The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-03-07
F,piration OF the Patent
.neclal 10 The News.

Expiration oil the Patent
special to The News
WAsuING1ON, March IT he
nrincipal patent of the Bell Tele'
phone Company expired today, and
t is probable that within the next
few lays host of competing con
Germs will spring up in different
parts of the country. The patent
which expired today is based upon
the transmission of sound by the
undulat.ng current, and is the fa-
nous fifth claim Of the Bell monop-
DIV which has withstood scores {
legal onslaughts that have been
made upon 1t during the past de-
esde. The opinion has gained con-
siderable currency that after today
the Bell company would be on
90 equal footing with any other
lmcern that might choose to go
tp the telephone basiness, but
his is far from the case, and it is
bot at all likely that the expiration
of the patent in question will tend
10 loosen the grip of the company
upon the telephone using public.
For years the company has had an
bgent in the patent office at Wash
8ngton, and every valuable device III
&elephoning has been purchas, Il.
While the found alton patent has
Expired there are large number
bf auxiliary devices, such as the
tarbon transmitter, the automatic
arrangement for closir 9 and open.
ng the current through the local
ransmitter and the universal switch
board that are essential to the ope-
alton q large exchanges, and are
covered by the Bell patents. The
Independent companies will be able
% operate comparatively small ex
khanges without using the Bell psf
nts aud paying the extortionate
oyalty that is charged for them.
The National League
Sci al TO the News.
NEW YORK, March 7.-Unusual
lterest attaches to the spring meet.
ng of The National League which
Ppened at the Fifth Avenue hotel
bday, owing to the fact that the
|ommittee on rules, composed of }
,. Brush, of Cincinnati, Charles
Byrne, of Brooklyn, and Harry
onderhorst, of Baltimore, will
ubmit a report involving radical
hanges in the national game. AS
pom as the preliminaries are dis
osed of this question will occupy
be attention of the conference to
be exclusion of almost everything
lac, and a bitter contest may be
boxed for before final action is
Pken. The report which will be
admitted this afternoon was made
|ublic this morning before the
altering was called to order, al Il
wolves the following points:
First No enlargement of the in
eld now in use.
cond-Removal of the pitcher
Tom his present position to the
enter of the lnfeld; abolish the
\ itcher's box and substitute there
pr a boundary place covering a
d welve inch space. to which the
M ltcher will be confined.
Third Abolition of the fiat bat
w. Fourth-A lucid definition of q
|alk ball.
i Flfth-A simplifcation of the
id ples pertaining to the actual play
x pg Of the game.
ri Sixth-The codifying of all rules
elating to the duties, powers, anc
-, responsibilities of umpirea.
" ,styenth-A rule governing tn
!" mclal scorers which provides tina
nPn player making sacrifice hi
% mich advances bace runner shall
! lo1 be charged with time at bat
The most important of thes
ny y! manages is the moving of the pitch
w. hack distance of almost lively
ua VET President Hart, of the Chi
n n ago club, will support a minorit
,dd spoft. He thinks that the pitche
buf mould be moved lack five or 81
n vet but is of the opinion tina
en- i H. We feet is altogether too much
s sad this morning in answer t
question concern;uo his nos;t;o