Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-13
PATENT OFFICE GAZETTE
Propottssa u CONTINUE tas Tssssss Con-
tssct fsr Prirtpg Il Debated
senators Piatt ia aer-as H.vs {.
lively colloau, Con the Subject
The Old scanaal Referred To.


several months agoVkas revived in the Sen
ate this afternoon NAen the conference re-
port ON the legislative appropriation bill
was taken up for consideration. While the
bill was originally Under debate in the Sem
ate an amendment. was proposed and ac-
cepted without division authorizing the
commissioner Of patents, Mr.. Seymour, to
renew the contract with the present pub
Usher of the Gazette, Andrew B. Graham
of this city. without opening 1t to compe-
tition. To this amendment the House con-
ferees objected, and In conference It was
agreed that the Senate representatives
would ask recession from the amend
ment. When the item was reached In the
conference report today separate vote
was demanded on that proposition. ana a
rsther lively debate was precfpitated, IN
which Senators Plat and German were the
chief participants
Extending . Contract.
Mr.. Platt urged that the amendment
should be retained In the bill, SO as to
prevent the return Of the Patent Office Ga
zette work to the Norris Peters Company,
which he characterized as a monopoly. He
said that IL the commissioner were enabled
to continue the pending contract for an
other year all danger Of there being mo-
nopoIy W this line of work tn the future
would be averted, whereas II the open
competition were renewed In June the re-
contractor ard would force him out OF the
business Of printing the Gazette.
Senator German called attention to the
fact that It was not generally known that
time. He declared that he had been in the
chamber at the time the patent office pro-
visions were reached in the consideration
Of the bill, and had not been aware OF this
t,tA Had
to 1t at the time of the submission Of the
conference report. He went briefly into the
history Of the old trouble over the Gazette.
which was brought to focus by the dis
flee. owing to his alleged dissemination to
work tremendously with the then new
contractors, the National Lfthographing
Company, Of which Horace Kinney was the
head and Josiah Quincy, then assistant
secretary of state, and now mayor Of the
city of Boston. was the financial hacker.
Mr.. German Recites History.
Mr.. German did not go into any Of the de-
tails Of the investigation wi ich followed
the disclosure Of the circumstances which
surrounded the granting Of the contract to
the National Company. He referred, how
ever, with thinly yelled sarcasm. to the
magnanimity Of the printing committee Of
the Senate, which investigated the charges
against Commissioner Seymour, and In
directly against Mr.. Quincy. who had then
resigned from the State Department, in
Withholding the report Of that inquiry and
at the last momeat substituting for 1t q
colorless statement Of the findings which
led to no particular result.
1t Is we'll understood that Mr. Germans
original report OF the Investigation con-
tanned serious reflections upon the commits
sfoner OF patents in his Administered ton of the
affairs Of the once. and especially in his
connection with the Patent Cffice Gazette
contract. 1t is well kRown that this report
lay In Mr.. Gorman's desk for several weeks
previous to the adjournment Of Congress-
and that at the last moment he presented
particular significance.
Mnsnanimity Claimed.
1t was widely understood at the time that
the submission by Mr.. German of the
original report WPuld, place the commits
sioner OF patents in an unpleasant position.
and that tremendous pressure was brought
to bear upon the Maryland Senator to nre-
vent the submission and publication Of
those findings. Mr.. Germans reference
to the "magnanimity" of the committee In
the debate today gives colorins to this I'M
derstandfng, and his speech was followed
with the most eager attention by all in the
senate chamber. There was a good deal
Of suppressed excitement on the floor
while the colloquy was taking place.
MI German went on to say that to open
w sA1S SoHtidCt " competition was the
only fair thing that could be done and in
view Of the presidents established by the
patent Office itself no less could be ex-
pected.
Extension Defeated.
He moved to recede from the amendment
granting the commissioner the authority
to extend the contract. and on this he de-
manded the yeas and nays
The vote resulted in tie, q to 21. 1t
revealed as well the absence Of a quorum,
and the roll was again called, showing
the presence Of flfty-nine Senator'S Once
more the vote was taken, and this time
majority of three for Mr.. Germans mo.
ton to recede. This disposes Of the propo-
sition to extend the contract