Evening star., 1902-05-31
A NEW PATENT OFFICE.
Some Reasons Why Mr.. Mercer's Sug.
gestion Be Followed.

THE suggestion of Representative Mer-
Ger, chairman of the committee on public
grounds and buildings. recently in The
Star, that the balance of fees received from
patents in the treasury be applied toward
the erection of a new public building in
Washington exclusively for the use of the
patent office is an excellent one, and calls
to mind fact or two about the patent Of
flee of local and general interest," said
well-known patent attorney to a Star man
this morning.
"A new building is urgently needed for
the patent office, as are increased facilities
and force for the transaction of the great
business which each year is charging so
enormously. We Of the local patent bar,
and those of the patent office also. no doubt
would like to see Mr.. MERGERS suggestion
carried into effect. The pension office has
building of it's own, while the land office
is now housed nicely in the old Post Office
Department building. Perhaps in the not
distant future the patent office will also
have it's own home, and, as Mr. Mercer
aptly says, the money received from fees
for patents could be utilized by legislation
Tor that purpose. Thus, the operating eX
penSeS of the office are paid out of these
fees, and there is usually a balance at the
end OF the year covered into the treasury,
varying in amount, but which has fallen
below $4,000 but once in thirteen years,
and has craWled up high as $3.50 900.
1t is not generally appreciated that the
patent office received last year about ST.
100000 in cash and certificates of deposit
and that the surplus of receipts over ex-
pendltureS amounted to the handsome sum
of $4,000. The statement of balance in the
treasury on account of the patent fund
showed credit of $J,329, 900 on January l.
lN2 If Congress chose it could direct
that one-half of this balance of the patent
fund be appropriated for the erection of
new building for the use Of the bureau that
earned 1t. and there would still be large
balance left.
Not long ago 1 saw the statement made
In The Star that the District of Columbia
LED IN the amount expended per capita in
the use of the mails over every state and
territory in the United States. The District
Is justly entitled to have thrown at il an
other bouquet in the fact that in proper
t1on to population more patents are issued
TO Its residents than of any other state eX-
cept Connecticut, the proportion as to the
District being l to ,296, and to Connecticut
1 to LBS. In Maryland the proportion is
to 4013, and in Virginia 1 to 9,657 The ten
states to the residents of which a greater
proportion of patents was issued, exclusive
of the District and Connecticut are Massa-
chusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island Colo
rado, New York, California Illinois, Penn
sylvania, Ohio and Washington. The fewest
patents granted In proportion to the num-
Der of inhabitants are in Alaska, South
Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina Missis-
sippi, Indian territory and Georgia, in the
order of sequence as given in both in
stances.
IF Congress could but realize the amount
OF work involved in getting out the 21,:513
patents issued last year, the largest num-
Der issued in the history of the office it
might be persuaded to vote new building
The trademarks prints and labels register
ed number $3.50, also the largest issue of
certificates of registration in the history of
the office.
The patent office is g, money-making in
Stltutlon Tor the government, yet its force
for years has been overworked. and por-
tons of 1t have worked overtime for mont hS
on stretch. One would suppose that a
branch of the government which turned a
surplus into the treasury every year would
be the last to be obliged to complain be
cause of lack of force and of room vet
such are the anomalies of the transa ction
of public business. The non-supporting, all
eXpending bureaus are the loudest and most
1nSistent in their demands for appropria-
tons. Where bureau or a department
mas an earning capacity the patent Of
nee, or branch of the government is a
revenue producer, the Post Office De-
partment, these are often unjustly skmped
py congress as to appropriations, when the
opposite should be the case.
Models of patents are no longer received
by the office, only drawings. The sugges-
ton of Mr.. Mercer as to showing in model
form the various great inventions, from the
earliest to the latest examples while an
instructive one, would not be practicable
under the present rule