The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-06-24
"AHoM0WA4NAaMR NAAYMlcAWYMMI

by which the torpedo is propelled, so that the COM
pressed air is heated to a high pressure before its
energy is utilized. Its use increases the speed and
range of toTpedoes.
The question now is whether the United States
must pay the E. w. Bliss company $500 per tor
pedo purchased by the United States during the
last FIVE years containing this device. The total
amount at issue is 1925, 900. 1t is an intricate pat
ent case. the decision of which depends upon
whether patents held by the Bliss company cover
the type of "superheater' used in the American
torpedo.
Litigation over sixteen years old involves the
question whether the United States government
must disgorge more than $4,000 in addition to
the million already paid for the government dry
dock at the League Island Navy yard, Philadel-
phia. The contractor claims he was compelled to
make a much greater excavation than was specified
in the terms of the contract covering the work.
The answer of the government is that the con-
tractor did not follow the method recommended
by the board of naval engineers, which had studied
the matter, and hence was himself responsible and
liable for the extra cost.
The court of claims has sustained the contrac.
tor and the department of justice is now asking
the Supreme court to overrule the court of claims.
Whatever the government may have to pay for
generally is valued at astonishingly high figures.
A submarine case involves $500, 900. 1t hinges
upon a string of patents on buoyance-regulating
apparatus for submarine boats. The Electric
DUG COulpdLly IL DdCh Il III case II IldlllS ludl
the invention described and claimed in said sew
eral letters patent, and each of them, are and have
been recognized to be OF great utility and value
in the construction and operation of submarine
boats" The original inventor, Lawrence Y. Spear,
assigned his rights to the Submarine Boat COM
pany. 1t is carefully pointed out that Spear was
the original, first and sole inventor of the i'm
provements." and it is then declared that the Unit
ed States has used the inventions without license
and has neglected and refused to pay royalty.
About the right thing for Uncle Sam to do, it is
alleged, is to pay the Electric Boat-eampany $780,
600 per submarine boat containing the Spear ap-
paratus. At the date of the filing of the brief, De-
cember 10, 1915, four such boats were in use. The
case, however, involves a demand for another
$1,000 for each boat built subsequently by the
United States in which the inventions are used.
Land-grant railroads, under the terms of their
charters, are required to carry troops of the United
States free. The question has now come up as
to whether the National Guard when transported
to the annual maneuvers in various parts of the
United States ARE troops of the United States"
AS the test case stands the Southern railroad asks
for s2,447.90 for the payment of railway fares for
the transportation of officers and men of the Ala
bama National Guard and the Mississippi National
Guard from points in Alabama and Mississippi to
the United States military post and camp at
Ch~ickamauga Park, Georgia, in 1908 and 1910.
When finally disposed of, however, a much larger
amount will be involved. 1t will set a precedent
under which, if the Southern railroad is successful,
other of the land-grant railroads will come into
court and ask pay for transporting the militia.
The established practice of the war and treasury
departments is that the organized militia when
participating with the regular army at a military
camp at joint maneuvers and field instructions are
entitled to the pay, subsistence and transportation
allowances of the officers and men of the
regular army; that said organized troops when
so transported are travelling under orders OF the
war department. and payment for their transpor-
tation can only be made on the same basis appli-
cable to the regular army. This would mean that
transportation for militia over Immigrant railroads
would be subject to the land grant deductions
made for the transportation of regulars. 1t Is
held that the expression, troops of the United
states" as used in land-grant acts is sufficiently
broad to include organized militia when travelling
under the orders of the war department.