INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1874. cxci 



The several conventions of the American branch of the In- 

 ternational Patent Congress during the past year are worthy 

 of notice, as having an important bearing upon a much-need- 

 ed reform namely, the unification of the now discordant 

 patent systems of the world. An International Patent Con- 

 gress, to be held in Philadelphia during the time of the Cen- 

 tennial Exhibition, is in contemplation. 



The annual report of the late Commissioner of Patents 

 General M.D. Leggett was recently submitted to the Secre- 

 tary of the Interior. We append herewith an abstract of so 

 much thereof as we deem of interest: 



The total receipts of the Office from all sources during the year 



from October, 1873, to September 30th, 1871, were $721,110 



Total payments 694,072 



Excess of receipts over expenditures $27,038 



The following is a tabulated and classified statement of 

 the business of the Office during the same neriod : 



Number of applications for patents from October 1st, 1873, to Sep- 

 tember 30th, 1 874 21,077 



Number of patents issued, including reissues and designs 13,545 



Applications for extension of patents 229 



Patents extended 308 



Caveats filed 3,129 



Patents expired 5,287 



Patents allowed, but not issued for want of final fee 2,G80 



Applications for registration of trade-marks 589 



Trade-marks registered 524 



Applications for registration of labels 107 



Labels registered (since 1874) 50 



It will appear from comparison that the number of ap- 

 plications and of patents granted is a slight increase upon 

 those of the preceding twelve months. Commenting further 

 upon the report, the Commissioner remarks that the prompt 

 publication of abstracts of patents issued has materially im- 

 proved the character of such applications, the consequence 

 being the rejection of a much smaller proportion of applica- 

 tions. Before the publication of the weekly Patent-Office 

 Gazette^ it was from two and a half to three years after the 

 issue of a patent before the public were made officially aware 

 of its existence. In consequence thereof there were con- 

 stantly in existence some twenty or thirty thousand patent- 

 ed inventions unknown to the public at large, and the Office 



