The Detroit times., 1910-10-18

and appropriations: while the other
has charge OF matters pertaining to
the bureau OF education, the patent Of
fce. and the pension once. There Is
also chief clerk. the man upon whom
devoives the duty OF supervising the
work OF the department. and seeing
that the orders Of his superior officers
are carried out. There Is also an as
sistant attorney general, q dusbursing
officer, and chief OF the division of
mails and files. publications and sup
plies.
The patent once ranks first among
the bureaus Of the interior depart
ment. Thomas Jefferson L. the in
ventor Of the American patent sys-
tenn. The patent ONCE always has
been a selfsupporting institution. In
point Of fact. II has created surplus
Of 100000 from the fees received
from investors. II now desires to have
home Of its own. and thinks Uncle
Sam ought to allow It to use Its ST.
100000 surplus for building such n
home. Although the building which
houses this bureau Is known as the
patent ONCE. II is In reality the home
OF the interior department.
Patents are being applied for at the
rate OF 81, 900 q year, and are issued
at the rate Of about $4,000 a year.
There have been upwards OF 1900, 900
applications filed since the organiza-
ton Of the Office and more than a mil
lion patents have been granted. They
are now expiring at the rate OF about
$4,000 a year. Many inventors are
embarrassed by lack of funds, as Is
shown by the fact that over 5000
patents are withheld each year be-
cause the patentees have been unable
to make the final payment thereon.
Tn first fee Is fifteen dollars and the
final one twenty dollars. There are
also fees prescribed for the re-issu-
ance OF patents. for design patents.
caveats, assignments. drawings, etc.
II Is becoming difficult to find profit
able patentable ideas. In one division
Of the patent ONCE there Is kept a
list OF all the patents on wrenches, and
II would seem that thousands Of
wrench patents have exhausted nearly
every patentable idea In that line.
The same Ia true or every other divis-
ion of the patent classification. In
the case of slot machines there are
thousands OF them, OF all shapes and
sizes, even down to one which will
take the picture OF any man trying
to pass q bad nickel, but which will
shine his shoes II the nickel II q
good one.
The pension Office is one of the big
gest money-handling bureaus OF the
government, Since the Civil war II
has paid out about four billion dollars
In pensions More than 5000. 900 APP
plications have been fled, and upward
of two million Of these have been al
lowed There are now about 200
pensioners carried on the rolls. Ap-
plications are still coming In at the
rate Of some $1,000 year. and are
being allowed at the rate of $4,000 q
year. 1t has already paid out more
than fifty times as much for pensions
on account OF the Civil war as was
paid out on account of the Revolution
airy war. The pension list on account
OF the Civil war IL more than thirty
American wars together.
Pensions are secured In two ways
under general legislative enactment
and by special acts Of congress. The
bulk of the pensions are allowed upon
applications conforming to the general
| legislation. Those whose records are
so defective that they cannot be grant
| ed under general legislation, as a rule
carry their trouble to congress, aud
that body annually passes thousand s
OF special acts enabling men to get
their names upon the roll who other.
wise could not do 30.
The commissioner Of the general
land ONCE Is charged with the survey
MANAGEMENT, and disposition of the
public lands, and the settlement OF
conflicting titles to those lands. He
also executes all laws relating TO the
surveying, prospecting. locating, etc.
of lands In the national forests II
an Indian reservation Is to be opened
up It IL his duty to arrange the time
and manner of the drawinC, and tt
handle all details relating 10 the estab
lishment of the homesteaders on Their
new farms. The sale Of public lands
I'm the United States IL no small thing
The government has been the direc,
owner of more than two thousand mil
lion acres Of land, about one-half OF
which still remains In It's possession
During a recent year 100000 acres
were sold for cash, 100000 acres were