The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-14
FEMALE CoPYIsTs

Prior to July !, 1869, much of the copying
of the Office was done by females. About 80
were employed who worked at their own
homes, and who were paid at the rate of 10
cents per 100 words for the amount actually
copied. By an act approved March 3, 1869,
provision was made for 53 female copyists at
an annual salary of $500. AS it was obvious
that this force must labor within the Office,
in order to secure proper discipline and eff
cient work, six rooms were provided in the
Patent Office building for the entire number
These rooms and clerks were placed under
the charge of an efficient female superinten-
dent. 1t soon became evident that although
the number of copyists was reduced, there
were still more than sufficient to do the work
originally performed by the larger number.
Additional work was therefore assigned to
them from other divisions, and the force of
male clerks was correspondingly reduced.
Accurate timetables have been kept since
July /, 1869, of the attendance of these
ladies, and a careful record has been made of
their work.
The result Of the experience of six months
is that the attendance is nearly as good and
the work is fully equal in quantity and quality
to that of male clerks performing correspond
ing duties. The salaries of these ladies were
originally fixed at 800 only, instead of $500.
This, it is presumed, was an oversight, as
they have labored as faithfully, and until
November 49, 1869, one hour per day longer,
than the female clerks of any other depart
ment / know of no reason why their pay
should not be equal to that of male clerks of
like grades, except that there are, as nearly
as can be ascertained, % applications forposi-
tion by women to one from men. This divi-
sion is the largest in the bureau and is under
excellent discipline, yet the superintendent of
it, because a female has with difficulty been
| IN ba of fret oil
clerk. / recommend that the pay of the
female clerks be raised to at least 5000 per
annum that they be paid at that rate from
the beginning of the present fiscal year; and
that permanent provision be made for a
female superintendent, at q salary of at least
$l400 per annum.
COPYRIGHTS
Congress omitted, at its last session, to
make any appropriation for the care of the
copyright books and records.
/ am persuaded that the time has come
when a radical change should be made in the
system of registering copyrights This is now
done in the Clerks offices of the various Dis
trict Courts. II is so imperfectly done that
copyrights are proverbially worthless They
are usually invalid from failure to comply
with the essential formalities; because no
officer is interested to see that these for
malities are complied with. The clerks
OnllC III many cases 10 beuu InSlr reCOIuS 10
this Office, and to transmit the books. Many
of the latter are never received at all. Mean
while Congress has been called upon from
year to year to make appropriations from
the funds in the treasury for the
care OF these books and papers. 1t is
submitted, since mail facilities are now SO
cheap and abundant that the work of regis
tratlon could be done much more thoroughly
in the Patent Office, and that the fees for that
service (about $500 per annum) would pay
all the expenses of the necessary clerical
force, and for the custody of the books. If it
were the business of a division in this Office
to do this work, correspondence could be
maintained with authors and publishers, and
. copyrights could be perfected. 1 also ask
that the Patent Office be permitted to display
and use as books of reference, under proper
restrictions, the books, especially those OF {
legal, mechanical, and scientific character
which are deposited by the authors and pub
fishers under the law. These have beer
hitherto of no value whatever, except a.
vouchers.
The Council of the British Royal Academ,