The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-01-22
stisutiAt, asritnItrraI, Jhrtbauital
3D.. J, AUSTIN SCOTT, Editor
Patent Gases in Congress---The Wood
worth P,aning Machine.


the VIII, ,le schem,. The mIA expressive
commentary We cin utter is til 1t it emits a
most foul aal disgusting olor:
In my last allujing to the schemes be.
fore Congress, / briefly sketched the merits
Of the Hayward Suipur bill, and touched
upon McCormick's application TO Congress
for a re, ival Of an expired patent, and the
attempt TO procure a renewal OF the CJlt 5
Pistol Patent.
None Of the bills exceed the W ood worth
Planning Machine Patent in the richLe,s OF
their gold mines. The patent for the Wood
worth machine expired on the 81 h Of this
month (Dec., after having been rene wed by
the Commissioner of Patents, and still further
by the special legislation Of Congress. 1t
has existed for nearly thirty years, an not
withManding the immense prod,s Of the mon
opoly, its owners are insatste. and des;Es is
further continu ince. Mr.. Woo worth. the
son Of the inventor, and one Of the present
proprietors Of the patent has al lressed an
autograph letter to several Members Of Con-
gress, IN king Of COURSE, an ex part, state
ment. nd appealing for relief In this let.
ter he says: ..
The assignees are unanimously in favor Of
q further ex ensiun therefore, as | under
stand it. there is no one opposed ~ the ex-
tension
On its face it seems that IL the Iries who
now Fay for using the patent are in favor OF
It's extension, the public cannot object to it.
A slight explanation will put different con.
plr1ion upon the matter, however, and show
that the fact Of the ass'gnees being 10 favor
Uf the sch, me, is one OF its wors: features
il being nothing more than conspiracy to
continue taxing the public for the benefit
Of combined monopoly, as will demon.
strate.
The principal parties who own the Wood
worth Planning Machine Patent are jas. G.
Wilson. Edward Bloomer, and VIM. w
WooIworth. As a general thing they d. not
manufacture the machines themselves. They
sell the right to manufacture and use them
in districts throughout the United States,
charging in addition 50 much for every board
planed. and not permitting the boards m sde
IN one district 10 be sent to another. Thus
tine person who purchases right for North
Carolina, for instance, cannot manufac ure
the yellow pine Of that res ion and send ii
North for use. 1t is easy TO see that If this
could be done, he could sell his boards cheap
er in New York than the man who transports
the timber in tie rough, AMI MANUFACTURED ii
into boards there for the latter has 10 pay
the freight on all the waste lumber before it
is dressed whilst the former won have none
of this expense-an expense. by the way,
which comes out of the pockets Of the con.
sumers, according to the Woodworth Com
any arrangement. Here at cnce i. is seen
that all competition is cut off between the
different leases Of the mechan,Cs-a com.
petition which could be bene fclal to the pub.
lie.
These different 'assignees.' as Mr.. Wood.
worth terms them-that is. persons who have
purchased district rights-were heretofore
found troublesome when the company desr-
ed an extension of the patent, because all
leases expire with the extension. and the par
ties in question had no interest in desiring a
continuance of the monopoly. This opposi-
tion has been done away with by the Wood
worth Company agreeing to ienew oil the
leases upon the same tr better terms, whilst
all persons who might Hereafter purchase
rights are to be charged higher sum and a
larger tariff upon the boards worked up. The
result will be that the present holders ol
rights will become. as it were, partners iu
the monopoly to the extent Of the difference
between what they are to pay Tor using the
patent, and what will be charged t. the pub
lie who may desire licenses. 1t is an exceed.
ingly pleasant arrangement and at once &C.
cotnts for the universal favor which Mr
Woodwork asserts exists on the part Of the
'assignees' for further extension of the pa.
tent The wording Of the agreement in ques-
tion is somewhat indefinite. and one OF the
assignees' becoming alarmed has let the Sc
cret out.
Besides this, blanks have cen s,nt to the
different sssignees TO fill up. pedsing them
selves TO pay certain sum in order To secure
the passage Of the extension by Congress-
The sums vary according to the value of the
districts. The blank have seen was filled
up with $3.50. How much has been raised
in this way it is impossible to ascer ain, but
il tbs said that $500, 900 is the sum and in
view Of the immense value of such an exten
sion to the parties interested, the amount il
probably not exaggerated.
There is one other feature in the transac-
tions Of this company which is deserving Of
notice. In consequence of the immense
wealth acquired under the patent, its owners
are able TO crush all effolts 10 make other
machines which may Go the work as well OF
better. Thus the moment the attempt il
made, suit is commenced for an infringe.
ment, and in nine cases out Of ten the fright.
full costs Of such a suit are sufficient to deter
the poor inventor from entering the list,
against such aggregated wealth. But if-as
in some cases has happened-the parties 6ght
it out. and establish the novelty Of their in
venion, and their rgh. TO use it, the Wood
worth monopoly at once buy it up. and that
is the last Of it. Thus Daniel BAnum, o
Philadelphia, succeeded in inventing plan.
ing machine which the courts decided was
not an infringement of the Woodwork pat.
tnt, and the latter company Immediately pur
chased the Rarnum patent aud buried H. Mr.
BeardsleY. Of New York. was also ai encrd