Evening star., 1926-06-03
NEW PATENT OFFICE
AND RAISES URGED
Special Committee Advocates
Larqer Force-PraiSes
R0bertS0n's Work. I

Construction OF new building "at
the earliest possible moment" espec-
tally designed for the use of the
Patent once: larger salaries for ali
scientific and technical employees. and
an increase In the technical! force OF
the Office are the outstanding recon-
mendations made to Secretary of Com
merce Hoover today by Il special
committee appointed IS months az"
by Secretary Work when the Patent
Office was a bureau OF the Interior
Department. Amendment of existing
patent laws, reducing the appeals in
interference cases to q single appea!
in the ONCE. abolishing appeals to the
Distric. Court Of Appeals and making
the decision OF the Patent Office final,
except as it may he reviewed by the
United States District Court in equity
proceedings, is also urged by the com
mittee.
Praisinx Commissioner OF Patents
Robertson for his ''successful handling
of q n unprecedented amount Of work,
the committee said II takes pleasure
in commenting the present admins
tration Of the Patent Office for the
good work already done. 1T has sue
ceeded in materially reducing the
number OF pending spplications ana
at the same time has made many
improvements. The changes in the
methods have been in the right direc-
ton and meet with unqualified ap-
proyal OF the committee"
Would Increase Good Work.
The recommendations in this report
are based mainly upon information
obt a ined from the commissioner and
his staff and in a measure represent
contemplated action which, for va
riety Of reasons. they have been un-
able to undertake. Consequently this
report is offered as an instrument or
assist nee in furthering the good work
already done.
Thomas Ewing Of New York former
Of the committee. Associated with
him are Lew w. Wallace, jr.. Of
Washington: Col Harry Frease OF
Canton, Ohio; Eugene G. Mason of
Washington; George A. Provost OF
Washington; 10 Baily Brown of Pitts
hurgh, Pa: A. J. Brousseau Of New
York, Henry NJ. Huxley of Chicago,
Edwin j. Prindle of New York, Milton
Tibbetts of Detroit, Henry \. Paul Of
Philadelphia. Wallace Clark of New
York and W. II. Leffingwell OF New
York.
1--WE find that during the admin
istratjon Of Commissioner Robert son
many Improvements suggested by the
1912 report have been made, and also
MANY additional henehcial changes
have been effected in the orea MIA
tion. procedure. personnel and prop
erty Of the Patent once. amounting
to q thorough reorga MIA tion, the
committee report continued.
Methods Greatly Improved.
This has been facilitated by ia
yora BILE legisla tion and by additional
room obtained In the Land once
Building, but before any legislation
was obtained. as well as since. lili-
nroyemept has been noticeable in the
methods of doing business in the
Office. resulting In a marked Increase
i'm efficiency and benefit To the public
having business before the office
Providing OF modern equipment, IN
c,udinp steel vertical filing cases
would greatly facilitate the clerical
work Of the Office, the committee said,
while a new building designed for
the special needs Of the Patent Once
and Of ample capacity to provide Tor
nresert necessity and future growth
is an urgent neen.
Increase in the salaries OF scientinr
nd technical employees, the commit
-. .aid is needed to check the large
nur,her Of designations and obviate
the pre esent large turnover, while
iarr number OF principal and az
sistant examiners and larger tra ns-
,atinet force is needed to expedite the
work.
when Secretary Work first con-
sidered the appointment OF the In
vestieating committee, the work or
the T'atent once was "A months be
hind. For many years its actiNlies
had been rapidly increasing whlie
designations from it's highly trained
scientific and technical force nave
always been frequent. Seeing the
seriousness of the situation. the Amer
ican Bar Associa tion. several patent
law associations, the Chamber OF
Commerce Of the United States, the
National Manufacturers Association
and the American Engineering Coun'
cil were invited to nominate members
To serve as a committee TO study the
Patent once and make a report.
Hoover I.auds Committee.
"rhe public spirit displayed by the
members of the committee and their
earnest, laborious efforts to solve try
ing and diffcult problems are deserv-
ing of the highest commendation.'
Secretary Hoover said today. This
committee was composed of men of
wide experience in patent matters and
others Of similar experience in indus.
trial and commercial affairs. Although
busy men and serving without re-
muneration or hope of personal re-
ward, the members gave generously
of their time and made a most exhauS.
tive study Of the Patent Office and its
needs"
For more than Ia years the several
commissioners have recommended
construction OF new building for the
Patent once. Commissioner Robert
son said In hts last annual report:
Il cannot too strongly urge the nsces'
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