The Yazoo City Whig. [volume] (Yazoo, Miss.) 1844-1851, 1846-03-13

ssssSs va ~ 49,
United states Patent Office.
Ii frst received form from an act passed
in 1870, entitled Gan act promote the.prO-
gress Of the useful arts which enactment
constituted the Secretaries Of State, Of War,
and the Attorney General Board to whom
application was 10 be made for patents for
new and useful inventions. The act Of 1900
continued in force until il was Tepeald By
an act passed in 1893. This act, whilst Il
retained the general features ofite system
as it was at first established, made the Patent
Office an exclusive appendage Of the State
Department In 1900 the right 10 patents
for new inventions was secured 10 aliens
who resided two years in the United States;
aud by an act passed in 1886 il was extended
10 all aliens-imposiDg upon them, however
much heavier fees than were required 10 be
paid by citizens. in that year the system
underwent a complete reorganization. ItI
was then established as a separate bureau OF
the State Department with an official head
denomianted the Commissioner Of Patents
In all It's leading features the system contin.
ued the same. A new feature, however, of
very great Importance, was, by The act Of
1896, engrafted upon it. In every new APP
plicatiou for letters patent for an alleged
invention, the Commissioners is required to
investigate The question whether or not the
invention claimed contains a new device;
and on the result of that inquiry depends the
issue of the patent. If the invention is
found 10 possess no novelty. the patent is
of course, refused. While adding tenlold
TO the labors Of the Office, iDasmuch as each
case requires reviewed. all similar inven-
lions in this and other countries, and some
Of them extending over the widest field of
investigation, this new provision of the Inv
has resulted in vast benefit, not only TO the
inventor, but to the community at large.
1t has prevented the issue of innumerable
patens covering old devices, and consequent.
II has rid the courts Of justice Of an i'm
mense amout Of litigation.
In 1890, and for many years afterwards,
single clerk performed all the duties Of
the State Department, touching the issue
Of patents, in 1880 the force of the patent
Office consisted Of a Superintendent and
two clerks. II now has a commissioner of
Patents, chief clerk, two examiners, two
assitants,a draughtsman,an assistant draughts-
man, machanis', two recording clerks, a
clerk of accounts. two copying clerks, a
messengers, three Waterman, and two labor
ers. In 1929, (the first year in which dis
tinct account Ofi's receipts was kept the
revenues Of the Office amounted only TO the
sum of So, $40 81. For the year ending June
80, l645, the receipts were $48.472 d,
and the expenditures were S39,798 OF.
The total amount Of the receipts from 1890
TO June 80, 1915, is $643, sos 81; expen
dituTes during the same period $3.50 ,294 81
. of which Sl06,000 was expended in con
, structing the present Patent Office building
!, Thus there were on the 30lh DAY Of June
81 lS45, SITS, 51l OF in the Treasure of thr
T United States TO the credit Of the "Paien
< Fund" With the exception Of a small su.
{ received for copies, &c; the whole amour
e Of the receipts Of the Patent Office, ment ion
d ed above, has been paid in by inventors. TIL
II Patent Office has cost tie government notE
) ing except for the erection Of buildings f
d its accommodation. Il now pays its way, an
/. returns surplus Of several thousand ever
II year to the patent fund.
If Besides being the great head of the PIT
n gressiye arts, it became, under the admins
! lTation Of the late talented COMMISSIONS
J. HI. EllswoOrlh, Esq, the governmental orga
i of that greatest and most important of all th
o interests of the countryside agriculture
9 OF its services in this respect we have ofte
h had occasion to speak. A writer in the III
. ion suggests that the Office might also, wit
IS a little more expense and addition to its Gle
ical force. present to the countrya view
the progress of manufactures, mines, an
o other industrial pursuits, and adds:-"Copi
y Gus statistics on those subjects could not ia
y to furnish vast amount Of valuable info
% matiou for the use OF the statesman and pC
10 litical economist"
% There were issued from the LIST Of Ma
~ TO the 3lst OfJuly, 1916, inclusive, ll3 pa
o ents. During the same period Of time fou
q additional Improvements and Eve design
ls were patented, four patents were reissue,
e Delta.