Journal OF THE Patent Office Society Published monthly by the Patent Office Society Office of Publication 3928 New Hampshire Ave., Washington, D. C. Subscription $2.50 a year EDITORIAL BOARD Single copy 25 cents E. C. Reynolds, Chairman and Editor-in-chief. G. P. Tucker. N. J. Brumbaugh Emerson Stringham E. R. Cole M. O. Price. M. L. Whitney, Business Manager (Room 57, U. S. Patent Office.) 3928 New Hampshire Ave., Washington, D. C. N. E. Eccleston, Circulation. Entered as second class matter, September 17, 1918, at the post office at Washington, D. C., under the act of March 3, 1879. Publication of signed articles in this journal is not to be understood as an adoption by the Patent Office Society of the views expressed therein. The editors are glad to have pertinent articles submitted. VOL. VI. JULY, 1924. No. 11. COMMENT. The Office work report for May 29 shows 7 divisions having an oldest date of less than 5 months, 15 divisions under 6 months, 32 under 7 months and only 2 over 8 months. The number of patent applications awaiting action on this date was 59,967. This is the first time in nearly two and one half years that this number has fallen below 60,000. There has been a decrease during the month of about 500 in the number of designs and trademarks awaiting action. LEGISLATION. The current appropriation bill for the Government Printing Office, according to the Congressional record of May 29, has been amended by inserting the following— "Provided, That hereafter the distribution of geological publications and the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office to libraries designated as special depositories of such publications shall be discontinued." It is understood that this amendment was made without being submitted to the officials of the Patent Office. The appropriation bill for the Department of the Interior has become law. This bill provides for an addition to the examining corps of a temporary force consisting of 3 Principal Examiners and 97 Fourth Assistants. It is expected that at least 50 of these will be taken on by July 1 and the remainder as fast as eligibles can be secured and space provided. In this connection it may be noted that the Office expects to secure from 15,000 to 25,000 square feet of additional space in the Old Land Office. This will provide the room necessary to accomodate the increased force and will materially reduce the existing congestion. The Senate has passed Senate bill No. 3324 introduced by Senator Glass of Virginia. This bill amends the trade-mark law of Feb. 20, 1905 by providing"That no portrait of a living individual may be registered as a trade-mark except by the consent of such individual, evidenced by an instrument in writing, nor may the portrait of any deceased President of the United States be registered during the life of his widow, if any, except by the consent of the widow evidenced in such manner." CHANGES IN PERSONNEL. Richard E. Marine, who has been a member of the Board of Examiners in Chief for the last seven years, resigned May 26, 1924. He entered the Office on April 17, 1900 and has served as an Assistant examiner in Divisions 8 and 26, and also as First Assistant Examiner in the Interference Division from which position he went to be Principal Examiner of Division 26. Mr. Marine leaves the Office to assume charge of the newly opened branch offices in Pittsburgh for Mr. Clarke of the firm of Munday, Clarke and Carpenter of Chicago. He is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins and of the National University. The following announcement by the Commissioner was published in the Official Gazette for June 10, 1924. "The Patent Office announces with regret the resignation of Hon. Richard E. Marine as a member of the Board of Examiners in Chief who has given twenty four years of loyal service to the Patent Office." The President has nominated Mr. Webster S. Ruckman to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Marine's resignation. Mr. Ruckman has been a member of the examining corps for over 30 years. He was eight years a Law Examiner and six years a Principal Examiner in charge of Division 37. He has been Examiner of Patent Interferences for four years. He is a graduate of the National University and George Washington University law schools with the degrees of LL.B., LL.M., and M.P.L. and is also a member of the bars of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia and of the United States Supreme Court. PUBLIC INSPECTION OF PATENT APPLICATIONS. Sir. A letter in your March issue suggests that it would be impracticable to open pending applications to public inspection. The experience of the British Office does not bear out this view. All Convention cases are laid open to public |