Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-05-06
PATENT OFFICE REPORT.
Interesting Statistics Regarding
This Branch Of Govern
ment Work.

Washington, D. c., May 4.-The report
of commissioner of patents, John S. Sey-
mour, for the year ending December 81,
1895, was submitted to Congress today. 1t
shows that the aggregate receipts from
all sources during the year were S1,245,-
247; expenditures, 81 ,O84, 496. In every
wear since 1861, there has been a surplus
over all expenditures.
During the year there were issued 81
99S patents and designs, exclusive of 50
reissues and inclusive of 2049 issued to
foreigners; 1929 trademarks and three
prints registered and 46,S99 applications
filed for patents, trademarks, labels,
prints, etc There were also 12,345 pat
ents which expired and 1923 patents for
feited for non-payment of final fees. The
four foreign countries leading in the
number of patents issued to their citizens
by this government are England, GA;
Germany, $685. Canada, 3O2, and France,
2O2 In the United States, the states
leading in the number of patents issued
to their citizens are New York, 1888;
PENNSYLVANIA, 2210; Illinois, 1876; Mas
sachusetts, 1893, and Ohio, 1923. In
proportion to population, however, Con-
necticut heads the list with one to every
927 people.
The commissioner recommends the en-
actment into law of certain rules made
\ wear ago to prevent more than six
months delay by applicants in paying
further attention 10 their cases already
acted upon by the Office and allowing
examiners to reject claims where there
has been intentional delays in cases
pending for more than five years. The
rules are, he says, open to attack in the
courts He also recommends the enact
ment of the bill amending the patent
laws prepared by the patent committee
of the American Bar association and
introduced in Congress.
Concerning the publication of the Pat
ent Office Gazette, which has in recent
wears involved many complications and
last year resulted in a congressional in
curry, the commissioner decries the lack
of a modern process in its production,
the entire work not being done by one
firm, and urges in event Of change
being inadvisable that a contract be
authorized for printing it for a longer
term than one year, IN view OF the ex-
pensive plant required.
Reports have been received from thirty
| two foreign countries, including Great
Britain, Germany, Russia and France,
and the total number of patents issued by
| these governments from the earliest Pc
Rod ND to December 81 last aggregated
9S1, 9G1, against 562, 45S so far issued
| by the United States.
/ The establishment of a classification
| division is again urged. The commits
| sioner speaks unfayOrably OF the sugges-
| ton that it would be better to issue all
pastents without examination as to novel
! ty, leaving the sitting of records of pri-
GRITTY to the courts.
During the past twenty-five years,
| twenty-five inventors have been granted
more than 100 patents each, the whole
number granted to them within that PEI
rod being 1894. In these Wizard
| Thomas A. Edison of Orange, n. j.,
| leads with I'll, Elihu Thompson, the
! electrician. coming next. The greatest
activity of the year was shown in de-
| tail inventions and accessories to bicy-
Giles and in machines and processes for
making the parts. Pneumatic tubes
have attracted the inventor, because of
their now almost universal use in sulkies
rs we'll as byclcleS