THE PATENT OFFICE. The following report of the business of the Patent Office for the fiscal Applications for patents, including reissues, designs, trade-marks, and labels, received during the fiscal years ending June 30 1881... 1882. 1883 1884 Increase 1884 over 1881.. Increase 1884 over 1882. Increase 1884 over 1883. 1883 1884. Applications awaiting action on the part of the office July 1 24,906 30, 062 35, 734 38,822 13, 916 8,760 3,083 4, 699 9,786 It will be seen from the foregoing statement that the business of the Patent Office is continually increasing. The examining work is about six months in arrears. Every succeeding year greater labor and care are required in the consideration of applications, owing to the increase in the number of patents issued and the widening of the field of invention. Special efforts were made to impress upon Congress during its last session the needs of the office, and, as a result, an increase of twenty-two was provided in the examining corps, but an experience of several months is requisite before new appointees can become sufficiently skilled to render material aid in the examination of applications. In the estimates of appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, the Commissioner asks an increase of forty in the examining corps, as also an increase in compensation. The first is essential in order that the force may be adequate for the business coming before the office, and the second is necessary to secure and retain skilled and experienced men who are able to discern what is novel in the intricate inventions presented for consideration. Additional room, a power hall, and a laboratory are indispensable to the proper conduct and dispatch of business; and, while the estimates submitted show considerable increase over the present appropriation, the receipts of the office are more than ample to cover them. In providing the necessary facilities for the administration of the affairs of this office no burden will be imposed upon the people, for the inventors alone pay into the Treasury more than sufficient to furnish everything requisite. In addition to the legislation repeatedly recommended in relation to section 4887 of the Revised Statutes, it is very desirable that section 4936 be so amended as to authorize this office to refund from its current receipts any sum or sums of money to any person who has, through mistake, paid the same into the Treasury, or to any receiver or depositary, to the credit of the Treasury, as for fees accruing at the Patent Office. It has frequently happened that fees thus paid have been covered into the Treasury before it was ascertained that they had been paid under a misapprehension. In cases of this kind special legislation is necessary to authorize the Treasury Department to refund. Much labor to this office and the Treasury would thus be saved, and persons would be able to recover money paid by mistake without petitioning Congress. OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER OF RAILROADS. The report of the Commissioner of Railroads gives the operations of his office during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. The property and accounts of the railroads coming within the jurisdiction of the office have been examined, the several companies having freely accorded all proper facilities for the inspection of their properties and the examination of their books. Statements are submitted in detail showing the indebtedness of the subsidized railroads to the United States, earnings and expenses, financial condition, 5 and 25 per centum of net earnings, and various other data pertaining to these roads. The Commissioner also submits detailed statements of the sinking funds of the Union and Central Pacific Railroad Companies, showing the sums which have been covered into said funds by the Treasury of the United States, and the amount and character of investments made by the Secretary of the Treasury as custodian. CONDITION OF THE BOND AND INTEREST ACCOUNT. The public debt statement issued by the Treasury Department June 30, 1884, shows the condition of the accounts with the several Pacific railroad companies as to moneys actually covered in to their credit, but takes no account of moneys in the sinking fund held by the Treasurer of the United States, or of the compensation for services not at that time settled by the accounting officers. This is shown by the following statement: The "interest accrued and not yet paid by the United States," amounting to $1,938,705.36, was payable July 1, 1884. The total indebtedness of the several subsidized Pacific railroads to the United States on June 30, 1884, is reported by the Commissioner to be as follows: TOTAL CREDIT. Transportation services performed and money paid into the Treasury. Union Pacific..... Central Pacific... Sioux City and Pacific.. Central Branch Union Pacific.. Total Balance in favor of the United States, but not due until maturity of principal, 1895-1899...... $16,496, 975 73 8,090, 779 87 131, 138 32 169.328 18 24, 888, 222 10 102, 934, 794 08 RECAPITULATION. Due from Union Pacific Due from Central Pacific... Due from Sioux City and Pacific... Due from Central Branch Union Pacific.. Total $50, 142, 090 49 46,557, 045 14 3, 159, 178 37 3,076, 480 08 102, 934, 794 08 CONDITION OF SINKING-FUND ACCOUNTS. The sinking funds of the Union and Central Pacific Companies, held by the Treasurer of the United States under the act of May 7, 1878, amounted to $6,084,099.82, on June 30, 1884, the Union Pacific having to its credit $3,435,576.34 and the Central Pacific $2,648,523.48. Investments have been made by the Secretary of the Treasury as follows: The amounts remaining in the United States Treasury uninvested on June 30, 1884, were as follows: Credit of the Union Pacific.... Credit of the Central Pacific... Total...... $992, 485 91 1,089, 150 75 2,081, 645 66 The last investments for the Union Pacific were made during the month of March, 1884, the sum of $1,620,000 having been invested in the 3 per cent. funded loan of July 12, 1884, at a premium of $48,925, or an average of 3.02 per cent. The total investments for this company amount to $2,270,100, at a premium of $172,990.42. The interest on the sinking-fund investments to June 30, 1884, amounted to $139,127.97, or $33,862.45 less than the premium paid. The amount remaining in the Treasury uninvested June 30, 1884, was $992,485.91. No investments have been made for the Central Pacific since November 27, 1882. The total investments for this company amount to $1,379,800, at a premium of $179,563.72. The interest on the sinkingfund investments to June 30, 1884, amounted to $170,107.83, or $9,455.90 less than the premium paid. The amount remaining in the Treasury uninvested June 30, 1883, was $844,652.13, and June 30, 1884, it had increased to $1,089,159.75. Reference to the foregoing table shows that June 30, 1884, the sum of $2,081,645.66, belonging to the sinking funds of the two companies remained in the Treasury Department uninvested. The Commissioner suggests that this amount be immediately invested in order that the several sinking funds may earn a reasonable rate of interest. The Commissioner again calls attention to the controversy between the Government and the Union Pacific Railway Company as to what constitutes "net earnings" under the act of May 7, 1878. The correspondence bearing on this subject was printed in his report for 1883, pages 31-36. A bill to authorize the funding of the debts of the Pacific Railroads being under discussion in the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, Mr. Charles Francis Adams, jr., then a director of the Union Pacific Railway Company-now president-addressed a communication, under date of June 17, 1884, to Hon. George F. Hoar, a member of the committee, in which he proposed as a basis of settlement pending action of the courts, that no dividends should be paid on the stock of the company during the current year; that the Government should withhold payment for all services rendered, not only on the aided but the non-aided portions of the road, and that the company should forthwith pay into the Treasury on account of the sinking fund the sum of $718,814.60, being the amount found due the United States, in cash, for the year ending December 31, 1883. On the same date Hon. George F. Edmunds, chairman, informed this Department that the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate had passed the following resolution : Resolved, That this committee will postpone until the first Monday in December, 1884, the further consideration of the matters arising under the act of May 7, 1878, relating to the Union Pacific Railroad Company, &c., if the said company shall immediately carry out the offer of Mr. Adams, as stated in his communication dated June 17, 1884, addressed to the Hon. George F. Hoar, and on the express understanding that this action of the company and of the United States in receiving the money and security in said communication mentioned shall have no effect on any penalty or forfeiture or other right of the United States incurred or arising, or to occur or arise, against the said company or any of its officers, but that all rights, penalties, and forfeitures shall stand as if these acts had not been done. Pursuant to this arrangement the Union Pacific Railway Company deposited with the Assistant Treasurer of the United States at Boston, June 20, 1884, the sum of $718,814.60, to be carried to the credit of the |