66 'There are, then, interests in continuing until today to deceive the careless collector, causing to pass for a legitimate issue a stamp which has no official character, and which is only the work of some live philatelist. "But we, who pursue a more noble purpose, watching over the good name of Paraguayan philately, comply with the duty imposed upon us by the post, declaring that said stamp is false.' "It appears that in the surcharging of your 247 and 248, two errors of each were produced, which I enclose." The errors mentioned in the last paragraph are the 50 centavos and I peso stamps of the 1922 issue with double and inverted impressions of the large "C" on both stamps. our conclusion is that the figures "5" were not large and heavy enough to cover the original figures and it was decided that the rectangles would make a more effectual obliteration. IMOR: Mr. A. Hatfield, Jr., has re TH cently shown us a copy of the 1⁄2 avo olive brown of 1914 surcharged "9 AVOSTAXA-DE-GUERRA." The surcharge is in black, and except for the numeral of value and the color, exactly like the 2a on a War Tax stamp of 1919. We do not find the 9a on a listed in any catalogue and would welcome information about it. Mr. Hatfield also has the 5a on 50a light blue of 1915 (No. 173), with the surcharged value erased by bars and a new value, 1⁄2 avo, added. In addition to these there appear at the bottom of the stamp "P. P. No. 68-19-3-1920." Can anyone tell us anything about this stamp? TU URKESTAN: We think the following extract from a letter of Mr. F. Tschudy will interest our readers: "I have talked with a native of the country who assures me that Turkestan has never had a bona fide Post Office. Letters are usually handled by couriers, who get so much per letter to take them to the nearest post office which is considered reliable for delivery. This may be Turkish or Russian, whichever is the nearer. The courier then buys the necessary stamps and gets a written statement that the letters have actually been turned in at that office. Upon his return and delivery of the receipt he is paid his expenses." This confirms our decision to delete from the catalogue the twenty surcharged Russian stamps now listed under the heading "Russian Turkestan." We reported some time ago that we had seen the various surcharges arranged in a group of ten and printed on the 1 and 2 kopeks stamps. We do not think real postal issues are prepared in that form, though it may serve very well when making labels to sell to collectors. In recent months we have seen various issues that were attributed to Turkestan, some being termed "Soviet Turkestan." but we shall not catalogue any of these things until we have convincing proof that Turkestan has an established government and a postal service that carries letters as well as sells stamps. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Illustrated U. S. Album We are pleased to announce that under the provisions of a recent law, we are now permitted, under certain restrictions, to illustrate portions of United States stamps, and that such illustrations, enabling collectors to identify and classify U. S. stamps, will appear in the back of the new NATIONAL ALBUM 1923 Edition Which Will Be Ready in May You have voted for the sort of album you want, and based upon the desires of the majority, this is the album we are publishing. TO CONTAIN: (1) All United States Postage and Revenue stamps listed as major varieties in our Standard. Catalogue, with the exception of Match and Medicine stamps. We have included Telegraph stamps. (2) 19th Century special printing, re-issues and government reprints. (3) 20th Century-spaces for perforation varieties, imperforates, coil stamps, rotary press printings. (4) Every space to bear catalogue number of stamp, based upon numbers in our 1924 Catalogue. STYLE OF ALBUM: The new United States Album will be issued both solid bound and loose leaf, printed upon one side. Heavy high grade ledger paper will be used, and occasional blank pages will be inserted for new issues, etc. The album will contain about 160 pages. PRICE: This has not as yet been fixed, because we are working on plans which will probably reduce its price as at present indicated and we wish to pass this reduction on to our customers. ORDERS: We will accept orders now, subject to your confirmation when we announce price. This does not obligate you to buy, but will be a great convenience to us for publishing the proper number of albums. We thank you for your interest and your votes. Through your cooperation we know that we have an album that suits the collectors' needs. Sign the enclosed card and mail it. This further co-operation will enable us to publish the new U. S. Album at a minimum price to you. SCOTT STAMP & COIN CO. 33 West 44th Street, New York City HOW STAMP-ILLUSTRATING BILL To the Editor of Scott's Monthly Journal As a member of the Lookout Committee of the A. P. S. I would like to take up a little of your valuable space to say a word about the stamp bill recently passed by the 67th Congress and signed by President Harding on March 4th, 1923. The following history of the bill as given the writer by Congressman Ackerman describes the various stages of the bill: The 67th Congress with its four sessions, without