The Golden Eggs!

Stamp Journal Sounds Warning for Albert Henry

Don't Kill The

Goose That Lays

The Golden Eggs!

The story in PIM in November (p. 29) about the Cook Islands Government’s plan to finance an old age pension scheme by exploiting the world stamp collecting market got a sour reception in the office of the Pacific Stamp Journal”, a monthly journal for philatelists pub lished by John Bishop Limited, of Auckland, New Zealand.

COMMENTING on PI M’s story in its December issue, the Pacific Stamp Journal trenchantly criticised the Cook Islands Government and its Premier, Mr. Albert Henry, for planning to raise money at phila telists’ expense.

Said the Journal: “If the [story in PIM] comes as a shock to collectors, we can only point out that the Cook Islands is following in the footsteps of many emergent nations, almost all of whom see the possibility of large sums of easy money from col lectors.

“For our part we had hoped that the Cook Is. would not resort to this expediency to bolster their economy...

“We firmly believe that it is good policy and completely justified for a country to issue a reasonable number of attractive commemorative stamps from time to time as a means of drawing attention to events of national importance both past and present, and also to depict scenic attractions and publicise their country.

However, for a country to deliber ately and blatantly start out with the intention of financing a scheme such as this one by exploiting stamp col lectors is an entirely different matter.

Conservative

“Up to the present, while under the control of the New Zealand Post Office, the Cook Islands have adopted a very conservative attitude with regard to new issues, a little too con servative possibly, but they have in no way sought to exploit collectors.

“Now it appears that this policy is to be completely reversed and if the matter is placed in the hands of the New York agency [which Mr. Henry said had guaranteed an annual profit of £loo,ooo], we can only expect a similar result to what has happened

in Ghana, the Maidive Islands and similar countries, which, under the auspices of philatelic agencies, pro duce numerous and frequent issues, often depicting events having no re lation whatsoever to their own country.

“We earnestly suggest to Mr.

Henry that he gives this matter a great deal more serious thought be fore embarking on this scheme, the result of which can only do irrepar able harm amongst collectors through out the world by degrading the good name that the Cook Islands have enjoyed up to the present.

“If this policy is adopted, and

especially if the issuing of new sets, etc., is placed in the hands of a New York agency, it will not be long before Mr. Henry finds that the old proverb about the goose that lays the golden eggs is only too true.” • Mr. E. F, Williams, Official Secretary on Norfolk Island, has been appointed Administrative Officer of the Mines Branch of Australia’s Northern Territory. Mr. Williams, who arrived at Norfolk Island in February, 1964, left Norfolk Island to take up his new appointment on January 18.