Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-17
CRITICAL SITUATION
IN PATENT OFFICE
Official Blames Pressure OF
Business and Shortage of
Employees.

The United States patent system IL In
chaotic condition. due partly to the
Increased demands made upon 1t during
and Immediately following the war and
partly to the shortage OF employees on
account of designations FASTENED by In
adequate pay.
According to an official OF the patent
office, the situation Is not merely seri-
ous-it reached that stage long ago-it
has become critical and inimical 10
property interests The public rightly
concerned cannot understand why such
an essentially elemental procedure as
printing, storing and delivering such
extremely simple things as copies Of
patents cannot be effected accurately
and expeditiously."
Less than 1000 employees are provided
to keep the records of the nation s
progress along the line OF inventions.
Most of these employees are said to be
inadequately paid. Patent examiners. it
was pointed out-they are required to
be graduates of a recognized technical
college, as well as being members OF the
bar-receive only $500 a year to start.
Unable 10 make both ends meet, many
have left the government service to ac-
cept positions with private concerns
where the remuneration is sometimes
more than 100 per cent above that which
they received in the patent office.
Must DO Outside Work.
1t was pointed out that clerks en-
ployed at the patent office are com
PEELED to do outside work at nights
in order to cope with the high cost
of living. The stenographic help is
difficult to obtain. it was said. because
of the low wages paid.
In order to catch up with the great
volume of business heaped upon the
inadequate force at the patent office
during the war and up to the present
time. employees have had to work
overtime. In February and March
clerks worked Sundays In order to
compete with the increased business.
Last summer leaves of absence were
cancelled for the same reason.
Congress recently granted an add
tional forty clerks to help with the
work, but these employees may be out
of jobs July l. it was said: their ap-
pointment is only temporary.
Thirty thousand applications for
patents are on the desks of the ex-
aminers at the present time waiting
for response.
Miles ana miles of patent copies.
shelved or. ?oarse wooden boards and
covered VITA thick coatings of dust.
are stored = the patent office build
ing. which Vas originally designed to
hold only patent models. A STAN OF
underpaid colored men and boys-they
receive 1920 a year. with bonus-are
compelled to breathe in quantities OF
dust every time they pull copy"
Heat Intense in Summer.
The heat In these storage CALLER
ies," some of which are located at the
TOP Of the building. is intense in sum-
mer time. it was pointed out. The
scopy pullers'' In the summer months
are compelled to wear bathing suits
during the hours Of work. Conditions
are such that during June, July and
August copy puller" cannot work
more than one week at time at this
task.
The weight Of patent copies has
caused the wooden shelves to sag
down in places. Thousands of copies
not regarded as hreproof. The copies
are wrapped In bundles. each bundle
supposed to have number attach
ed to 1t. Many packages however.
are without numbers.
Due to the efforts of William l.
wyman, chief clerk of the patent or
fice, who assumed office last summer.
. number Of metal fling cabinets
/ have been obtained. which give
11ll,e asS Tecords straight
In q pamphlet written by CHIEF
Clerk Wyman before his appointment
the following paragraph appears:
Facilities Are Poorest.
ITS {the patent office) facilities and
equipment are, with few exceptions.
the poorest Of those of the govern
ment bureaus in Washington: its
personnel is inadequate In numbers to
cope with it's duties, and the methods
Of promotion and the compensation
awarded it's technical corps are so
antiquated that the force is in a con-
tinuous state Of flux. owing to nu-
merous designations resulting from
vastly better opportunities offered In
private employment This neglect is
undoubtedly based on ignorance OF
conditions in and requirements Of the
patent ofiice. 1t is inconceivable that
public opinion. once 1t appreciates the
facts. would permit an institution SO
identified with the progress, the in
dustrial welfare and the genius OF
this country to grow stale through
Indifference. 1t is hardly imaginable
that the country Of Eli Whitney, Full
ton. Howe. Morse. Bell, Edison. Nc
Cormick and Wright would repudiate
the system which has been the Pc
culiars incentive for the display OF
Americas signal Intellectual efforts
in q most important field Of achieve
ment"