The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-22

Auihio1at'C iuHCt.Uns VI iue pIcstIb UOtTu
to bureau TO be erected In the Treas
ury Department, whose principal officers were
to De two military officers connected with another
department OF the government did not commend
itself 10 the Sccretary's view; first, for the reason
that the instalment OF military officers in such
emlLence and power in the Treasury wonld co
Unprecedented and cut OF keeping with the spirit,
purposes and organization Of this branch OF the
government; and secondly, because the lighthouse
establishment is purely commercial aud mar.
thine institution, ana could with propriety have
military officer as its chief executive. The con-
stltulion Of the proposed board and the mixed
character OF Its functions, appeared to the Secre
tary calculated to render it ineficent and OBJ
structive TO progress The proper organization Of
a lighthouse system Is a matter OF grave national
Importance, Involving, as 1t does vast interests
or commerce and humanity, and in this country,
on account OF the nature and extent OF sea
and lake coasts, presents problem OF un.
usual difficulty. To be efficient it requires
the comb nation OF the science and mechanism Of
the day and a practical knowledge of principles
and OF details which can only be acquired by long
familiarity and study 1t demands q combination
of knowledge and Skill possessed by different
classes OF individuals, and for this reason should
include the cooperation Of the mariner, OF the
engineer and Of the scientist to avoid, on the one
on the other undue adherence to fixed ideas.
The Secretary gives other reasons adverse to the
proposed legislation. Professor Henry, chairman
OF the Lighthouse Board, in letter addressed to
the Secretary OF the Treasury says 1t is proper to
observe that none OF the statements and reasons
furnished have been derived from the Board nor
from any present member OF the lighthouse
establishments. They are evidently all procured
from single source. The report of a former
officer OF the establishment sent abroad oy the
Board to obtain Information for Its use, lately
in print, forms the basis for the proposed aooli.
ton of the existing lighthouse organization.
Our lighthouse administration was not, as stated.
modelled alter that OF France, but sprung, from
careful consideration OF our peculiar ctrcuul-
stances and necessities, from long study OF the
lighthouse organizations Of all the leading mari
time countries; nor Is there, as the report would
seem to imply, single military engineer in the
French Board nor in any OF the districts nor at.
tached in any way to the French lighthouse SER
vice. All the engineers in the French lighthouse
establishment belong to the civil service OF the
government. Professor Henry refutes the four
main charges against the present organization.
He says the subject OF illulnants the introduce
ton OF mineral oil for lighthouse purposes is of
recent date and it IS not yet fully in in France
and England. In France the order to use min.
eral oil mas been given and the necessary steps
are being taken to carry the order into effect. SO,
too, In England 1t is coming into use, but much
COLA Is still consumed. To pass from one oil to
another is work OF time, as new lamps must be
manufactured or those Ii use converted. Besides
this, before mineral oil come into general use
proper steps must be taken for It's safe transpor-
tation and storage. 1t is well known that the
Board could, for many years previous to the use OF
lard, have imported the best COLA, an excellent
lNryA
manufacturers for sperm. 1t endeavored, how
ever, to promote the production OF colza oil in this
country, iightfully believing that such an en-
couragemenr to a new branch OF home agriculture
and manufacture was a truer measure OF economy
than the saving OF the money difference sent out
OF the country to foreign market. 1t would
seem, under these considerations, that the
Board, in introducing as its iuminant
lard oil from our own market, though
at greater cost, is not without Justification. In
consideration OF the facts stated, it appears that
our llghtship service, instead OF being more ex.
pensive, in fact costs considerably less annually
than at any former period 1t Is unquestionably
true that many articles could be imported for the
use Of the government at less pecuniary cost
than is now incurred by purchasing in our own
Market but 1t is not clear that the saving In
money value is a sufficient reason for falling to
encourage and stimulate home production. More
over, the policy Of procuring, even at greater ex.
pense, articles OF consumption use from our
own people, Is our best guarantee against an In
terruption of the supply IN case OF foreign war.
Professor Henry shows the impracticablty and
uncertainty OF depending on gas for illuminating
purposes, to say nothing Of the expense attending
such experiments, and IN the conclusion OF his
letter says there Is no lighthouse establishment in
the world, known to the Board, controlled by
military men.
ANTICIPATED DECISION OF THE oUADRUpLEx
TELEGRAPH PATENT Casa CURIOUS CUES
TON.
The quadruplex telegraph question excites
much interest, especially among telegraphers.
BY the duplex system two messages are transmit.
ted over one wire al the same time in opposite
directions, and by the improvement OF Edison,
known as the quadrupleX, four messages are
sent over the same wire simultaneously, two in
each direction. The history OF the case before
the Commissioner OF Patents is briefly as fol.
lows: In 1871 Thomas A. Edison assigned to
George Harrington an interest in certain in
ventions then made and to be made in
the automatic fast system OF telc.
graphy. subsequently Edison invented certain
improvements In duplex telegraphs, and In 1873
he conveyed to George b. Prescott an interes. In
the latter Inventions and this conveyance or
assignment Is OF record IN the Patent ONCE. By
It's terms the patents for the inventions in duplex
teegraphs would issue to Edison and PRESCOTT.
In 1874, and before the patents to these Inventions
had issued, Edison fled an application, setting
orth that his assignment TO Prescott was
made under misapprebcnson OF Tie
force and effect OF his previous assignment
to Harrington, and praying that the patents
might issue to Edison and Harrington.
Pre-. font
Injunction from the Chancellor OF the State OF
New Jersey, enjeining the Commissioner against
such issue, and the case came up before the Com
missioner OF Patents month ago upon the appi-
cation OF Prescott for the issue OF the patents to
himself ana Edison, in accordance with the assign
ment OF 1878. PRESCOTT appeared before the Com
missioner by Messrs. Roscoe ConkiIng, J. HUXLEY
Ashton and G. p. Lowrey, and Edison was repre-
sented by Messrs. John II. b. Lltrobe and NJ. d.
Leggett, ex-Commssoner OF Patents. The Com
missioner OF Patents will make puolic his decision