MILLIONS OF STAMPS

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 22 April 1935, Page 2

MILLIONS OF STAMPS

THE NEW PICTORIAL ISSUE ASSESSING THE PUBLIC DEMAND LARGE SCALE DISTRIBUTION. Thirty-eight- million stamps are now being distributed to the post offices of the* Dominion in preparation for the issue on May' 1 of the attractive new pictorial series. Stocks are replenished from headquarters every month, blit tjiis impressive total represents soipething more than the need of the normal period, because the post office is naturally preparing for an unusually heavy public demand, and it is also ready on this occasion to completely replace unused old issues in the hands of the public. It will exchange thel King George stamps already pur,chased for equivalent values of the new pictprials so long as the total amount copcerned in each transaction, is not less than 2s ,6d. A special staff at the General Post (Office has been extremely busy making ready' for this large scale distribution. The stamps arrived from England packed in bundlies. of one thousand sheets, some of the sheets carrying 240 stamps and others of higher value 60 to the sheet. Every single sheet has been carefully examined for possible flaws, and of course a careful check has been made of the totals. Ihe examined stamps are forwarded in bulk to eighteen Chief Postmasters who, in turn, distribute them to each Post and Telegraph office under their control, the probable demand having been estimated in advance. There are wide differences between the demand for the halfpenny and the highest value, three shillings. Actually the most popular .stamp in point of general use is the Id, for which the post office anticipates a monthly demand of nineteen millions. The turnover of Id stamps is expected to approximate over twelve millions. Then there is a big drop in demand, the 2d coming next with a total of three millions, and a further big drop to 123,000 of 2J4 stamps, mostly used for correspondence addressed to countries other than Those which accept our letters at the Id rate. The anticipated demand for the 2s denomination is 90,000 and that of 3s, the highest denomination, 54,000 per month. Though millions have been freely used in describing the first month’s distribution of the pictorial issue, it can be readily understood that there is no exaggeration ip the language when it- is known that letters and let-ter-carcls alone posted in New Zealand last year totalled 131,600,000.