The morning times., 1896-01-22
TALKED OF INVENTIONS
Annual Meeting Of The American
e Association.
DISCUSSED PATENT LAWS
Various Amendments for the Benefit
of the Inventor and Manufacturer
Under rConsideration-Co missioner
eymour's A ddress-Old Officers Re-
Elected by Unanimous Vote.

| The American Association OF Inventors
and Manufacturers held it's firth annua
| neeung yesterday afternoon ut the Board
| OF Trade rooms, N the Ames Building The
meeting was called W order Dy Pr siuept X
i j. Gatiing OF Hartford, Conn., pyornptiy a,
2 O'Clock.
Alter disposing of preliminary business
secretary George Z. Maynard OF this CITY,
read the report or the last meeting, and the
| regular order Of business was taken up.
Inc foiiowtng list OF questions which has
been submitted to the members OF the as
sociation was discussed at length by those
present, and number OF letters were read
from members who were unable To attend
the meeting, expressing their views upon
the subject.
PATENT LAW CHANGES.
Following are the questions.
First-The propriety or federal sta tute
OF limitations in patent causes.
second-The Importance or having Ameri-
acn patents granted for Il definite fixed
term without regard to the date OF expira-
tion OF corresponding foreign patents.
Third-Should not patent become void
Dy faiiurc TO manufacture and use the in
-vention in such manner that IL may be
brought to the attention OF the public within
a liked period from the date OF the grant?
Fourth-Would il not he beneficial TO our
patent system TO SO amend the patent Ia ws
that Innocent users OF devices and pro-
cesses covered by old and unwOrked pa tents
or doubtful validity, may not be compelled
to pay tribute To purcha sers OF such patents?
Fifth-Should not the Commissioner of
Patents be clothed with authority to ap-
point, on application, special examiners
Tor taking testimony in interference pro-
ceedings the same as special examiner RS
are appointed by the courts in equity cases?
Stxth-Are the new Patent Office rules
-abridging the time for response to official
action desirable and sustainable uuder the
statute?
seventh-ShouId or should not the United
States Patent Office be made a separate
and distinct department aud be provided
with building OF its own?
Eighth-In view or the necessity, already
arisen, or storing part of the models
elsewhere than In the Patent Office should
not models be placed, all together in a
suitable building specially designed for
that purpose?
Ninth-lIcw can the rules OF procedure In
the Patent Office be amended or changed
to facilitate and improve the character
OF the work which it is intended to ac-
complish?
NEW RULES REJECTED.
Considerable discussion was aroused by
question No. 6.
After long debate, participated in by
almost every member present, IT was de
cided that the new rules referred to were
not desirable.
The question OF increasing the member
ship of the association was next taken up,
and upon motion OF Mr.. DoweIl it was de-
cided to appoint a committee, consisting
OF one member from each principal city
in the country who shall axe every effort
to secure new members in his particular
district.
Commissioner OF Patents Seymour de-
Hvercd an address in which he spoke OF the
classification of patents and the system
employed in the Patent Office.
He said that there was a bill now before
Congress which provided for greater pro-
lection to inventors and the fruits of their
labors.
The association passed n resolution in
dorsing the bill and thanked the Commits
sioner for his presence and speech. The rest
OF the Afternoon was taken up by pro-
longed discussion of technical matters con-
cerning inventions and the laws governing
patents.
OFFICERS REFLECTED.
Prior to adjourning the old board OF
officers was reelected by a unanimous
vote as follows:
President, DIR. r. ]. Calling, Hartford,
Conn; first vice-president, Gardiner G..
Washington, d. c.; second vice
president. }. C. Anderson. Chicago. Ill.,,
third vice-president. B. II. Warner. Wash
ingtnD, ID. c.; fourth vice-president, Lem
uel W. Serrell, New York city; secretary
and treasurer, George c. Maynard, Wash
ingtnD, d. c.: members OF executive coun-
Gil, c. E. Billings, Hartford, Conn; A. S.
Blu shnell, Springfield, Ohio; Robert s.
Taylor, Fort Wayne, Ind; F. A. Pratt.
Hartford, Conn; r. s. Munger, Birming-
ham, Ala; Albert A. Pope, Boston, Mass;
Arthur Steuart. Baltimore, Md; Marvin c.
Stone, Washington, ID. c.: F. H. Richards.