The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-01-15
How Farmers are Swindled.

The farmers of northern Indiana have
induced Mr. Baker, of that State, to In
troduce in the House three bills for the
protection against the owners Of pater
rights, who seek to make them pay for
what they have already bought, and
who, under existing laws, are enabled to
offer to them an alternative so costly
that in many cases payment has been
secured. These bills, while intended to
afford relief to the residents of Indiana,
are of interest to many residents OF
other States, because the evils Of which
thew refer exist in the East as we'll as in
the West.
According to existing law, Circuit
Courts of the United States have cog
nizance of all civil suits brought against
a resident of State by resident o :
another State where the claim, exclu-
sive of costs, exceeds $780, 1t is al
legged that owners of patent rights have
obtained notes from the farmers of -
northern counties of Indiana under
false pretenses, and have assigned these
notes to persons residing in other States,
50 that suits to compel payment can be
brought in the United States Circuit
Court. The claims are generally for
less than SO each, but suit is brought
FOR over $500, and the farmer pays to
save the comparatively great expense OF
defending his suit in Indianapolis. II
is said that one firm in New York stare.
now holds over 500, 900 of such ass gned
notes. One of Mr. Bakers bills pro-
vides that when, in such a suit in the
United States Circuit Court, the
finding is for sum not OK
ceeding $500, exclusive of costs, the d.
PENDANT shall recover his costs and a
reasonable attorneys fee, to be assessed
by the court or jury as part of the
finding. The second section provides
that no United States Circuit Court
shall have or maintain cognizance OF any
suit to recover the contents of any prom
issory note in favor of an assignee, IN
less an action might have been prose
cuted IN the same court to recover upon
the note, if no assignment hsd been
made Foreign bills of exchange are
excepted. 1t is not only in Indian
that farmers have had disagreeable ex-
perience with owners or agents Of pat
ent rights. New England has suffered
in this way, and for several years many
Of the farmers of Connecticut have, in
the form OF an association, been resisting
similar claims upon notes obtained under
false pretenses.
Another of Mr. Bakers bills is in
tended to remedy an evil of more recent
origin, with which many persons in the
east havs an unpleasant acquaintance
The driven well was brought to the at
tention Of the public not long ago, and
many farmers in the east and in the
west had these wells made upon their
premises. 1t is said that there are 90
900 driven wells in Northern Indiana.
In the east they have been in use not
only. by farmers but also by persons
owning small lots in villages. Those
who have such wells have either paid
the agents who made them or have
bought the right TO use them and made
the wells themselves Within the last
wear the owners of these wells have
been visited by other agents, who have
informed them that they we're infring-
ing upon patent, and that for each
well a royalty Of $40 must be paid
The alternative offered was suit to re-
cover damages. In some parts of New
England the persons having such
wells have banded together to
resist these claims, and, in other
sections, farmers have paid the required
royalty to escape costly defense in the
United States court. The owners Of
the patent have issued circulars to the
farmers of Northern Indiana, calling for
the royalty which the farmers have, in
good faith, already paid TO other per-
Sons. The result Is that the farmers