Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-09
TO Relieve COMMISSIONER
Should Not Do Judicial Work as
Well as Run Office.
NEW BUILDING GREAT NEED
Large Increase of Force and Salaries
Said to Be Necessary for Proper
Handling of Work. u

The Presidents commission on economy
and efficiency, known as the Cleveland
commission. because Frederick A. Cleve-
land Is chairman of 1t, sent to Congress
today, as required by law. its report and
recommendations based on its investiga-
tion OF the patent Office.
The principal features Of the report are
a recommendation that the commissioner
of patents be relieved in future of judi
cial work. in order that he may give his
entire attention to the administrative
work of his Office, and that he be given
the assistance OF one assistant commis-
sioner. and seven supervising examiners.
the supervising examiners to do the judi
cial work of considering patent cases on
appeal.
New Building Recommended.
Other important recommendations are
for new building for the patent office:
the increase OF fees for filing app.ica-
tions for patents from SIS to SO: the
doubling of the price Of the Official Ga
zette Of Patents from $5 to $40 per an
mum; that patents issued by the United
States shall expire nineteen years from
the date Of filing application. instead of.
as at present seventeen years from the
date of issue;- and an increase of the.
patent office force from $50 persons to
975. with a pay roll Increase OF $236. go.
Of which $500 is a recommended in
crease for the commissioner of patents.
who now receives 5000 year. and
who, the commission declares. should re-
ceive $500.
The report is made by Frederick A.
Cleveland. chairman, and the following
members Of the commission: William r.
Willoughby, Walter w. Warwick, Frank
]. Goodnow and Harvey s. Chase.
Specially Designed Building.
The report recommends that the pro-
posed new building should be especially
designed, equipped and furnished, and be
constructed on a suitable site in the city
of Washington for the exclusive use or
the patent Office The commission reports
that the space in the present building 10
rholly Inadequate for the emcient ana
economical transaction of business: that
lhe rooms are crowded and poorly lighted
and ventilated. 1t says that some OF the
rooms, made by partitioning OF the old
hall formerly used to exhibit models. have
ceilings only eight feet high, and with the
this kind the absence Of adequate yentiia-
ton causes a serious loss In emciency
and Injuries the health.
Danger of Fire.
The danger of fire is commented upon.
as the record Of title to patents and other
papers OF value are exposed to loss by
fire, being stored in wooden boxes. The
halls and corridors are used for files. Ex-
aminers are SO crowded that careful work
cannot be expected. The commission con-
cludes that substantial Improvement In
the work Of the patent office must Wait
upon provision being made for suitable
building, adequate for the needs OF the
ofnce. ana especially equipped with ref
erence to the nature OF the work
An appropriation is recommended for
the repair of the rooms occuI led by the
patent Office, for the installation OF suit
able lighting and ventilating facilities,
and for the purchase OF new furniture
and equipment 1t is suggested that the
urgent need for more room be met tenn
por arily by moving some divisions OF the
Interior Department from the present
building and giving the space to the pat
ent Office.
Increase of Force and Salaries.
1t is recommended that the number Of
employees in the Office be increased from
$50 to 955. with an increase in the pay
roll Of $780, $50. The principal salary in
creases recommended are the commits
sioner from 5000 to s.. 500: an assistant
commissioner, from $4,JOO to 5000: eX-
aminers-in-chief, from $500 to $1,000:
examiner of classification. from $3.dOO to
81. 700 to 5000; principal examiners. from
-. 400 to s., 200: second assistant examin-
s.. 700 to $1,000: first assistant examin-
er, from 100 to $3.50. force or
seven supervising examiners to aid the
commissioner of patents in the adminis-
trative work of the office is recommended
at salaries Of $1,000 each.
Other Increases in Force.
The increases in force in addition to the
supervising examiners are two examin-
ers-in-chief at s4.5OO to make the board
consist OF five instead of three members:
one additional examiner Of interferences
at 5000: one assistant to chief Of divi-
sion of trademarks at S2.7OO; one as
sistant to chief Of classification division
at 1900: twenty-seven additional first as
sistant examiners at 81, 700; seventeen ad-
ditional second assistant examiners at
s., $50: six additional third assistant ex-
amIners at $1sO0. and the reduction OF
the number Of fOurt assistant exam
iners from 10 to So.
In the clerical force the following
changes are recommended: Thirteen ad-
ditional clerks at S1,i0O; twenty addi-
tional clerks at $1.20o; ten additional
clerks at $1,000; seventeen additional
clerks at $500. This recommendation
would eliminate fifty clerks at S72O in the
provision for an additional number at the
higher grades. Messenger boys engaged
in collecting copies OF patents, of which
nearly III 900 copies day are sold, are
for increase from $500 to
$3.50. The present pay roll of the Office
is $1.311 010. The proposed pay roll will
be 81. .5A7, $50.
Administration Of the Office.
The report recommends that IL the
of patents is relieved from
the duty of considering cases on appeal
from the board Of examiners-in-chiefa and
from the division of trademarks. In order
that he may give his entire attention to
he administrative work of the Office.
he be assisted in the administrative work
by one assistant commissioner OF pat
ents and seven supervising examiners.
II is pointed out that adequate control
If the methods and procedure OF the
'orty-three examining divisions i'm the
allowance and rejection OF applications
or patents is necessary to secure efficient
work The commission bases the recon-
nendation that the commissioner of pat
,nts be relieved from judicial work upon
he fact that the number Of invalid pat
,nts issued is due largely to a failure to
;uperyise and control the work of the
,xamining force, leaving the decision on
publications to the forty-three principal
Examiners. Their decisions, If favorable