Stamps Racket

NZ’s Tokelau Stamps Racket

From a Special Correspondent TYPICAL of the ramps which are worked by even the most re spectable Governments upon the world’s stamp collectors is the action just taken by New Zealand in relation to the Tokelau Islands.

The Tokelaus probably represent the smallest administration in the Pacific —three or four small atolls, with some 3,000 Polynesians, at tached for purposes of convenience to the NZ Trustee Administration of Western Samoa.

Probably, in the course of a year, the Tokelaus would not normally receive or despatch more than a few hundred letters. But NZ has designed and printed a special set of stamps for the use of the Toke lauans; and, as most stamp collec tors —the world’s most passionate hobbyists—cannot be happy with out Tokelau stamps, the sale of the stamps is highly profitable for NZ —it more than pays the cost of governing the placid Tokelauans.

In June, a special Catalina plane from the NZ Royal Air Force flew to the Tokelaus, carrying 10,000 covers with Tokelau Coronation stamps upon them. The plane, in Apia, picked up ofiicials of the Samoan Post Office; the officials

landed upon the three Tokelau is lands (Fakaofo, Nukunono and Atafu) with their equipment; there they solemnly cancelled the Coro nation stamps on the 10,000 en velopes; and then the plane flew back to NZ with the envelopes, after returning the post-office officials safely to the bosom of their

families in Samoa.

If private enterprise engaged in such a racket, a furious populace probably would lynch a few man aging - directors and associated rascals. But when it is done by a Government Department it is “a legitimate means of making money for a good cause!”