San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-04-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, March 26, 1888.

WASHINGTON, March 26, 1888.
DAILY LIGHT:
Mr.. Villas, late postmaster general, was
appointed to the place vacated BY Mr..
Lamar when the latter took his seat on
the supreme bench. The new secretary
found the business of the patent Office
in n deplorably slip-shod condition. The
work was very much behind; the work.
men and examiners of inventions were
demoraliZed from habits OF idleness
and lack of supervision; the Office
was, in fact, without a head In q far too
literal sense,
The first commissioner OF patents ap-
pointed by Mr.. Cleveland was a criminal
lawyer. Conscious Of his ignorance of
patent law and practice, he was natural
ly dependent upon his subordinates
whose action he affirmed with automatic
certainty, thus depriving applicants for
patents Of the benefit OF appeal, and re-
solving the patent office into twenty
nine star cham Der courts where as many
examiners gossiped, ioked, read papers
and rejected applications for patents
with q nonchalsnce bred OF the knowl-
edge that the commissioner Of patents,
the nominal head, was only the tail OF
their hydra.
finally made Judge of the Washington
criminal court, and all patendom re-
joiced. Surely the president would now
appoint real commissioner Of patents
and not mere figure head.
1t was an excellent opportunity to ap-
ply the civil service legend. There were
at least dozen men in the patent Office
of first rate ability and ripe experiences;
they were acquainted with the office
from actual service in every branch. But
no political end would be obtained by
such appointments. They were all re-
publicans.
Mr.. Cleveland appointed an ex-mem-
Der of congress from Iowa, who has sig
nalized his brief engagement by q series
of contradictory rulings and decisions,
which have quite thrown the cOmpli-
Gated practice of the patent Office out of
gear and made thousands Of applicants
for patents weep, pray and swear.
1t is not every one who knows the ex-
tent Of the patent system Of the United
States. In recent spec CHI member OF
congress remarked that we were born
on patent beds, rocked in patent cradles,
and laid to rest in patent collins, and
that In the journey from the cradle to
the grave, we seldom touched nything
that was not patented or made by pat
ent process.
More patents are granted by the Uni
ted States In week than are granted in
either France or Germany in six months,
and more patents are yearly taken out
in this country than in all the rest of the
world. The money exacted by the
patent Office from inventors, $35 on
every patent granted, has created eur
plus fund that amounts to millions Of
dollars. But notwithstanding this enOr-
nous tax on inventive genius, it is i'm
possible, owing to the mismansgement
of the patent office. to have prompt and
fair examination OF applications for
patent.
fuse to allow patents, rejecting 8pplica-
tions on the f1imsiest pretexts, keeping
all the while a list Of the names and ad-
dresses Of applicants, then opening Of
flee as patent attorneys, they write to
the wronged inventors, Offering to Sc
cure patents on the very applications
they have dishonesty rejected.
Several bills to abste this swindle
have been introduced in congress
making ex-patent Office examiners in
eligible as attorneys until two years
have elapsed from the date of their res
ignation, but the examiners have, in
every instance, been able to prevent the
bill becoming law.
There are numbers OF examiners acting
as patent agents now have set up on no
other capital than the names and ad-
dresses of inventors whose applications
they rejected as examiners In order that
they might secure retainers in the same
applications as attorneys.
The new secretary, Mr.. Villas, has is
sued very stringent order forbiddiDg
gossip, letter writing, newspaper read
ing, etc, by employees Of the patent Of
flee during office hours, and there is at
present an outward show of work. But
as the examiners sit behind closed doors
and mammoth desks, the outward show
of work is deceitful in too many in
stances.
Senator German, Of Maryland, has in
troduced bill to remodel the patent
Office and establish therein court of
patent appeals. There are indications
that congress is becoming awakened to
the wretohed condition that has char
acterized the recent decentralization
of the Office.
Homeward Bound.