The New York herald., 1879-10-16
GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.

WASHINGTON. Oct. Is. 1879.
THE PATENT OFFICE REPoRTs-A BALANCE
LEFT AFTER PAYING EXPENSES.
statement of the operations of the Patent Office
during the last fiscal year has been prepared for the
forthcoming annual report Of the Secretary
of the Interior, and transmitted to him &C
companied by sundry interesting recommen-
dations OF Commissioner Paine and Assist
ant Commissioner Doolittle. 1t shows that
during the twelve months ended June 30 last 10 800
applications for patents received and 2674 ca
yeats died. All patents refused SAT trade marks
and labels registered and 825 patents granted but
withheld for payment of Anal fees. The total re-
ceipts Of the office 3146. being s154.4s5 in
excess Of its total expenditures.
The acting Commissioner informs Secretary Schurz
that tho recent reductions in the amount Of appro
priations made by Congress have mot cpsy crippled
the Office seriously but have begun to dry up the
sources of revenue" He continues:-"In order to
examine applications for patents promptly and with
the thoroughness which the law contemplates. to fill
orders for copies prepare abstracts of title. and
to do tho various other work of the Office for which
fees exacted and willingly paid. the cxamiping.
clerical and laboring force of the Office must be
materially increased. and more room and better "a
cilities for the conduct Of the work must be pro-
vided For this purpose increased appropriationIre
necessary. Many of the rooms notoriously un-
healthy and only At for store rooms. Sickness and
consequent loss Of time common among tho
clerks employed in such rooms as to almost
constitute the rule rather than the excep-
ton. More room. with better arrange
ments for light and ventilation. among the
most urgent requirements Of the Office" further
appropriation to complete the reproduction Of
photo-lthographic copies Of the drawings destroyed
- 6voo - 20 akad nd iunrn nedf
ately available it is promised that the work will be
pushed to completion during the present year.
Commissioner Paine indorses the foregoing. and
adds the following rccommendations:-"T The enact
ment of q law authorizing tho execution by United
States officers of commissions. issued by foreign
governments to take testimony in the United States
to be used before foreign patent officers such law
to be operative only to such governments
as shall mako like provision for taking
testimony to be used before the Patent Office Of the
United States. The enactment Of o statutory pro-
vision permitting patents to be dated not than
three weeks after the payment Of the nal fee. 1t be-
ing impossible to literally execute the existing law in
cases In which the Anal fee is paid the expiration
of the period Of six mouths therein limited for the
payment of the fee and the date OF the patent and
the establishment of photo-litkographic division
in one Of the executive departments OF Washington
for the performance of the work required by the
several bureaus Of the government.
IMPORTANT REPORT PROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE.
The returns to the Department Of Agriculture for
the month ending October 1. 1879. show an average
condition for the cotton States of sl being decline
since September Of 4. Tho State averages
follows: North Carolina n, . decrease OF
6; South Carolina 50. increase OF 1;
Georgia II, decrease Of g. Florida so.
decrease of s; Mississippi s5, decrease OF 4; Ala
bama 70. decrease of s; Louisiana So decrease Of
z; Texas 65. decrease of Il Arkansas 96, decrease
of 8; Tennessee lo6. decrease of l. Compared with
October, 1878. there is q decrease of per
cent. The condition then was 90 Storms Of
great severity have visited Louisiana and
Mississippi. causing great damage. Insect
injuries not reported to any great extent; al
though almost universal. their appearance was too
late to do much damage. Unfavorabe weather in
Alabama and Georgia in September was reported.
Tho drought Texas has shortened tho prospect of
that State ncarly twenty-five per cent. Arkansas and
Tennessee are the only States showing an increase
over tho condition at this time in 1873.
Tobacco-Tbe condition. October l. has improved
from that september l. in nine of the large pro-
ducing States. II has declined In two and has re-
lnained tho same in one. The State averages arc -
103. gain of 1; Connecticut. ITO,
= gain Of 10; Pennsylvania. Ill. gain of IL;
Maryland. 95. gain Of ~ Virginia. 81, o
gain of 8: North Carolina, 90; q gain of IA;
90, gain of 0; Indiana. 90. gain of y;
ohio. 20. loss OF A. Missouri. rs. loss of 10;
while Illinois remains unchanged ut 100. Total av-
eragc for these statos. o3, q gam of g.
Early planted tobacco ripened well. and has been
harvested in good condition. showing. in general.
excellent quality.
Late crops were materially damaged by frost in
Ohio. and slightly so in few localities in Virginia
and Tennessee. The decline in Missouri is ascribcd
to drought.
AMERICAN sHrEP IN ENGLAND.
The Treasury Department has been officially in
formed that sheep affected with the foot and mouth
disease have been found among csrgocs OF sheep
exported from the United states to England. aud