New-York tribune., 1869-03-01
TILE PATENT OFFICE.

Mr. Thomas A. JcnCkes, Chairman OF the COhi-
mittee on Patents in the House of Representa-
tiyes. "and It was intended and expected to
abe sclf-supporting 1t has actually been self
supporting, and had in July last large
amount to its credit in the Treasury. by
tho act of July last, that money was taken
" possession of as any other money" The
reason for this action on the part of Congress
is 70 be fond in the Reports of the Committee
who investigated the reported frauds upon the
ofiice-wlich reports We have already prhteh.
When Judge Foote was taken from the Board
of Examincrs-n- Chief, and appointed Commls-
sioncr, he at once instituted vigilant ana
searching examination into the various depart
ments under him. He found contracts in force
which were, in his opinion, corrupt and fiaudu-
lent-that articles were furnished under these
contracts at so high rate OF cost as TO aston
ish him-that bills were rendered for articles
which could not be found, nor could any one
inform him whether the articles charged had
becn delivered. He found that among his
force were many persons who were unit Tor
tber positions, and he dismissed such at once.
He then asked for an investigation, and Con-
gross responded by the appointment of a Com
mittee. who, i'll connection with the Commis
sionor, went heartily at their work. which
resulted in the Reports We have already
alluded to-
The Commissioner now comes before Congress
and informs it that he needs fifty-six clerks to
transact tho necessary business of tho Office
The House, in Committee of the Whole, dis
cussing the various items in the Appropriation
bill, comes TO the item relating to the Patent
Office, and ut once cuts the force OF htty-slx
clerks down TO thirty-Gye. Before this is done,
Mr.. Jenckcs, Chairman of the Committee on
Patents "a man eminently qualified bY hiS
position and practice ns n skilfnl Patent
lawyer-tels tho House dat thiIty.liyc clerks
cannot do the work; that the business of the
Office is behind. and that it is all the while IN
cleasing in bulk. Mr.. Jenckes finding the
House unwilling to give the Commissioner the
afty-six. asks for City. Tho House says: "Nol
1--WE think thirty-hyo eau do tho work, and
=" we will not give the Commissioner more SO
the Commissioner is obliged to do the work
with this force, or he must resign and
allow some other person to try to do it, Per-
haps this is wise on the part Of the House :;
but il seems to us to bc the reverse
The money received at the Patent Ol,icc is
paid by inventors and others for a specific
purpose, and it should be used wisely and
Justly for that purpose only. Congress should
not in any way make Use Of, or apply it to
the general expenses of the Government. Con-
gress cannot afford TO dwarf the inventive
genius and industry of the country by taking
money from an intelligent and useful class of
citizens for particular purpose and applying
t TO general one This money should be
spent for the benefit Of those who pay it into
the Patent Office. See how England spends
like money:
at Will DO remembered Gays The Cornell Era that this
is not the first noble gf which tho lCornell University
OF the cereals Of the United KngdOm gave u.s.
months ago, tho magnificent set of Patent publications.,
comprising nearly twenty-five hundred volumes and
increasing at tho rate OF one hundred volumes yearly"
The Patent Office has like set Let any
member who desires to know what these vol
umes contain, go to the Librarian Of tho Patent
Office and ask him to show them to him. Then
let him ask how the Office got them, and what
we gave in return.
For years, Commissioners have informed
Congress of the necessity of having duplicate
copies of the Office drawings made, but without
success. Here is what the present Commissioner
says in his report:
vices is one OF much Importance 10 the Oiee There arc
now about 900 Of them and they Increase at the rate OF
Ing to rejected applications They are kept IN drawers IN
what is called the draughtsmans room. There the
aminers aud their assistants resort to make their In
vesugaons. BY long experience In examining drawings
they acquire the habit OF readily detecting In them
deemed pertinent to the subject OF Inquiry are taken
10 the examiners rooms aud submitted to the inspection
OF parties interested On appeals they used IN tho
OF the examlners-n-chlef IN the Commissioners
room and by the Judges OF the Supreme Court Of the
fIp Of for tha nal
report and for Other purposes they are also taken to tho
draugsmans room Sometimes 1000 or 5000 are absent
amenied on the part OF examiners. We're all the draw
ngs which each examiner has to consult bound In vol
umcs and placed In his TOOn convenient for him Ostudy
and reieT TO without leaving his desk II Is estimated that
ho could dispatch twice much business as he now does
and with T eater accuracy and freedom from mistakes
The great number OF examiners and their assistants who
have to resort to the dughtsmana room for inyostgl-
accident by design, have rendered IL mperatvey nee
essary TO the proper dispatch OF business to exclude the
public from that room Patent agents and attorneys
thus deprived Of their most ready means OF investigating
the novelty Of Inventions and properly preparing specn
cations for patents convenient room for them, pro-
vided with copies OF drawings specifications aud other
works Of reference would be great convenience TO the
the drawings by long uso lavo been much worn, and
partsoi them oblterated Unless copied in time they
printed. Wero there copies OF drawings 20 accom-
pany them, they could he furnished to public
Libraries, whore Investigations could DO made
without the necessity OF TesOrtlng 20 Washington The
Patent 0nice makes exchanges OF Its publications with
op'tia governments NISht DIllhH, VIC
receive full copies OF their specifications aud drawlngs
In our library We investigate an English invention rs
well MS can be done In the Patent Office OF Great Britain
The volumes are handsomely bound, and now Ill largo
room In tho library. For them make but the poor
return OF copy OF our annual report The copies Of
drawings ordered and paid for by the public now
Der about 200 per month and the expenses TO tho Office OF
making them IS about 400 per month. reduction OF
price would probably much Increase the number Several
plans have been proposed for making these copies |
We're there as many fifty of each drawing wanted tho
new art ofiphoolithpaaphy would afford by far tho |
pest ana cheapest means. IL makes aiacsime OF line
drawings OF size desired and when the stone Is
prepared cOpca may bO taken with little expense |
specimens have been furnished tho Office which show the
wonderful perfection TO Which this important art has