National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-07-28
THE PATENT OFFICE GAZETTE,
AN EXPERIMENT IN pHoro1rrHooRIPHrSo

AN EXPERIMENT IN PHoToL1THooRAPH1No
WHICH Is NOT LIKELY TO BE REPEATED
On the 7th Of July Commissioner Of
Patents Montgomery issued circular
apologizlng for the fact that the official
Gazette of that date was not ready for
issue owing to the failure of the con-
tractors to whom the work had been
given to meet the requirements of the
Office, and promising that there should
be no delay in regard to subsequent
numbers Since then numerous letters
of complaint have been received by the
commissioner, and the delay in the issue
of the Gazette has brought out complaints
in some of the newspapers.
The true story of the delay has never
yet been told, but the commissioner feels
that, in justice to himself, IL should now
be made public. In conversation with a
REPUBLICAN reporter Saturday he re-
ferred to the great annoyance that had
been experienced, and said that in view
of all the circumstances IL was but proper
that the causes of that annoyance should
be made known.
patents and official Gazette has been for
several years performed by Mr.. Norris
Peters, who has an establishment espe-
cially adapted for the purpose, and who
has rendered to the department prompt
and efficient service. At one time the
New York Graphic performed this work,
which was also done for one season by
j. II. Osgood q Co., but IL was found in
convenient TO send the drawings out of
the city, and 80 bill was passed by Con-
gress requiring the work to be done in
Washington, providing IL could be ex-
ecuted ut n reasonable cost. Then IL
was that the contract was given to Mr..
Peters and he procured the necessary
plant for prompt and effective per-
formance of the work. As no one else in
the city had equal facilities the contract
was renewed with Mr.. Peters each year
and everything went on harmoniously.
With the advent Of the new admins
tration came the appointment Of new
commissioner Of patents, and as the LIST
of July approached, when the contract
for photolithographing was to be re-
newed, new aspirants TO do the work APP
peared. The New York Graphic Com
pany submitted bid, as did also the
firm of Bell Brothers in this city. The
Graphic Company ere out Of the
question, because they were aut of the
city, but Bell Brothers insisted that they
could do the work and their prices we're
less than those which the department
was paying.
This firm seem to have made an i'm
preston upon Assistant Commissioner
Vance, who was also new appointee,
and had not practical knowledge Of the
workings of the office, and he presented
them to the commissioner, urging that
the work should be given to them. The
commissioner finally agreed to give the
new firm the work of one issue-that of
July 7, the first in the new fiscal year-as
an experiment, with the understanding
that If they should execute it with prompt
ness and dispatch, and maintain the high
standard of excellence that the Office had
adopted, they should have the contract.
The commissioner was the more willing
to try this experiment, because he was
led to believe that the former contractor
had enjoyed monopoly through some
degree of favoritism, and this would
prove whether he alone had the facilities
for executing the work in satisfactory
manner.
Accordingly on the 10th of June--for
the work has to be started about thr e
weeks in advance-the drawings for the
issue of patents of date of July were de-
livered to Bell Brothers upon the positive
promise on their part that they would be
of July 6 ready to be signed, and that
the Gazette would be ready for issue on
the 9TH Of July. 1t was soon discovered
that the work produced by the new firm
was not up to the standard, and that If
all that was bad was rejected the issue
would certainly be delayed. The CON-
missioner therefore directed that all
proofs be accepted, provided they were
sufficiently distinct to show the inven.
ton, but even with this leniency it was
apparent that the work could not be
finished in time, and the firm finally ad
mitted their inability to get the patents
out at the date promised.
On the 7th of July there were but $50
of the 527 patents of that issue ready for
delivery, and the Gazette work had not
been touched. After that date Bell
Brothers did not seem to hurry them
selves insthe least. for it was not until the
22d instant that the last of the bond
copies were delivered. The Gazette has
not been touched, and when it will be
issued is even yet problem.
In the meantime the contract with Mr..
Peters has been renewed, and the issues
of the l4th and 21st instants, as lwell as
the Gazette of those dates, have come out
promptly on time.
Complaint was made by Bell Brothers
that proper facilities were not extended
them in the patent Office, but the com
missioner is satisfied that there was no
just ground for the charge. ~ regret
deeply that the delay has occurred, but
there will be no more experiments in this
Office while have charge, and my only
aim now is to get the issue of the Gazette