A Visit to the New Zealand Government Printing Bureau (1913)
William Cochrane.
I discovered this interesting article by H. Smyth, Editor of the Australian Stamp Journal and originally published in the English philatelic journal, The Postage Stamp (4 April, 1914):
During my stay in Wellington in November I was accorded the privilege of paying three visits of inspection to the Government stamp printing branch, thanks to the courtesy of Mr. A. T. Bate.
On presenting my card to Mr. John Mackay, the Government Printer, that gentleman shook hands cordially and intimated that it would be a pleasure for him to show me anything I wanted to see and to give me all the information possible.
He then conducted me to the stamp room, the door, of which, is always kept locked. On finding that Mr. Burns, the overseer of the Department, was temporarily out of the room, Mr. Mackay proceeded to explain the various methods employed in the production of stamps and subsequently introduced me to Mr. Burns, from whom I also received the greatest consideration.
My impression on entering the room was that it was very much congested, with not sufficient space for the various employees to attend to their duties. There are two rooms, one above the other, the one I entered being the upper, access to the lower one being obtained by a staircase leading from the one above.
During my first visit the 3d. King Edward stamps were printed on a Hoe press, only one plate being used. There are four plates for this denomination, but Mr. Burns informed me that in consequence of the proportionately big demand for ½d. and 1d.
Stamps not many of the higher denominations were required, and it was found more convenient to use only one plate at a time.
There are four engraved plates each of the 2d., 3d., and 6d., two each of the 8d. and 1s. and one each of the other denominations. These plates all carry 120 stamps. Damped paper is used, and gummed, after printing, on the premises. All are perforated on comb machines gauging 14 X 14½ (of which there are two). Trouble is occasionally met with, owing to the shrinkage of paper in damping, and in drying after being gummed.
The larger stamp, viz., 2½ d., 9d., and 2s. (pictorial) are perforated on a rotary machine 14 (14½ to be exact). So also are the high value “Stamp Duty” stamps, which are available for postal purposes as well. But in addition Mr. Burns has had a comb perorating machine altered recently, which enables him to perforate these long stamps three sides at a time, and I should not be surprised to find that most, if not all the “Stamp Duty” stamps, now being issued on chalk surfaced paper, are to be seen perf. 14½ X 14.
This machine, by the way, was originally prepared to perforate the penny pictorials and was used for a short time. It perforated a horizontal row of 24 stamps at one operation, but when I saw it, eight of the short rows of teeth had been removed (leaving four at either end),permitting of the long stamps being perforated (three sides at a time).
The ½d. King Edward and 1d. Dominion stamps are printed from steel plates too. There are 240 stamps on each plate. They have been prepared by Messrs. Perkins Bacon & Co. and in every respect except one, similar to those used for the higher denominations. The designs of the ½d. and 1d. are prepared in relief, whereas those of the higher denominations are prepared in recess.
In other words the ½d. and 1d. stamps are surface printed on an ordinary up-to-date printing press. The plates are mounted type high up on iron mounts, little “make-ready” (adjustment) being required, and a much larger number can be printed in the same time by this method than by that adopted for the higher denominations (recess process), for, whereas the ink has only to be rolled over the ½d. or 1d. plate, it has to be squeezed into the recess plates and the surplus delicately rubbed off. Besides, the relief plates stand more wear.
Mr. Burns informed me that the penny plate, which was working during my visit had run off over one million sheets of stamps, which as printers know, represents considerably more impressions, but without any sign of wear.
As it is not necessary to damp the paper for the ½d. and 1d. stamps, previously gummed chalky paper is used. They are perforated on comb machines, of which there are two 14 x 15. (Barnett & Co., London).
During the year before my visit 137 millions of stamps had been printed, without a hitch in supply. Three are comb machines gauging 14 x 15 and capable of perforating a horizontal row of 24 stamps at a time. Two comb machines gauging 14 x 14½ capable of perforating a horizontal row of 12 stamps at a time. One comb machine gauging 14 x 14½, which was originally capable of perforating a horizontal row of 24 stamps at a time, has had eight of the short rows removed from the middle, making it possible to perforate the long stamps sideways; one single gutter gauging 14-14¼. All are treadle machines, but only some were in actual use during my visit. I was presented with “pulls” of seven of them.
Two Hoe power presses are employed, and there are two ordinary printing processes, known as “Summit fine art Wharfedale machines.”
Besides postage stamps, postal stationery, postal notes, Customs and Excise stamps, duty stamps, embossed stamps on cheques and other revenue producing requirements are turned out. I could not help admiring the designs of the excise stamps. They are surface printed from electros, and the colours adopted make them look very artistic.
I saw also the overprint being applied to the Auckland Exhibition stamps. The word were set up in type eight times, from which 15 stereos were made and 120 stamps were overprinted, at one operation.
Mr. Burns, who is an Englishman by birth and a practical printer, was appointed overseer in 1906. He has all along endeavoured to turn out satisfactory work. He takes great pains to see that nothing irregular or imperfect goes out to the public. He prides himself on the fact that the work of his branch is always up-to-date, and he is prepared for all emergencies.
Stumble it!
