PHILATELY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 66

PHILATELY.

Br Peltjms.

The board set up by the Australian Com■pionwealth to consider the questkm of uniform stamps recommends : — 1. That competitive designs be invited throughout the *"orlcl, and that the several designs should contain — (a) A representation of the King's -head or figure ; (b) a representation of the Queen's head or figure; (c, in lieu of b), a representation „ of both the King's and the Queen's Jiead on one of the larger designs: <d) ebarateterisiac features of Australia j (c) an emblematical head "or figure, for which Hhe second size is specially" adapted. In the gdesigns submitted the words "Australia." and "Postage,'-' as jilso the face value-* of thei stamp (numbers to be shown in Arabic ligures, or in both figures and "letters) mustAppear. 2. -Prizes and payments — That de-."HigSns-be returnable -within six months, and that a sum of £600 be "paid in prizes on a scale 6Et forth, whether the designs be •used or not. 3. Denominations of stamps— That all the value's now in use be issued In all States, and that they shall be as fol-iows:-id, Id, lid, 2d, 2£d, 3d, 4d, sd, 6d, Sd Gd, lOd, Is, 2s, 2s 6d, ss, -10s, 20s, and 40s. "

The remainder of the Roumanian Exhibition stamps have been sold by auction. tChey represent a face-value of £7360. A German firm, which is not. -named, offered 824€0; M. Rosenbanm, Bucarest, offered 532600; M. Stambler, Bucarest, £2800; M. Steinberg, Bucarest, £3160; and then came the "Jubilee Plunger," Bela Szekula, of Budapest, with a flying leap and an offer Df £4800. However, ■as M. Bela Szekula produced no guarantee that he would take the stamps, and as he had offered no Becurity, the stamps were sold to the itunner-^up, M. Steinberg.

Stanley Gibbons (Ltd.) write Messrs Wil>ox, Smith, and Co., under a recent date: — ''In order to accommodate the addition lo our staff at our head* office it has been to take acSitaonal premises, which Ire Tiave been lucky enough to secure at No. 09 Stiand, adjoining "our present buiWfrigs; and here weriave seven 'rooms to add fy> our office accommodation. • This "has necessitated a rearrangement of our offices. ffibe total accommodation at our^head office, BBft, 390, and 391 Strand, is the^hop, large tracJc: office, Targe- basement, and 19 rooms. -

- /Rarities the World -Over.— There' was a highly successful philatelic exhibition held In British Guiana some time ago, which had «6" a distinguished patron the Resident Go Vernor o? the colony. /It would be oxj&ected that- an' exhibition at Georgetown Siould include a noteworthy showing of tho rarieties with which the issue of British goiana teem. While a 6uperb lot of Brif-h Quiana stamps was exhibited, yet it was feyident that the rarities~~are as difficult to lpttain in their country of origin as elseSeveral copies of the first issue, tjffht and twelve cents, 1850, yere shown, ; fw> it is noticed that among displays made . lw xnedal winners in the first division of ilass L British Guiana, only the 8c circular, l€so (on original covers) was included, the property of first prize wiriner.

Brave Old Days. — In the American 3oy, )n the ''Chats with Big Americans," tlyj fubjeot o? the article in auestfon being 'Jolonel W. F. Oody, "Buffalo Bill," there s .in ' interesting reference to the *' pony ■apfess" days. It'is related by Mr -Cody, KBO was one of the hardy band of expre3s ' Wers, how dangerous 'and arduous 'were be duties of the pony riders who carried he mall between the relay stations "about ISO hhJob apart." It is said ' in the inter- ! flew fhar the postage rates for pony-ex- ' »ress service were five dollars a half-ounce ; \ rhile we do^not say that the rates were not ' b high as mentioned, yet ' it is known ' ;3^at cheaper rates than the one named pre- • jailed also. It might he repeated that —the weight of the mail carried by each '■ fiaer was about 201b,- and the letters were {written on tissue paper, as a rule.

A' splendid achievement .surely is re;orded by Secretary Davis,, of the American I Philatelic Association." One thousand, two . mndrad members have been secured, and ■ he watchword for the coining yeaT>is 1500. fiiisv number can be secured if ■ the right and of work is done by the recruiting JBommittee.

Chinese stamps include no blue, black, 't>r purple specimens, owing to the fact that these colours are associated with the inournine- and -funeral rules in the land bf the Celestials.

NEW ISSUES.

Denmark. — A set o? newspaper stamps is Thronicled* by the Iflustriertes Briefmarken fournal (19.10.67/462). Newspaper adhesives. inscribed "Avisporto" air top ("Newspaper postage") and "Mcerkg" (stamp) at foot; Jarge figure of value in centre and "ore" Jjt each. side. • Sheets, 10 rows of 10, , Perf. yS. Wmk., crown. 1 oere, olive gr-een; 5 ijere, &g*k blue; 7 oere, pale carmine; 10 'Oere, luaot 20 oere, pale green; 38 oere, " feifajigej 63 oere, light brown j 1 krone, ftlue-freen ana lilac-redj 5 kronen, rose jnawl Seilow-greea j. 10" kronen, yellow-brown iSnfl dull dark blue. .South Australia. — The lOd value has appeared with the large^ lettering 1 . CaymOn Island. — The current Id adhesive Qtas been surcharged 43. Spain. — Commemorative stamps have ap- " $4ared (the excuse being the industrial fodiibition at Madrid), showing portraits jSinsc Alfonso and his consort. _ It must be Ijaid that the printing is beautiful. There §ro six values— loc, 15c, 25c, 500, and 1 and pesetas. -

T.h"e importance attached to agricultural Sournajiism in- the United States may be gauged from the fact that a chair for the Purpose has been endowed at lowa Agricultural College