WHO’S THE INVENTOR?

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2754, 14 December 1871, Page 3

WHO’S THE INVENTOR?

To ike Editor. Sib, —All 1 contended for, Mr Snowden has conceded. He admits he is not the inventor of either the stamp or the ingenious mechanism which contains it. Tbe Time* therefore erred in ascribing the invention to Mr Snowden. This is so far satisfactory. But Mr Snowdon docs not make the admission gracefully. While his modesty is evidently shocked at the extravagant praise hesto 'cd by the Times , he still appears to think himsdf entitled to some qualified commendation. As the inventor he has no claim ; and though ho has been, perhaps rudely, reduced from his giddy position on the pedestal, he still claims a niche for himself as an “Improver.” In what consists his improvements ? His letter fails to show us. He would hardly claim to have “ improved ” the stamp? The improvement—if tin re be any—must be ther fore iu the ingenious brass frame which supports the stamp ? Now, I repeat emphatically, that in the stamps prepared by Mr Snowdon there is no one departure from the original French stamp which has been in use for years. And I might add, without any violation of trade secrets, that I can obtain, precisely it* Mr. Snowden will obtain, any number of these stamp rests from a house in Melbourne; where they are manufactured. Mr Snowden pray be assured that I know more of this modification ” than he is aware of, and that his beautiful simile of having only taken ‘ ‘ a side glance, like a bull at a gate” does not apply.—Your, &c. Balcii. Dunedin, Dec. 14.