New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-07
AN EFFICIENT BUREAU.
A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED
ON SOUND BUSINESS PRINCIPLES.
REPORT OF A COMMITTEE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE
REFORM LEAGUE on TIE WORKINGS
OF THE PATENT OFFICE.

REFORM LEAGUE on TIE WORKINGS
OF THE PATENT OFFICE.
Washington July G.-1hc second report OF the
Special Committee OF the National Civil service Re
form League was issued last week. The document
deals entirely with the Patent Office and is signed By
William D. Fouke chairman. Charles J. Bonaparte.
Richard II. Dana and sherman :. Rogers. Wayne
Macvcagl was unable, account Of illness. 10 sign
the report before its publication. The report after
describing the character of the office and its Intimate
relations TO all the manufacturing interests OF the
country, gives account Of the force in the Once,
which consists Of a commissioner and an assistant
commissioner. law clerk, chief clerk, who i the
principal administrative officer Of the Bureau
finance clerk. a librarian, examining corps. con
siStlng OF about 80 persons who investigate INC
claims Of applicants 10 determine what Is new ana
patenable n their inventions, and about 100 o'er
employees clerks labOrrrs. etc. distributed among four
divisions The first OF these divisions. which Is under
the supervision Of the chief CLERK, receives registers
and distributes all applications for patents anu Has
charge Of tho general correspondence ana inc
financial duties Of the Office: the second o? "is'e
and Gazette Division" prepares patents for delivery
and issues the Official Gazette and olher o"''ial
publications the third. or DraughtSmln' DNl'oN-
has charge Of the drawings printed patents pho'o
photographic copies and rejected ana ABANDONED apph
cations: and the fourth. or Assignment DIVISION
ing Of manuscript copies. preserves flies Of c1veltS
tc Each Of the last three divisions Is urder the con
troll Of ch Fl OF division. The revenues Of the fatc
Of1ca average about 81 600 10 the working day Be
tween the Commissioner ~ Patents and the Examining
Corps there exists Intern dat, tribunal Known A
the Board Of Examiners in Chief composed OF three
member, appointed by the President, when ehtcrtah'
,ppral, from the alvcrS' decisions made by the
nrucipal examiners, and from the adverse decisions
Al lice q, the Commits lDlcr III
ner,o, Aside from these proceedings vast number
~ interIocutory appeals arise. w'i'h concern the
methods Of practice under the rules ana the'c ar
taken from 1.-THE principal examiners directly 70 inc
commissioner. 1t will De perceived, says the w.
port that the Once Of Commissioner unii's duties
which arc admins ratvc and judicial. and d 'mand'
NO, merely a good lawyer. familiar with science AMI
mechanics and with the application Of legal principles
hnt At the same tine man of unusual executive capa
city
The report. describing the administration Of the
Office say in part:
Tho beginning u the present Administration found
,t ,ho,, bureau IN IT, control OF spoismen. far As
tho civil Service Law would allow It TO b. They VT"
a., ,o...soo both above and below the classified list. Of
nearly all the Offices which they could lay ,hef hanfN
IL would be no injustice % Mr. MONTGOMERY IN" hfS'
Commi on,r appointed by Prsil'nt Cleveland. To say
that ~ cu red tn without any cNp'rirnc" IN matters
Of poten. law lie appointed his Fohcr his confidential
.rt IN distribute the Office, " the bureau among some
O, the NOR, influential CongnSsmcn. President 'leNc
land Amounted a. Assistant commissioner pr Sumaby
,non rp,itlcal influence. The brother OF Democratic
senator fvanc who served In Congress and had been
chairman NJ the Committee Patents, lie was not
lnwycr and without experience In the duties o' Nu'h
=, onco The appontmcnt q the law clerk hy the Com
mi sslonrr also purely 4 matter &" patronage
This position II law clerk had been h'd su'c'N'N u!
ron who have attained prominence at IN" patent bar
only one exception had ecn made To tn ie Of appointing
to this office by promotion from the lower positions IN t'
examining corps. on that occasion the II" '''N wa"
chosen from outside the Office. md was The caus" "
h dtscoura cement among the examiners. who thus saw
their own hopes Of promotion taken away This was inc
only exception until the administration of tohn>'o's
Nontgomcrv who appointed the law clerk non owl
side and upon political grounds This new law clerk
uos entirely incxIercnccd I'm the duties OF inc p'' anu
cord make no Vrctcns"ns being well Guah'd 10 pr
form them This disastrous DO" |" "' Ammo
u, the examiners, who sought this promotion II ''"
for tho faithful performance Of their duty Moh'r H'
which had been held up the prize OF etc''ncy u"'r
former commissioners TINT OF Examiner oil Ih'''''r
enccs sort OF Of ArSt instance wh'r' ''aS arr 'u
= conflicting claimants upon proofs regularly Nn''"'","
rI os also Ge1 from corp, Of examiners be''r' MI
uontcourry became Commissioner. tnd'r him. however
,, o,x examiner was appointed from outside Tn Once
lie knew ltlr about the working OF the f'''he "'' a
nas NOT greatly experienced In patent law" but he mas
donbtlcs, acquired ,onSid'ra eNprhh0e u"r''S ' "
,irc H. rrnain In Once.
t.soner MONTGOMERY also rrduced two out OF the
three chief. Of divisions o +lsOO c'fNNhp' ana H'u "e
,o.o. Of These chiefs by from the ou-suc p"'Iih'
- ,,c,co hut without experience tho men reduced dong
,,o h,,k ~ the work OF the appoinec> brought
,sder,bc Ct andal upon the Office. lie also sun hoids
his position. .,.. c,.
Another remarkable practice was begun uhd'r '"hMlS-
.io,or Nontcoucry The Offices OF OuIth ASSISTANT 'N
n,rs whose duties properly related exclusively 70 inc
examination Of pat nt-) w'r' in many Instances hl'd ny
,o-k who were still retained at their clerical work. ana
,d n duty A, all - assistant examiners although they
60 >, classified A. such. time thrr' Wrr' no fewer
, ,,ctv Of these who had thus been Transferred
>, fourth assistant eNamnorships. the duties Of which
nosltion they did perform. This weakened nercpOy
,n Examining corps and Impaired the efficiency OF the
office By making a political hNore hrst skilled
,,hor.r and then giving HIM special" examination
he could obtain clorkship from when potcaI hNortes
',,o usu,uv barred by open competitive examinations
These ire gu1rlties and per'eroS oil ue law conu not
hut be followed by disastrous results
rho uor Of the Patent Ollce under these conditions
steadily declined In efficiency Tho Examining Corps has
hcen under the control Of the competitive system for
numher Of years and mostly beyond the reach OF
political influence. Tho principal examiners. Of whom
thSre were twcnty.cight officials whose salaries
ra,ccd above that hxcd the classified service but the
commissioner doubtless recognized that TO these
men Of long training mako place for politicians would
cause incNtricsbe confusion and that without them the
Rureau would helpless and unable perform It's func
tons Hence they retained
President Cleveland his way clear to transfer Com
missioner Montgomery different field and he APP
nonted as his j. Hail. OF Iowa lawyer
known 10 ability and character IN his own state
hut no. specially acquainted with patent law the needs
OF the Patent once. lie devoted his energies mainly 70