a parallel in history, has adjourned sine die. During its sessions there were 14,474 bills introduced in the House of Representatives and 4656 in the Senate, but only 550 of these bills become laws. The Stamp Bill is known as Law No. 479. As there are 531 Senators and Representatives in Congress the number of bills enacted into law averages a little more than one an individual. Senate Bill 2703 was introduced by Senator Frelinghuysen on November 21, 1921, and was passed by the Senate February 17, 1922. After having been passed by the Senate, Senate Bill 2703 was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary in the House of Representatives on February 18, 1922, over a year ago. Hearings were had upon the bill on March 9, 1922, and there the matter rested until February 6, 1923, when it was reported with amendments allowing portions of the border of United States stamps to be illustrated, such illustrations to be at least four times as large as the portion of the original. A few days after appearing on the House Calendar it was advanced to the Calendar for Unanimous Consent and on February 19, 1923, was taken up and passed by the House. On the next day it was reported to the Senate and the amendments were objected to and conferees appointed on the part of the Senate. Senators Dillingham and Cummings, Republicans, and Senator Shields, Democrat, comprised the conferees. In the House on February 22, Mr. Volstead, the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill, Senate 2703, insisted on the House amendments and agreed to the conference asked for by the Senate. The Speaker appointed Mr. Volstead and Mr. Boies, Republicans, and Mr. Summers of Texas as conferees. On February 23, the conferees having met, Senator Cummings presented the conference report to the Senate but did not ask for consideration of the report at that time. On February 24, Mr. Volstead presented the conference report in the House for printing under the rules and, on March 1, Mr. Volstead called up the conference report on the said bill. The conference report was thereupon agreed to and the bill went over to the Senate, whereupon, the same day, Senator Cummings presented the conference report to the Senate and it was agreed to. On Friday, March 2nd, a mesage from the Senate announced that the Senate had agreed to the report of the Committee of Conferees on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses, and later in the day the Speaker pro tem signed the same. The bill then went to the Senate when Senator Sutherland reported that he had presented to the President enrolled bills, among them being Senate 2703. The Record of March 4th, on page 5454, announced in a message by Mr. Latta, one of the President's secretaries, that he had signed the bill, thus making it a law. The Special Committee having the legislation in charge, consisting of President Heyerman, Emerson, Klemann and Hatfield, are under great obligation to Senator Frelinghuysen and Congressman Ackerman for the untiring work they did for the bill. Without their constant attention it surely would have failed of passage. Mr. Moran of the United States Treasury Deparment gave us invaluable assistance. At no time would the bill have had the slightest chance but for Mr. Moran's interest. I feel that collectors all over the country Owe a debt of gratitude to these three Very truly yours, men. CHARLES E. HATFIELD. THE NEW LAW 67th Congress House Calendar No. 281 4th Session S. 2703 To allow the printing and publishing of illustrations of foreign postage and revenue stamps from defaced plates. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That nothing in sections 161, 172 and 220 of the Act entitled "An Act to Codify, Revise, and Amend the Penal Laws of the United States," approved March 4, 1909 (Thirty-fifth Statutes at Large, at pages 1118, 1121 and 1132), shall be construed to forbid or prevent the printing or publishing of illustrations in black and white of foreign postage or revenue stamps from plates so defaced as to indicate that the illustrations are not adapted or intended for use as stamps, or to prevent or forbid the making of necessary plates therefor for use in philatelic or historical articles, books, journals, or albums, or the circulars of legitimate publishers or dealers in such stamps, books, journals or albums; and nothing in said sections shall be construed to forbid or prevent similar illustrations, in black and white only, in philatelic or historical articles, books, journals, albums, or the circulars of legitimate publishers or dealers in such stamps, books, journals, albums, or circulars of such portion of the border of a stamp of the United States as may be necessary to show minor differences in the stamp so illustrated, but all such illustrations shall be at least four times as large as the portion of the original United States stamp so illustrated. HONDURAS All Unused. We have taken over the entire remainders of these Seebeck issues. The quantities are not large but we are going to clear out at greatly reduced prices. ALL ARE GUARANTEED ORIGINALS Cat. No. Price 896, 1878-89, 1, 2c, 12, 1, 2, 2, 4r 1p complete, 8 varieties.. $.25 897, 1890, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 75c, 1p, 11 varieties.. .15 |