NEW STAMP ISSUE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12538, 27 April 1935, Page 2

NEW STAMP ISSUE

KEEN INTEREST BY PHILATELISTS. SUCCESS OF AIR. MAILS. (Press .Association). WELJjINMTU->, April 26. Though most people are interested in stamps only because of the remarkably service which can bo rendered by the small piece of paper costing a penny or a halfpenny, philatelists an over the world have shown a kee'n desire, for other reasons, to possess specimens of the New Zealand pic- , torial issue, bearing the date stamp of the first day of issue. May 1. The •remarkable extent of this specialised interest i s shown by the big demand for first day covers more than., a week . be-fore they can be used. Already the stock is nearly exhausted. The first cover envelops issued free of charge, with a descriptive folder, are forwarded to the general post office for .special hand dn.t o stamping, care being taken to show the important date May 1, without damaging tile design. Supplies of the'first, cover envelopes, carrying a selection of th c six New Zealand views, wore forwarded to tho chief postmasters of. the Dominion on April 23. The collection of first flight covers of air mails is a new branch of philately . increasing in extent and New Zealand ha s given several opportunities in this sphere. The first regular air mail flight on the West Coast between Hokitika and Oleum on Dec- ; ember 31, carried a large letter mail . -showing that a number of enthusiasts • had used it. New Zealand’s contribij-l tion in letters to the first.' regular air nia.il service between Sydney and London on December 10 was 4193, indenting a distinct, rush to take advantage of this exceptional occasion, .because the next air mail from Syd- £ ney carried only 1421 letters from New Zealand. * ,Tlio infiiigiiration of the Gisborne-Nnpier daily passenger service 'by air was marked by a special carriage of mails and the keen interest of philatelists’ >in the,.first ■ fiiffH < letters was proved by the fact that over 9000 postal packets were carried on the double frip ; between those ; towns.