The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-06-11

that once road construction is generally
better understood, and can be accom-
plished with economy, that there will b'
a great impetus to the making of sucf
improvement throughout the country.
The following statement, which tht
comptroller of the currency has JUS
given out, of the national banks in the
state of New Hampshire is of interest
This shows their condition on May Il
last, when the returns were handed in
Resources, $50, 247, 369.42; liabilities, $22,-
247, S69.42.
The recently published report of the
librarian of congress shows that there
are some 74S, 115 books, and in addition to
this there are S45,000 pamphlets. The
increase over 1895 is 1854. A substantial
increase in the copyright business has
been made during the year. This is
attributed in part to the extension of the
international copyright business, espe-
cially in musical productions. There are
now embraced within the privileges of
the International copyright II foreign
governments. Great Britain and her de-
tendencies, France, Germany, Italy,
Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland,
Denmark, Chill and Mexico. During the
year there were 72,470 new copyrights,
an increase over the number of the year
before of 489S. The fees for 1896 amount
ed to $54,370, an increase of $2587 over
1885. The report states that the removal
OF the library to the new building, the
finest in the world, will occur immedi-
ately after the close of the extra ses-
sion Of congress, and that the library will
have to be closed for short time. Print
ing of new catalogues, carefully ar
ranged, is urged, and Mr.. Spofford says
that he is now engaged in preparing a list
of books which should be purchased to
fill the deficiencies in the library, and
that he hopes that suitable provision will
be made. The report comments upon the
completion of the new library.
Few persons have any idea of the vast
ness of the inventive genius of America
as recorded in the United States patent
office. Not long ago a librarian wrote the
commissioner of patents that he desired
to obtain copy of each patent that had
been issued by the United States govern
ment
An estimate was made of the time it
would take one clerk to take from the
files of the office a single copy of each
patent. There are nearly 900, 900 of these
patents, and printed copies of each ART
kept in bundles with the number of the
patent marked on the cotton wrapper
for quick reference. There are trained
men, ten of them, whose only work is tC
take these printed descriptions from thu
files to furnish any one who desires t.
purchase them. They are quick in han.
ding the bundles, yet it is estimated that
t would take one of these experts three
years merely to pull from the racks
single copy of each patent filed in the
office. AS this class of labor is paid $500
per annum, the cost to the government
of getting out the patents from the racks
would be $500
For cents the patent office will give
any one a copy of any patent that has
been issued by the office, and complete
sets of these patents would be supplied
at l cent for. each patent. That seems
cheap, but complete set would cost
about $4,000. while their binding and
assortment for binding would make tbs
whole expense of such a set of books not
much less than $4,000. When bound
they would make 1000 volumes, each as
big as Websters unabridged dictionary.
Few patent agents aspire to have com.
DiVtC oClo VI pdlCIllo' anu lev VI lu6IiI
have offices big enough to hold a COM
plete set if they should get them.
The patent office is operating on an
tiquated lines in number of respects
merely because congress will not allow
the money collected from patcntees to
be spent for their benefit, but keeps
locked up in the treasury department
a surplus from this source amounting t. .
q bO11t Sc 000 O00 N mr. hot tar W. " a
expensiveness caused by this lack OF
facilities better shown than in the sys-
tenn of storing the printed copies of pat
ents. AS shown above, it would cost
$1,000 in labor to collect from the files one
copy of each of the COG, 900 patents. II
these patents were stored conveniently,
instead of being scattered in every avail
able place from cellar to garnet of the
patent Office building, and if they were
kept in properly constructed filing cases,
instead of being wrapped in cotton, one
man could do the work of five at present.
As it is 10 men cannot take patents from
the files rapidly enough to supply thu
demands of inventors and attorneys who
daily make application to purchase them.
Scores of times commissioners of pat.
ents have appealed to congress for d
proper building in which to do it's work,
but every year a surplus of $15O,OO0 is
turned into the treasury, and no atten-
ton paid to urgent appeals The pat.
ent office has never cost the government
a cent, and congress steadily turns a deaf
ear TO petitions for improvement of its
facilities.
The South American commercial
tourists paid their first visit to the ma
tional capital on Tuesday. Unfortunately
the weather conditions were not favora.
bic to sightseeing, as a cold, penetrat-
ing rain was falling. The party arrived
from Baltimore at S:35 o'clock, and was
received at the Pennsylvania railroad
station by committee of the Washing
ton board of trade. OF the South Ameri
can ministers, only Ministers MendOnca
of Brazil and Merou of Argentina were
there to greet their compatriots. From
the station the visitors were driven di-
rectly to the magnificent congressional
library. The program for the day also
included visits to the Capitol and the ex-
ecutive mansion, where President Nc
Kinley received the delegates.
The Republican senatorial caucus