Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-20
Commissioner luell Has Submitted
His Annual Report.
OFFICE WORK is WELL IN HAND
Attention is Called to the Lack Of
Room. -.
LEG ISLA ALTON EEDED

the patent office Is thoroughly considered,
and shows that the office has shared in the
general prosperity of the country. The to-
tai receipts of the office during the year
amounted to $1325,457.03, sum which has
been exceeded but twice since the year
1885. After deducting the expenses Of the
office surplus Of s113. 67S.30 is shown The
patent office has paid into the Golfers of
the United States IS, OS6 64S64 more than
1t mas drawn from the general government.
A total of 25,527 patents was issued DUR
ing the ye This includes designs and re-
issues. and this number has been exceeded
but once and that in 1890, when %, 800 pat
ents were issued. There were 1,649 trade
MARKS. oil labels and 100 prints registered
curing the year. and 10, 1875 patents expired.
Iaking the population as basis. Connec-
t1cut has received more patents in propor-
ton than any other state.
Work Well in Hand.
The work Of the office. the commissioner
says. has been kept well in hand during the
year. and at the date of this report thirty
three divisions were examining applications
filed within one month, and three divisions
applications filed within two months. This
shows condition of affairs that has never
before been equaled In the patent office, for
under nearly every other administration
the divisions have been from one to cigh-
'Ccu HioHlIS DSIllnu In tner Work. A re-
vision of the methods and general improve
ment OF the system was begun by Commits
sioner Duel, and has been carried to sue
cessIul termination by the establishment of
system which keeps the work well up to
date. ...-
The report deals largely with the work
OF the classification division, and sets forth
at length the system adopted. The magni-
tide OF the work of examination and the
necessity for thorough classification is
evidenced by the fact that the field of
search is yearly increasing, and that at the
present time 100000 United States patents,
], 10000 foreign patents have been issued
while there are 1900 volumes of scientific
works in the patent office library. The OBJ
Ject of classification Is to reduce this i'm
mense mass of matter to classes and SUBJ
classes of convenient size, capable of clear
separation and definition, and based upon a
system sufficiently elastic to provide for
future growth. ~
The LacL of Room.
Attention Is Called to the lack of room
and to the great loss that would occur IL
the records Of the office were destroyed by
fire The commissioner approves of Senate
bill No. 1859, which provides for the con-
struction of asfireproof building for the use
and accommodation Of the patent office Of
the United States; including a hall of In
ventions, and calls attention to the fact
that the American Society Of Mechanical
=
National Association of Agricultural ImpIe-
ment and Vehicle Manufacturers and many
other organizations. are urging the passage
OF the bill. He stiles that no more fitting
way of recognizing the value Of the patent
system to the country than by using the
five millions surplus funds paid by inventors
in the erection of a building IN which the
business OF the ofiiceccould. be conveniently
and safely carried on, and at the same
time giving ample space for Illustrating the
growth of the industrial arts by means of
suitable models.
In discussing the subject Of legislation
the commissioner says:
Merit and Interference ApDeals,
Nothing has impressed me more forcibly
during the two years in which 1 have &C.
cupied the position of commissioner Of
patents than the ACCESSIBILITY and necessity
of limiting the number of appeals in merit
and Interference cases. Under the present
statutes. If an application is rejected by
the principal examiner, an appeal lies to
the board of examiners-in-chief, and from
that tribunal to the commissioner of patents
In person, and from him to the Court of
Appeals of the District Of Columbia
I'm interference proceedings the appeals
are the same, save that the first appeal is
from the examiner of interferences.
In my opinion there should be but one
appeal in the patent office and no appeal
to the Court Of Appeals of the District of
no appeal to the court Is that under Sec
ton 1915 Of the Revised Statutes the ap-
plicant to whom patent is refused can
prosecute his application in another court,
and an aggrieved party in an interference
proceeding can renew his contest in an
other court.
Three Assistant Commissioners.
Il suggest an amendment to the statutes
by which the board of examiners chief
be abolished and that in their place and in
the place Of the present assistant commits
sioner there be three assistant commission
ers appointed, who. together with the COM
missioner, shall be persons of competent
legal knowledge scientific ability and well
versed in patent law and shall hear all ap-
peals from the primary examiner and ex-
aminer Of interferences. The commissioner
with any two Of the assistant commission
ers, or the three assistant commissioners
shall have the power to review and deter
mine upon all adverse decisions made by
the principal examiners upon applications
for patents and for reissue patents. and of
the decisions of the examiner of interfer-
ences on all questions relating to priority of
invention. The assistant commissioners
should be appointed for a definite term of
years, say six (the first appointments how
ever, to be respectively for two four and
six years..
'"While the question of politics manifestly.
should not and does not to any extent en-
ter into the conduct of the patent office.
yet, in order to overcome any objections
that might be offered on that score, pro-
vision might be made that not more than
two of them should be appointed from the
same political paxty.
I'm view Of the fact that aside from the
judicial duties Of the commissioner he
has to perform executive duties 1t may be
urged that, he shpuld be in harmony with
the administrator. and therefore it may be
thought best that 20 change in the manner
of his appointment be made
He recommends the adoption of the bill
embodying these features already introduce
ed in Congress. Tile then speaks of the
report of thss commission appointed under
act of Congress approved June {, 1895. to
and hopes that This Congress will aid in
improving the American patent system.
-s----ss5ss
WILL OF JOSEPHINE BRoDHEAD.
wv T.
Corporations R4A Her Individual Rel