Counterfeit Postage Stamps

Washington, April 11.- A quantlty of the counterfeiD postage stamps were sent froin the postofflce department to the buieau of printing and engraving tobe exaiuined by Claude M. Johnson, chief of the bureau. After careful study Johnson said that from certain peouliarities he believed that the paper on which the counterfeits were printed was manufactured in Kngland. and was gunimed before it was printed Ie could havo been made in this country, however, without violation of law, as the manufacture of paper for postage stamps is not prohibited, as is that intended ior greenbacks. Recently the bureau has decided to adopt paper having a certain distinguishing watormark and the manufacture of paper with this mark will fall wlthin the counterfeit laws. None of this paper has been used as ye.t, however, as the bureau is using up iti large stock of unmarked paper. The luk used on the counterfeit, Johnson says, is of an ordinary character and could have been obtained easily. The specially weak point of the present counturfeits is in the plato and press used. The impreBSions are good euough to deeeivo ordinary inspection, such as they would receive in the mails, but thoir fraudulency is elearly evident on close exaiuinatiou without the aid of magnityHig glassos.