New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-28
THE HONE PATENT QUESTION.

To the Editor Of The NJ " Tribune.
Sir: The question is now pending before the C)m.
missioner of Patents, whether Messrs Howe Sin ger
& Co., Wheeler & Wilson, and Grover & Baker shall
enjoy, for seven years f,om ths 10th Of September
next the monopoly Of the manufacture and sails OF
80 iDg-msChines, and to such persons they ~
gran. loenee, by obtaining extension Of Howe'r
patent.
A 2 eater or more glaring ffaud upon the public
wss ntvor undertaken TO be perpetaed than tho ap-
pljcatiou for this e1 tension. brief history OF this
matter AZ shown by the Department OF the Patent
Office and On The rial before tbs United otitfs Curt
at Bosrol, as well 81 by Mf Howe in the testimony
taken By blmse VIII show tie recAlvs shess auu pre-
sumption of this ella m
Ii was decided in 1853, by the Hon. Charles Mason
II en- Commissioner Of Patents thai w alter Hunt an
in the years 1894 aud 1885, invent all that 10 now used
III sewing. machines which Is covered ny howe pat
ent; and Judge Sprague In bis charges TO the dry
il the Boston says without controversy waiter
Hunt the Inventor of the snptte and needle, out
g thar Howe did invent the baser plate. And as one
OF the honorable counsel opposed TO the extension
Justly observes, "Wba does IL appear thai howe IN
- vented bat was not well known before Simply
90 tie basU plate, winch nobody else claims, Wncn
nobody ese waits, aud which would be sufficient TO
cond,inD any machine at the present day, 10 when
it Was attached. Nee ndiy, Assuming thtt the apph
" cant was he true aud gua Inventor, not only OF
ali bis patent contains but OF all the improvements
made pIior aLd Subsequent thereto, he has received
" IN reiron by his osu stitements llder oa!h, tu7
- enormous and previous unheaId oil sum Tor an n-
20 yentiCn OF t0ur huhdrsd and tyelght M0aSand
" doliays over and above all his expendIIures!'
lilo obtained bis patent III 1916, aud III oi see MS to
have abandoned il in this country 90 TO England,
When capitalist gnorant OF all buJ the l1cipent ma
chine shown him. paid hlm wages ana thea, af.er TWO
Yeas, discharged hlm, the reason tOf which ID not
given. In the mean time, other Inventors came ldtO
the Geld and when he retur1td, lac RIP Van Wlnkle
,i.g h. uAftg m
chine =; ali the wealth lie BIAS accumulated has
betn gathered BY leS!ing blAck-IaI upon the manu-
taItniers
The statute SAYS, that "f upon hearing If the ma
I" ter .ha appear t. tine foil and ente sisaC ton
" VI sa0 bOaru t1O~ Co nmlss0Ger VI Pa ents having
due gard tue public interest therein, that Is
"dst and proper that tho term OF the patent sloud be
extended, ~ reason of the pa, eneo, without
neglect fault bis part hav ng failed TO obtain,
" from the and sale OF his invention reasonable
" Ten,uneoat,oR for tie time, ingenuity and erpsnse
" b,st0red upon me same and tie tatrOdactoH thereof
" tnt0 use IL th,ii the duty Of the Commissioner
"I.new and extend the pLren'. The published rules
Of the Patent Oiiiee say " that monopoly of
chs invention is secured by law 10 the
" n gentOr Tor the term OF fourteen years.
" his IL done with view 10 compensate him for his
" time and erpeH,e IN originating and pertectlag 1t.
" the cid Of the time 1Or which hls patent runs, his
MONOPOLY she uld iease and toe Invention become p1b-
lie property, unless he cJud show good rsason TO the
" contrary The pTt sumption is al vase against his ap
" .ieation" The rule also says: "lf he cannot show
mat he bes rot been adequately remuberated for his
" time sud expenses In dtScOUertng AID PettcttRg IL,
" the Commissioner CannO grant all extension Now
what has be eu MIR. Howe coarse III TINS latter Oa
tire point Of diligence the ntrOcuct Of the n
vebtiCn, Howe never butt machine for the market,
or tried 10 bnng the iBveIIio into uhe.
Upon the question of remuneration. On til point,
assume tlag Mr.. Howe had invented what we have
shown he has not-the modern sewing-machine-
what has been his net reward above all expenses
S46S OOOl Iii lot within the history OF inventions
that any socn sum was ever before received by an In
ventor. Without dollars capital, without rlsklug
cent in the contingencies OF business without the
and toll of manufacturing, or the anxietes OF CONNER
ci operations but because he happened 10 be the con-
venjeIt tool If band OF monopOllss, he has quietly
eat still, and had pourtd IL upon him this enormous
wealth, such a. few men, with lifesme Of toll, ever
attain TO-
From what source are al these large sums gathered
For tbs is important ia Of the clause OF the sat
ute that Iequires have due regard 10 the public in
terest therein The principal sale of sewing machines
is 10 the poor mediterranean, widows aud orphans,
those who, by tong day and night, barely gam the
bread for starving relatives and themselves. Fro n
each OF these poor needls-women has this patentee
drawn not lees than 50; but more, and more st the
C, Of making these machines may be set do as va
TyiIy from pee to t,ceHtyfCe dollars. The cheapest
tUid by tge parties this most OdiOus monopoly Is
ftty dollars. This s aiding the poor with yenge-
anue II the door Is opened 70 the poor by general
competition, perfect shuttle sewing machines will be
freely sold at from so 10 20 good as any made by
cause in the under which extensions graft
ed Is it not simply to be iaterposed whsre an hop
est, industrious true inventor has been labOrlng ruit
lessly for fourteen years TO Introduce his invention,
ana ends poor he began without fault on his part
liz such case the law says Try again take your
invention and work it years more. But the law
does mt say if you have obtained untold wealth, II
the patent has gwen you power not only to tax the
wealthy and luxurious but the poor and needy, and
You have fully awaited yourself of that power but
sli the estimated value OF your invention being far
bey ond your receipts, you may continue 10 tax the
poor aborer until your misery greed surieted to re-
pieuOn.
|. During the time Howe was in Eng and, where he
remained until io4Y, the manufacture Of sewing ma
chuts was fairly started, and the ateutlOn OF the puo-
lc called TO the subject no, by Elias Howe, jr, but
by Bradshaw, Lerow & Blydgutt, Singer and others
Howe re,uGutd home without money; out instead 4
tying o enter the field Of . ak0g machines or intro
ducng the ION into pablo use, It does not aFpsar
that he sought capital for euch plrpJse; bu. ne
dld seek capital To attack those who had success uy
introduced sewiugmachlnrs into USE Lltlgi ION 1T
low ca until al last combined monopoly was iJrIlsd
BY The hrHIs of W Aeeler " Wilson, |. singer ~ Co..
ana Grover 81 Bak T, ,ogetcer with Howe, to share
the ITUhs DetS them. The result has been the re
oept by Howe # the rmOus sum of more than
| Halt MILLION Or DOLLARS.
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