Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-18
A MODIFIED CIRCULAR


once for More Room.
A few days ago applications received Al the
patent office for printed copies Of patents were
answered by means Of lithogrsph letter. which
stated that lin consequence Of want of room for
the storage and arrangement Of printed copies
OF patents IL viii be impossible to I'LL your
order in current issues until additional room
is provided by the proper authorities" This
letter Is no longer sent out, but in its place has
been substituted another quite different in
tone, which notifies correspondents that their
orders for the copies of patents cannot be filed
at once owing to. the lack Of storage room.
but that provision Is being made which will
enable the Office in . short time to Gil tho
orders.
THE FIGHT FOR ROOM.
This change marks another phase IN the
fight which has been going on for years past
between the different bureaus in the Interior
Department over the allotment Of rooms. The
patent Office people want the rooms in the
building now taken up by the land Office. and
there is no doubt that there is q genuine need
for better accommodations for the force of this
office. II is asserted by the advocates Of the
patent office that Congress last year appropri-
ated $4,000 to pay the rent of the land ONCE
in some other binding. and that they might
long ago have left the Interior Department
building.
WHO IL RESPONSIBLE.
The Secretary Of the Interior, and more par
ticularly Mr.. Dawson, the chief clerk. who has
charge Of the building, is held responsible
by some for this state Of affairs and it was be-
! heved that this feeling was allowed to crop out
IN .he circular when the Inconvenience TO the
public in not receiving copies OF patents was
attributed to the fault Of .'the proper authorj-
ties. 1t was believed in the Secretary's Office
that this phrase referred to the Secretary while
on the other hand il was claimed it might refer
20 Congress- However, in order to avoid fur
Their misapprehensiou the patent office authori-
ties withdrew the offensive expression and
peace has 5sen patched up between the two.
TER LAND oFFrcK RECORDS.
Those connected with the Secrstarys Office
state that while the patent office needs more
room and ought to have il. yet the land Office
ought not to leave the building until quarter,
In hre-proof structure can be secured. The
| records upon which the cities 10 a great deni Of
land is based should not. it is held. be exposed
to the danger of destruction in being removed
to a building thatis not lire proof. No build
| Ing OF this character could re obtained. Al
| effort was made TO secure portion OF the Losr
and Trust Company building. at the corner o
9Th and streets. but the. owners refused u
| lease it to the government
The resources of the city in this direction
| were thoroughly canyassed, but no building o.
the kind needed could be secured. The new
| building now being erected on street neal
1th street. which will be completed some time
this summer, comes nearer the requirement.
| than any building that has been brought TO the
attention OF the department. Under these cir
| cumstances and il the face of facts which were
( we'll known the inference in the circular re
ferred to that the Secretary of the Interior wa,
responsible for the overcrowded condition Of
the building was regarded a. unwarranted. L
was withdrawn and the circular no longer
issued.