NEWS
778 c o m p e t e n t t o practice before t h e P a t e n t Office in t h e comprehensive written e x aminations h a v e been nonlawyers of tech nical education a n d experience, while t h e proportion of lawyers without technical education or experience w h o pass t h e ex aminations is very small. I t is evident, therefore, t h a t those local organizations which a r e endeavoring t o restrict practice before t h e P a t e n t Office to m e m b e r s of t h e b a r a r e interfering w i t h out r i g h t or justification in a m a t t e r within the sole jurisdiction of t h e federal Congress and e n t r u s t e d b y i t t o t h e administration of t h e Commissioner of P a t e n t s , and a r e d o i n g so without a n y consideration of t h e a c t u a l qualifications d e m a n d e d by t h e highly technical n a t u r e of t h e P a t e n t Office practice. I t should b e further noted t h a t while t h e Commissioners of P a t e n t s have, from t i m e t o t i m e , substantially increased t h e qualifications required of applicants t o practice before t h e P a t e n t Office a n d s u b j e c t e d such applicants t o increasingly rigorous scrutiny, these changes h a v e been m a d e in t h e equitable a n d t r a d i t i o n a l American w a y , a n d t h e advanced r e q u i r e m e n t s h a v e n o t been retroactively applied t o those previously a d m i t t e d to
EDITION
ractice. T h i s is n o t only a m a t t e r of pairness b u t also a recognition of t h e fact t h a t t h e continued experience of older practitioners h a s m o r e t h a n m a d e u p for a n y deficiencies of formal t r a i n i n g which m a y h a v e existed u n d e r earlier standards of admission. O n t h e contrary, m u c h of t h e local agitation for restriction of p r a c t i c e before t h e P a t e n t Office t o lawyers h a s aimed a t applying new, t h o u g h insufficient, quali fications to those w h o a r e a l r e a d y practic ing in t h e P a t e n t Office a n d h a v e so prac ticed for years. S u c h d r a s t i c action is en tirely foreign t o A m e r i c a n traditions. T h e increasing educational requirements for admission t o t h e b a r s of t h e various states h a v e never been m a d e r e t r o a c t i v e . Those w h o were in early d a y s a d m i t t e d t o the b a r on m e r e motion of a n a t t o r n e y have a n equal standing a n d a n equal right t o practice with those w h o were admitted after rigid examinations. F o r lawyers t o propose such retroactive action with respect t o practice before t h e P a t e n t Office is, therefore, i n contradiction of t h e rinciples upon which t h e American b a r a s developed. Therefore, i t is o u r considered opinion that:
H a r o l d M . Barnett, Barnett Laboratories, Long Beach, Calif. A p a p e r published i n a recent issue o f t h e N E W S E D I T I O N [19, 623 ( J u n e 10,
1941)) H i c k m a n a n d Mees p r e s e n t a v e r y timely survey of o u r v i t a m i n A s u p plies. T h e i r conclusion t h a t t h e current s u p p l y of v i t a m i n A derived from fish oils in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s i s sufficient for our n a t i o n a l emergency i s b a s e d o n certain a s s u m p t i o n s a n d proposals which are highly suggestive t o t h e reader t h a t we m a y later b e faced w i t h a definite v i t a m i n A shortage. T h i s possible s h o r t a g e of v i t a m i n A n e e d be n o cause for a l a r m , provided a t t e n t i o n a n d capital a r e t u r n e d t o o t h e r p o t e n t i a l sources of v i t a m i n A before t h e deficiency arises. I n addition t o fish oils a n d palm oil, o t h e r leading sources of v i t a m i n A for t h e U n i t e d States a r e car r o t s a n d alfalfa. F i s h m u s t b e captured from t h e w a t e r s a n d p a l m oil is a n im p o r t e d p r o d u c t , b u t American-grown c a r r o t s a n d alfalfa offer unlimited q u a n t i ties of domestic v i t a m i n A for a n y n a t i o n a l emergency regardless of e x t e n t or duration. M e t h o d s h a v e n o w been developed which m a k e i t possible t o e x t r a c t carotene from carrots directly i n t o bland vegetable oil i n potencies u p t o 10,000,000 u n i t s per p o u n d w i t h o u t t h e u s u a l expensive de h y d r a t i o n a n d solvent costs. A b u n d a n c e of low-cost v i t a m i n A concentrates from fish, oils h a s m a d e i t impractical to place t h e s e n e w e r m e t h o d s i n t o large-scale pro
There is no sound or justifiable reason for imposing any restriction which would limit practice before the P a t e n t Office to members of t h e bar, either b y enactment of federal or state legislation, or b y action of the courts. The regulation of practice before t h e Patent Office, including t h e determination of t h e proper qualifications necessary for persons to engage in such practice, is within the sole jurisdiction of t h e federal Congress, and has by federal s t a t u t e been entrusted t o the Commissioner of Patents, subject to t h e approval of t h e Secretary of Commerce. Consequently, any a t t e m p t t o regulate or restrict such practice by state legislation, or by action of the state courts, is improper. R. T . BALDWIN F. E. BARROWS FRANK BREYER BRUCE K. BROWN HENRY HOWARD NELSON LITTELL J. C. M O R R E L L O. W . S T O R E Y H. T . STOWELL E . H . VOLWILER
p
Carotene—A Source of Vitamin A during O u r National Emergency
IN
Vol. 19, No. 14
d u c t i o n . However, v i t a m i n A i n the form of carotene m a y now b e produced a t lower costs t h a n t h e suggested recovery of vitamin A from low potency industrial fish oils. T e n thousand acres of carrots grown u n d e r proper conditions will yield 2 0 trillion units of v i t a m i n A . C a r r o t s m a y b e harvested i n California e v e r y month of t h e year, t h u s assuring a s t e a d y source of supply. B u t 10,000 additional acres of carrots cannot b e p l a n t e d a n d harvested o n a m o m e n t ' s notice, n o r can equipment for processing s u c h large quantities of carrots be p u t i n t o operation overnight. I t would seem wise, therefore, t o consider m o r e carefully t h e possibilities which m a y lead t o a shortage of v i t a m i n A , either i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o r i n countries friendly t o i t , a n d immediately b r o a d e n carotene production facilities so t h a t a n adequate s u p p l y of v i t a m i n A is assured for a n y emergency.
