Servant of the Public
--by Ben Henneke

I know the story because I am a stamp collector. Among my treasures is a “first day of issue” cover with a letter inside and a blue 7c airmail on the outside. “Cover” is a collector's generic term for the outer wrapping of a piece of mail. This cover is cancelled “Philadelphia, Pa. July 31, 9:00 A.M. 1958.” Remember those halcyon days when postage was four cents for first class mail and for three cents extra you could speed up transmission and delivery?

The envelope has the return address of the Assistant Postmaster General in the upper left corner. The letter is on his stationery, but signed by a secretary. It reads,

Dear Mr ---

Sometime ago when you were in the office you asked that I send you a first day cover and a block of four of the new 4c or 5c regular series stamps to be issued in conjunction with the postal rate increase. You left with me 45c for that purpose.

As you know, the 5c postage rate bill did not clear Congress and the Department did not issue a new 4c stamp as it was decided to employ one already currently in use. However, I am taking the liberty of sending to you two first day covers of the new 7c airmail stamp and a first day cover of the new 3c postal card. As soon as the stamps become available, I will forward a block of four of the new 7c airmail stamp thus liquidating the 45c you left with me.

Hoping this will prove in every way satisfactory, I am,

Sincerely yours,

When you think of how many trips that secretary made to the stamp window, Central Post Office, Washington, D. C.; when you think of the computations to liquidate that 45c with neither a penny too many or too few; when you think of the bookkeeping, letter writing, and attention to the unfinished business of finding a substitute for the new four cent stamp ---

What price constituency?