Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-26

IN GOOD hands.
The reports from the patent Office during the
last few years must be very encouraging to
those who some ten or twelve years ago had
occasion to defend our patent system against
the attacks Of quite q large number Of oppo-
nents, principally from the west and the terri
tories, who favored either the adoption of the
English system or the entire abolition of the
present system of granting patents for inven-
tons. The opposition was due largely to the
abuse Of the system of granting reissues and
the lax methods of the patent Office in this re-
spect and also in respect to its exceedingly lib
eral tendencies in granting patents generally.
Recently, however, the courts have taken q
very decided stand against reissues founded
upon any mere pretense Of inadvertence or
mistake in issuing the original patent and
relssued on avery plausible but not very sat
isfactory showing Of error; particularly when
there has been unusual delay in filing the
reissue application. As result the patent
ONCE has also been more guarded and careful
IN granting reissues, and thus a fruitful source
OF complaint has been nearly eradicated The
office has also within recent years followed
more closely than formerly the practice
announced by the courts in respect to the re-
quirements in specification and claims of
patents, the constructions to be given the same
and the limitations to be placed thereon.
COUPLED WITH THE IMPROVED METHODS
Of procedure in the office there has been a
marked increase in the number of applications
for patents, which are now more carefully pre-
pared than heretofore, and a large number of
new and original inventions and discoveries
have recently been patented, including among
this number the telephone in several improved
FORMS practical electric railway appliances and
many other important inventions, particularly
in the electrical divisions. Thus the patent
office has arrived at period in its history
where its usefulness is made manifest and at
which it has become
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BUREAUS OF THE
GOVERNMENT
departments and the proper administration of
its affairs necessitates the selection of men
possessing superior qualifications and high
order of general knowledge, as we'll as legal
training in order that the business of the office
may be properly conducted 1t has probably
been truly said that the examining corps COM
prises larger body of men of intelligence,
scientific ability and business capacity
generally of a high order than any
the world. And as the authorized head
of such a body Of men the commissioner of
patents must be a man of legal attachments and
excellent executive ability, and, to be sue
cessful, must De possessed OF general lnfOrma-
ton pertaining to the requirements of the
system, which can best be attained by practice
before the Office and the courts or by actual
service in the Office. The late Commissioner
Fisher, often spoken of as the model commits
sioner" by reason of his able and learned
legal opinions and his excellent business
capacity, probably did more than any
other man to place the Office on q
solid foundation. and the practice outlined by
him has continued in force in many important
particulars to this day without change The
force of this statement becomes more apparent
when it is remembered that the practice of the
Office has undergone many and frequent changes
in other respects, but very few il respect
to questions once definitely settled by
Mr.. Fisher. The Office and the attorneys gem
orally began to think that the mantle of Mr.
Fisher had fallen upon ex commissioner Hall,
but his work was cut short by change in the
administration which resulted in his retire
ment at a time when he had Just become suf-
fciently familiar with the affairs and needs of
the Office to render effective service. 1t is
thought, however that the present admins
tration has been very fortunate in
the selection of the present commissioner
Hon. Charles E. Mitchell of Connecticut, who
comes to the Office with an enviable reputation
as patent lawyer and, although only few
months in the Office, has entered upon the dis
charge of his duties with an ease and in man.
ner that evinces not only a familiarity with
questions of practice but shows that he has a
purpose and the ability to still further improve
and increase the efficiency of the service.