. They will be coloured a vivid red and bear the G.P.O. monogram. The full text of the announcement is as follows: This is not the first time that the Post Office has supplied superior pens for the use of the public but, despite the legend,’ the pens have proved so attractive that the public has indelicately deprived other members of the opportunity of expressing appreciation by “appropriating” the pens wholesale. Stainless steel nibs were first tried in the Post Office in 1929. The results were satisfactory—so satisfactory that the nibs supplied for the use of the public disappeared with such rapidity that the supply had to be stopped.

The introduction of an ingenious device for fixing -the nib firmly in the metal part of the holder made it worth while last year- to undertake a further trial. Again the good intentions of the Post Office were frustrated, the device proved so effective that the “collectors” got over the difficulty by taking both holder and nib. ONE “HONEST” TOWN Last year aproximately 2,000 holders and 9,000 stainless steel nibs were provided exclusively for the use of the public in 75 of the largest Post Offices; in London and the Provinces. After a month’s experiment it was found that over 1,200 holders complete with nibs had been taken. At Bournemouth, Cardiff, Croyden, Scarborough, Swansea, Torquay and Glasgow all the pens supplied disappeared, in London out of a total of 240 only 40 .remained. Only one Post Office throughout the country could proudly report all pens intact. The fact that at this Post Office the pens were chained to the desks may perhaps supply the reason for Chelmsford’s apparent probity. The new pens will be fitted with the nib-locking device, but the Post Office is not relying on this or on the fact that, the holders are coloured a vivid red with the G.P.O. monogram to prevent losses. It is felt that, the legendary Post Office pen should disappear, and the co-operation of the public is sought in order to render the experiment a success.

Towns throughout the country will vie .with each other in retaining the “perfect pen” in their Post Office .and not in the homes and offices of their inhabitants. Losses will be notified and the “honesty competition” will indicate to the authorities the towns which are not only progressive but Which desire to preserve improvements made and encourage further effort.