[D8846ABA], Letter from National Electric Light Assn, Arthur Steuart to Thomas Alva Edison, July 2nd, 1888

https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/D8846ABA

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Title

[D8846ABA], Letter from National Electric Light Assn, Arthur Steuart to Thomas Alva Edison, July 2nd, 1888

Editor's Notes

TAE marginalia: "Tate-Write + say I have lost all faith in patents judges + everything relating to patents + don't care if the whole system was squelched." E] "The Legal Committee of the National Electric Light Association have prosecuted the work of obtaining legislation from Congress, relative to the patent system, with constant effort for some months past, and have succeeded in securing for the bill creating a Court of Patent Appeals the endorsement of the Supreme Court of the United States, the Commissioner of Patents and the Bar. They have also secured the consent of the Sub-Committee of the Judiciary Committee that have the bill in charge, to report it favorably to the Committee of the whole. The only difficulty that we are contending with at present, is the procrastination of the members of the Judiciary Committee, and the fact that there are several other bills ahead of ours upon the calender which must be disposed of before ours can be taken up. ### When our bill is reached it will be necessary for the members to consider it with great care and particularity, and unless they are previously instructed with reference to its details will spend a good deal more time upon it than we would like. ### If the members of the Association are really interested in having this bill passed, they now have it in their power to render efficient assistance to the Committee by giving the matter personal attention. What we need just now is an opportunity to explain the details of the bill to the members of the judiciary Committee under such circumstances as will insure their attention to what we say, and their consequent familiarity with the details of the bill when it comes before the Committee of the whole from the Sub-Committee. You of course appreciate the great difficulty of getting the members of Congress to give time enough to the consideration of any measure in which they are not personally interested to understand its bearing. To accomplish this result, there seems to be but one course to be pursued, and that is, that some members of the Association shall come to Washington, get their own members of Congress, and such members of the Committee as they may choose together, by means of entertainment or otherwise, and make in this way an opportunity for the explanation of the details of the bill. If the members of the Association will do this, and do it promptly, we may be able to have our bill passed by the House before its adjournment. We can at least succeed in getting it upon the calender in such a position as to give us a reasonable expectation that it will be passed at the next session. We feel satisified that if it can be gotten through the House it will pass the senate. Be kind enough to let me hear from you at your earliest convenience." Yours truly, Arthur Steuart

Date

1888-07-02

Type

Folder/Volume ID

D8846-F

Microfilm ID

124:34

Document ID

D8846ABA

Publisher

Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
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