Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-23
THE TELEPHONE CONTROVERSY.
The Bell Patent and the Rival Inven.
tfOns.


WHAT rs SAID ON BOTH sInKs-THE SETTING
ASIDE OF THE BELL PATENT WOULD HAVE
BUT LITTLE EFFECT ACCORDING 10 THE
STATEMENT OF PATENT OFFICE OFFICIAL.
The decision of Secretary Lamar In the case
OF the Bell telephone patent, which recon-
mends that a suit be Instituted by the govern
ment to test the validity of the patent, is re-
garded by those who are fighting the case as
another step in the contest for the final annull-
Ing OF this patent, while the other side simply
consider it renewal Of what has already been
decided In the courts. There Is, however, great
public interest in this matter because of the
general use Of the telephone by the public and
the vast financial interests involved. In order
to procure statement from both sides as to the
opinion by the parties in interest Of this latest
decision STAR reporter called upon counsel for
both the defendant and the plaintiffs.
STATEMENT OF COUNSEL IN THE BELL INTER-
EST.
One of the leading counsel for the Bell inter-
est said In reply to question: I'VE contested
this case before the Secretary of the Interior
questions involving. the same principles and
have been tried In court AFTER court and inva-
riably the decision has been In favor Of Bell.
There was not a particle of new evidence
brought out in this latest hearing, except In re-
gard 70 the Msncci case, which does not amount
out has been passed upon by competent courts
ia Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and
OF the Supreme Court OF the United states
case appealed from the Massachusetts, court,
which will come up for hearing either this term
or the next. The rival claims OF inventors have
all been rejected in favor OF Bell by courts COM
petent and honest, and the charges Of fraud
have not been sustained. The contesting par
ties have now succeeded in making the United
states government assume the cost Of further
prosecution, and while this is an undoubted
1flSoIV a ~ q VI IN
the evidence needed to make O strong suit.
what they need Is new and more convincing
evidence, In order to bring about the reversal
of the decisions Of all the courts before which
the case has been tried"
COUNSEL FOR THE CoNTEsrING COMPANIES.
One Of the leading counsel for the contest
ing companies expressed his views as
follows: eve claim that Bell is not the
first inventor Of the art of transmitting
articuate speech by an undulating cur
rent of electricity over q wire or other con-
ductor. This Is the broad principle, but an I'M
dniating current may be produced in various
paratus. The decisions so far have all taken
the ground that the Bell patents covers
desirable machine for communicating afr
vibrations to electric vibrations. We claim
that there was fraud in the issue of the patent
that there are grave doubts as to the bona nde,
character OF the litigations on which favorable
decisions were procured and that the govern
operation of nature Our evidences was Of such
character that after thorough in stigation by
the authorities of the Interior depar tment,
they decided that judicial proceedings ought
to be instituted to determine the merits OF this
controversy. With the resources OF the govern
the power Of this monopoly and opening the
business OF telephony to competition and i'm
provenents in the apparatus"
VIEWS OF A PATENT OFFICE OFFICIAL.
Desiring to know what would be the effect if
the Bell patent was set aside, q STAR reporter
SlrnA Inf,
Office for his opinion on this point. He replied:
II don't think that decision adverse to the
Bell patent would injure that company mate
italy Ora or ana Inc other companies which have
the broad principle was laid down that the pro-
cess of transmitting articulate speech by an
entable. Then any telephone could be used,
and q man could run a wire from one point to
another without interfering with patented
rights. But when you come to join on to an
other wire, then you come again into the region
OF patented rights, and here the Bell company
up all the patents OF any Importance that
have been issued for the various parts
O. Or, telephone one ~, For instance the
which is the broad underlying patent in
telephony. the object OF which is to vary the
Quoting surfaces between two carbon contacts.
Then they also own the Beriiner induction
patent, which is In use in every telephone box
In the country, by which the low tension bat
terry currents are transferred into high tension
currents over outlying circuits. They control
the patent for the switch appliances by which,
when you lift the receiver from the hook, the
battery is thrown into circuit for use in trans
hitting, and at the same time the bell is cut
switch boards, bells and general appliances for
use In central stations are also owned by the
patent is of little consequence as the telephone
Is now used. The methods by which the prn-
ciple Is made practical are all paten ted, and the
most valuable OF these are controlled by the
Bell company"