THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 1920. THE "VICTORY" STAMP.

Wairarapa Age, 30 March 1920, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 1920. THE "VICTORY" STAMP.

The recent issue of "Victory" stamps in New Zealand has provoked a very warm article from the Australian Stamp Journal, which says:—"As to the stamps themselves, tve fail to see the necessity for, issuing such an elaborate set. We have frequently expressed' the opinion that stamps should be issued and sold only for use in the pre-payment of mail 1 matter; beyond that no Government any right to; go 1 . It has, however, been realised that ndt only can; postage stamps be made to serve that purpbse, 1 but they can,- incidentally, be, used as a means of advertising the country, a concession which is tolerated simply because the effectiveness of the stamp is not impaired; but when it comes to a Question pf subordinating the use of the postage stamp for the purpose of Advertising thai the country in particular contributed to the victory of the Allies, then one feels inclined to shake his head cross Ways. It is quite legiti mate for the New Zealand authorities tb issue a victory stamp. ,&tamp collectors would have excused them for stepping over the bounds of propriety Under the existing circumstances, but when it becomes a question »of not merely issuing the stamps fo commemorate the victory of the Allies, bu,t in doing' so to make Is llfd out of -every set Isold to the public, then people, are inclined to think that their loud-voiced patriotism is of the pocket variety. It might be argued income quarters that the small sum whictflwill bo realised from the,sale of the stamps would be merely a " drop in the bucket" of the New Zealand revenue, but the principle is the same., In 1901 a Pictorial Empire Stamp was issued of the denomination of ljd* A similar one would have sufficed on this occasion. No one has any fault to find With the stamps themselves, except that they are of the "Brummagem jewellery" order, as compared with the beautiful .pictorial serio? issued in 1898. If we remember aright, they were placed, on sale in London at the same time as they Vere issued in New Zealand—not before, as in this instance. It is not the business of any Government to cater for stamp dealers abroad. .When stamps are placed on sale they should be obtainable simultaneously throughout the country 0f origin, and only there, by anybody wanting, them. Dealers outside New Zealand cam make arrangements for supplies without ; any difficulty,' consequently the Postal Department in allowing the victory stamps to be on sale in London was by its action putting them outside the pale of legitimate postage stamps, and they must bo classed amongst the unnecessary issues. The fact is emphasised by reason of the official statement that the victory stamps have been placed on sale in New Zealand concurrently with the King George issues. No sooner have the' victory stamps been launched than we are informed" that a handsome pictorial scries intended for use throughout all the New Zealand dependencies is in preparation. On a former occasion we pointed out the, small number of inhabitants- on some of the islands concerned; the paucity of _ postal business could in consequenco bo surmised. It may not bo generally known that there is a special' department in the Auckland Post Office where most, if, not all, of the Island stamps may bo obtained, and we venture to say that not five per cent, of those' which find their way to the public ever come from the country of origin. What is the meaning of all this* The New Zealand Government j says, it is necessary for book-keeping purposes. "What rubbish! Take the I caw of tbe Barotoagaa stamps.. There

was no necessity to issue them whatever. At the time they were put on sale the .project to issue a series for all the New Zealand dependencies must have been under and it was, in our opinion, merely & deliberate act on the part of the New Zealand authorities to obtain more rovenue at the expense of stamp collectors. The whole system adopted by the New Zealand Government is a prostitution of philately. If the finances of the country were in a bad way one might understand why they should pledge their reputation to improve them, but the Dominion is prosperous, and the people claim to be respectable. Under the circumstances, why do they allow such practices as those wo { have mentioned to prevail, seeing that the country is thereby held up to contempt? There are no stamps in the philatelic world more prized than the early issues of New Zealand, and the present-day officers of the Government will be well advised to follow in the footsteps of other countries, whose chief desire to maintain their dignity and to refrain from the clap-trap, mountebank, cheap" jack methods of struggling States, Probably Mr. Coates and his confreres will still say that no exception was' taken to the action of the Government in regard to stamp issues, for it could, hardly be expected that they would take notice of criticism in philatelic journals, but in order that the'legist lators of New Zealand shall be made' fully aware of what stamp collector!: think, we-intend posting a copy of'thif. journal to every, member of Parliamentin the Dominion. If none of them care- 'to read what we have written perhaps the cartoon published in these pages will open their eyes to true state of affairs and make them ponder." : '.•> \