Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-03
WORK OF THEPATENTOFFlCE
Annual Report of Commissioner Butter
worth.
There Were Fitted 1850 Applications
and There Were Granted 25,sI9
Patents and Trade Marks.


made a report to the Sc cretary of the In
terror of the business of the United States
patent Office for the fiscal year ended June
30, 1897. He shows that Turing the past
year there were filed 1854 applications for
patents. while the patents, trademarks, &C.
granted number 25.S19.
The receipts of the office were Sl343-
1914, and the expenditures $l.o25. 81
leaving a surplus of SIT. 1856 which is
100000 more than last year. The total re-
ceipts of the patent office over expenditures
to date are s5.O93.6l4.23.
OF the work of the office the commissioner
says:
ION the Both OF June 1891. seven of The
examiners had their work within one month
of date, sixteen were between one and two
months and the other ten We're between
two and three months from date AT the
close of the fiscal year there were 12.24l
applications awaiting action on the part
Of the office
Increase i'm business.
Il desire to call especial attention to the
steady increase in the business of this
office. and to say that if the work is not
to fail hopeIessly in arrears. an increase
in the force must be provided during the
ensuing fiscal year
Such increase will he included in the es-
Inmates which l shall submit i'm a few days.
also lay particular emphasis upon the
imperative necessity that means be pro-
vided for the Improvement of our facilities
for tranSactins the vast amount of business
which is daily expanding in every branch
and division of the office. / shall include
In the estimates a recommendation that
Congress provide a contingent fund of not
less than $4,000, to be disbursed under the
direct supervision of the commissioner of
patents.
THE commissioner is, or, If at all COM
petent. should be. qualified to pass upon
the needs of the bureau, and yet II is of
frequent occurrence that his requisitions
are either wholly disapproved radically
trimmed by members of the clerical force,
through whose hands they pass. and who
are presumably less familiar with the needs
OF this bureau than its official head. Ii
occurs that the mere custodian of supplies
IN TINS department sometimes constitutes
himself judge as to whether or not this
office needs a new typewriter. or another
desk, or case of portfolios, and he taxes
this action after the commissioner and his
chief clerk, upon actual knowledge GER
tIfy to the necessity.
1T is submitted, with all respect, that
both of these officers in this bureau are
londed and are i'm large degree respon-
siole for the million and more dollars an
nually received, and are chosen because of
their supposed competency to honestly and
prudently disburse the appropriation pro-
Nided by Congress for the maintenance
and conduct of the patent office.
The Record for Applications.
"A greater number of applications for
PATENTS were filed during the year lsg6
tnan in any previous year in the history
of the patent office, and yet the number
filed during the first six months of lSe,
has exceeded by more than per cent the
number received in the first half of 1896
From January /, 1897. to June ~. 1897.
there were filed 1908 applications. During
the same period the total receipts of the
office We're Sl2c.S9I.47, a gain of Slo2. U15 80
over the six months Immediately preced-
irs. comparison of the same periods
SHOWS an increase of about g per cent in
the number of patents granted. and like
increase is shown in the number of assign
nents recorded and certificates issued
during the same period in 1S.,G there We're
sold 334,81 printed copies of patents viii. g
in 1897 there were sold 619 AZ. COPIES or an
increase of nearly JOB per cent during the
( first six months of the present year The
increase in The number of comics sold has
not. however. resulted in the material re-
ducnon in the space occupied by these
records. which was expected when the
price of the copies was reduced
While 1t was reported that on June 80
lS'16, there were S,943 applications before
the office awaiting its action, during some
weeks prior thereto. during all of October
and November of that year, and at other
periods. the number exceeded ten thousand.
but beginning with February 1887. and
continuing TO the close of June, 1897, a
steady increase was maintained until the
applications pending for action on the part
OF the off1ce reached the number of l22
reported in the above table BY constant
and diligent effort by the examining CORPS
the number has since June 30 been brought
down to about the number in arrears in the
fall of 1896.
Danger of Lack of ThOrOuEhness.
I'm crowding the work, however, it oc-
ours that the examinations may not he as
thorough as they ought to be. and mas
irx,
ample to employ a force sufficient To in
sure efficiency and promptness in the lis
patch of business, it is submitted that the
appropriation of the fund SO provided
Should be adequate to the just require
ments of the bureau. 1t is not probable
that the number of applications on hand
could be brought or kept below 1O0w win
the present force of the office, even under
the rushing process, If there We're no in
crease over 1896 in the receipts of applica
tftns.
The field of search, especially among
foreign patents now accessible 10 this
office. has greatly increased during the
last few years, and the character of the
work IS such that it is impossible for the
examining corps, in which there has been
no increase since 1881, already pressed 10
its utmost capacity, to reduce the volume
of work and do the work properly. With
the indicated increase of applications the
work must continue to fall further behind
unless relief is afforded.
Il call your attention to these facts at
this time because they present the situation
with which 1 have to deal, and make clear
the necessity for increased facilities. In the
estimates OF appropriations to be hereafter
submitted l shall include only such in
creaSeS as are essential to enable the Of
flee to bring the work up and. with earnest
effort, keep 1t in such state proper
administration of the office demands In
the annual report to Congress I shall dis
euss the subject generally at greater
length
Grim md CAfian Mnekeaa