Charles Stewart-Wilson

“ All work done by. human beings is liable to a want of accuracy. This is specially the case when the "human beings are Orientals not sufficiently educated to have lost the queer belief that want of accuracy is absolutely essential to avert the dreaded "Evil Eye." Further, the chance of error which occurs in one setting of type is greatly increased when that type has to be set 240 times, as it has to be for every supply of surcharged star-watermarked stamps. ”

“ The more the philatelic public knows of the actual facts as to their production and use, the more will they be convinced of their claim to be considered genuine postage stamps with a real interest of their own. ”

“ Yet those stamps have a far more limited circulation. Their chief interest lies in their fascinating variety of surcharges and the multitude of bona fide "errors." And yet these are the very qualities which are seized upon to blacken the character of the stamps which we are now discussing. Quite recently one of the leading London Philatelic Journals spoke of varieties of surcharge on these stamps as "accidentally made on purpose," while there are not wanting hints on all sides that "errors" are wilfully manufactured for the double purpose of pleasing collectors, and adding to revenue. ”