New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-08

AS JUST TO ALL PERoNs.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Ir behalf of common justlc and Of truth
1t may in;eres. the readers Of The tribune to have
few of the statements made in te letter signed
Inventor" and published in today Tribune. cor
rectcd
Judging from the letter Commissioner Seymour
like necessity knows law" lille the ex-
amlners. on the other hand. al ver;ab,e sa-
wants in science and in law. Considering for a mo-
ment that all communications to Or from the
Patent Office In the name Of the Commissioner
the distinction becomes more curious. IL
seems. according TO Inventor" thatsome 300 ap-
plicatons for patents have been "allowd' and then
withdrawn and refused by order OF he Commits
sioner before being patented. because hey were for
unpatcntabie matter. If so. the publicinventors IN
general and the examiners to be earthly CON
graduated. since nothing is less to tbir interests
than the granting Of n lot of WORTHLESS and dan
serous patents During the last three ecades the
work OF the examiners in the Patent dice has in
creased threefod till today there tbout 10000
applications for patents fled each year. and about
100000 patents already granted Thirty-ve dollars
is the sum Of the fees paid the Covenant for the
Issuing OF each patent. and the surplus cedited TO
the Patent Office after deducting all exposes. now
exceeds $4,000 Yet Congress PERSISTENT refuses
to make provisions for the proper equipment Of the
office, Notwithstanding the yearly appeal ontained
in the report OF the Commissioner and the six
months arrears INTO which some division OF the
Office have fallen Thus crippled by insufficient
force and cramped quarters. a thorough Gamma
ton Of each invention Is almost impossible. and
many applications without either novelty orpatent-
ability must necessarily be unwittingly "aowed."
But when is discovered in time Il with
draw the case. the examiner willingly and CRATE
fully avails himself Of II. and avoids one mre in
valid patent. The present Commissioner. Ike many
OF his predecessors. has made great effort I'M
the condition Of affairs and. being
thoroughly familiar with the laws OF patents 1t Is
but the greatest good to the greatest number II
he has discovered 900 i-examned applications and
caused their withdrawal. But. says your
spondent Inventor"
There Is no pre;ence that there was any fayor'
Ism or fraud in the allowing OF these patents so
held up but simply that they are fo- improve
ments that are not entitled 10 patents. and this
on the word of man who has no experience,
or men some Of whom have spent most OF their
,ves IN Learning and practising patent lawu,ai
iaw-ani who probably know more about patent
law ana the decisions OF the courts bearing thereon
IMAM the Commissioner will be able to learn dur
ing the short time he IL likely to be in Office
, Ihere Is only one reply to this-a fiat contradlc-
toh based on the following facts which any one
may verify by the mercst inquiry among either the
Th x, or among praGtisng patent LAWYERS
nation In the sciences. Almost without exception
they drawn from the freshly graduated stu
dents Of our technical schools without; having studied
law. and usually without having seen letters patent
me commissioners ar, usually selected from
prominent practising patent lawyers and recon-
mended and approved by many OF their best known
coHrdgu"s. The present Commissioner, John =
seymour. is no exception to the rule With these
facts In mind "Invenior's' quoted statement be-
comes as absurd {, Is false
y great many persons suppose that the Office Of
examiner 4 perfect sin.cure. collOquaily
snap. but this Is FAR from the fact. ON thu con
trary taking for example the much praised division
or electricity. incu ling the generation transmission
ana distribution Of electricity, well as motors and
electric railways. which is under the wise and able
direction Of Examiner George H. Seely. II Will b.
round mat the whole force frequently works
hour oVcrtlm" for months together. Indeed.
more than one occasion. Within the knowledge 81
the writer the assistants have" AZ their chiefs IN
competitive examination for promotion rather
than neglect thclI duties by Examining for H.
Moreover. tn" great number 81 designations each
year 10y assistants seeking more lucrative en-
ployment In Itself con rusiv"ly shows that the
Patent once Examining Corps is not subject to the
/ fcel able 20 speak with some authority IN Tho
subject as know thes" details hy personal expert
ence and observation having been for three years
your frequent readers am interested IN correcting
and contributing such uncomfortable misstife-
ncnts a. ar" contained In N" letter referred 10
Patents enormously granted for improvements"
ably lawful ground FOR transactions and "Nactions
little differing from hlackmaiL This by itself SUI
spared 100 worthless patents. And n u shall prove
that OF these 30 dlsgruntl.l inventors il the
originator Of the letter In question. these congrau
lations should Increase rather than diminish. In dis
ulOus attack At all events. the closing pas
sages. giving vent to an animus as bitter HIS In
formation IS wanung. coupled with the conceal
mcnt OF the author under his mentting pseudOnVme
both rather incline one to think that Inventor
agrees with Us. HAROLD BINEEY.
New-York. Jan. -. 1885,