Evening star., 1925-03-20
MORE SHIFTS Due
TOFOLLOW PATENT
OFFICE TRANSFER
Bureau of Mines May Go to
Department of Commerce,
But Barrier Is Seen.
CHANGES ARE IN ACCORD
WITH REORGANIzING AIMS
Speeding Up of Work on Inven.
tions One Result Expected.
1,246 Employees Affected.

Further changes in the orGanlza-
ton OF the Government departments
are looked for following the transfer
of the Patent Office from the Interior
Department to the Department Of
Commerce, announced yesterday at
the White House. The transfer af-
fects 1,246 employees and will be ef-
fective April l.
The Patent once transfer carried
out one of the two recommendations
with regard to changes In the line
up of the Interior Department hu-
reaus recommended by the joint con-
gressional committee on reorganiza-
tion of the executive departments.
The other recommendation involved
transfer of the Bureau of Mines to
the Commerce Department.
Legal View of Transfer.
Secretary of the Interior Work and
Secretary of Commerce Hoover, who
were represented today to be In COM
plete accord with the recommends
tions of the joint committee, discussed
the transfer for several months before
II was made. Mr.. Work secured an
opinion from the Attorney General
several weeks ago as to whether the
act of 1903 authorizing the President
to transfer bureaus from one depart
ment to another without specific au-
thorization of Congress was a con-
tinuing act He was informed 1T was
with regard to scientific bureaus, and
1t was then left to the President to
decide whether the Patent Office was
a scientific bureau.
The present Intention of Government
heads with regard to the Bureau of
Mines was not known today, although
officials gave II, as their opinion that
the transfer of the bureau from the
Interior Department to the Commerce
Department would need specific au-
thorization from Congress, inasmuch
as the bureau was placed in the In
terror Department by Congress.
Placement Called Error.
However, after the bureau was in
the Interior Department, the old De-
partment of Commerce and Labor was
split into two departments, in 1918,
and since that time the joint commit
tee has recommended the transfer.
This is explained In the report Of the
joint committee, which says that al
though the Department of Commerce
and Labor had been specifically
charged by its organic act with the
duty of promoting the mining inter-
ests of the country, the Bureau OF
Mines, created in 1910, was placed
under the Department of the Interior.
The report described the placement
as an anomaly"
Changes in the personnel of the
Patent Office are not contemplated.
Secretary Hoover said today adding
that better organization of the Gov
ernment. to secure economy and EN-
cheney, requires that functions of
similar major purpose shall be group
ed together
Change in the procedure, with re-
spect to protection of rights OF Amer
lean patentees in foreign countries,
forecast by Mr.. Hoover yesterday as
one of the major issues involved in
the transfer, was said today by Mr..
Robertson to be very vital mat
ter" Mr.. Robertson had not seen
Mr.. Hoover today.
Hopes to Speed Up Work.
Before the transfer takes place the
Patent Commissioner hopes to so
speed up the work of the Patent Of
fee that applications for patents,
which were Is months behind in their
consideration <our years ago, Will be
but six months behind on April 1.
Integration in the Department oi
Commerce of bureaus dealing with
commerce and industry was regarded
by the joint congressional committee
as incomplete, in It's report. To bring
all the existing agencies within the
purview of that department the COM
mittee recommended not only the
| transfer of the Patent ONCE and the
Bureau of Mines, but also urged the
transfer of the Lakes Survey and the
| Inland and Coastwise Waterway,
Service from the War Department
the National Advisory Committee fol
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