New Fixed Nitrogen Plants EXPENDITURE
of $33,500,000 for c o n -
struction of t w o a n h y d r o u s ammonia p l a n t s h a s been authorized b y t h e W a r D e p a r t m e n t . T h e p l a n t s will b e built i n Monroe, La., a n d Louisiana, M o . T h e new p l a n t s a t M o r g a n t o w n , W. V a . , W e s t Henderson, K y . , with t h e TVA a r e proceeding o n schedule a n d i t i s expected t h e y will come i n t o p r o d u c t i o n late t h i s a u t u m n or early i n t h e new y e a r .
W A L T E R A. SCHMIDT,
Chairman
June 23, 1941
Gasoline and Fuel O i l Rationing T H O S E who find i t difficult t o believe t h a t gasoline a n d fuel oil m a y be rationed in t h e E a s t t h i s a u t u m n forget t h e large volume involved. A r i v e r of oil—1,280,000 barrels d a i l y — m o v e s t o E a s t C o a s t m a r k e t s b y ocean t a n k e r , barge, a n d p i p e line. A b r e a k in a n y p a r t of t h e four-link chain of production, t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , refin ing, a n d m a r k e t i n g t h r o w s t h e e n t i r e i n dustrial machine o u t of gear. T h e fleet of American flag t a n k e r s , which t r a n s p o r t e d 96 p e r cent of t h e oil m o v i n g from t h e Gulf t o t h e Atlantic C o a s t , w a s reduced p r a c tically overnight b y t h e transfer of 50 oil carriers, o r n e a r l y o n e fifth of t h e t o t a l n u m b e r , t o British service.
O n c e again a n a t t e m p t is being m a d e t o involve professional chemists in t r a d e u n i o n activities. T h i s t i m e it is in Emeryville, Calif. A n d once a g a i n t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY reminds chem
ists a n d chemical engineers of t h e folly a n d h a z a r d s involved i n a n y surrender of t h e i r professional sta tus. If y o u h a v e n o t d o n e so, read "Forewarning"
in t h e N E W S
EDI
T I O N of J u l y 10, 1941, a n d refer again
to
the
NEWS
E D I T I O N , 17,
N o . 7, 249-52, April 10, 1939, a n d t o Industrial and Engineering Chem istry, 3 1 , 497 (1939) a n d 3 3 , 833 (1941).
The AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY assumes n o responsiblity for the statements and opinions advanced by contributors t o its publications. Published by the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Publication Office, 20th & Northampton Sts., Easton, Penna. Editorial Office, 1155 16th S t . , N . W., Washington, D . C ; Telephone, Republic 5301; Cable, Jiechem (Washington). Advertising Department, 332 West 42nd St., N e w York, Ν . Υ.; Telephone, Bryant 9-4430. Entered as second-class matter a t the Post Office at Easton, Penna., under the act of March 3 , 1879, as 24 times a year on t h e 10th and 25th. Acceptance for mailing a t special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, A c t of October 3, 1917, authorized July 13, 1918. Annual subscription rate, $2.00. Foreign postage t o countries not i n the P a n American Union, $0.60; Canadian postage, $0.20. Single oopies, $0.15. Special rates t o members. No claims can be allowed for copies of journals lost in t h e mails unless such claims are received within 60 days of the date of issue, and no claims will b e allowed for issues lost as a result of insufficient notice of change of address. (Ten days' advance notice required.) "Missing from files" cannot be accepted as the reason for honoring a claim. Charles L . Parsons, Business Manager, 1155 16th St., N . W., Washington, D . C , U. S. A.
