Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-09
INVENTORS AND THE PUBLIC.
The Relation of the One to The other,


IBy James y. Whitney, Ii D., Counsclor-a,-LawI
The antl-patent sentiment annually dis
played by the House of Representatives
and this year embodied in some pecu-
harly Objectionable bills, adds cogency to
the question of the real relation of the
inventor to the public. When legisla-
tors regard the creators of wealth as sub
ject5 for invidious restriction, it is time
for those who make Legislators TO investi-
gate the question for Themselves A brief
survey may be best col Quoted from the
three points of view Of the relative re-
ward of the inventor, the utility of even
small Improvements in promoting the in
terests OF capital and labor, and the true
source Of the perennial assaults made
upon the rights of inventors and patent
eCs.
As concerns tine first cf these the his
tory OF every industry wiunishes proofs by
the score. \ few examples from different
industrial arts will illustrate tine truth
that the profit to the inventor is only ii
fragment of that which falls to the share
OF the public at large. A patent railway
brake, largely litigated Il few years ago,
was shown to have saved SG2 OOO, 600 to
the railway companies during the term of
VIZ pow ~, ''I'', VI OOlllSN llllS economy
continued after the expiration of the pa
tent bat the inventor is understood to
have received practIc Ily nothing.
During tue late war the government
saved four millions of dollars in the cost
OF horsc-shucs from Burden machine for
making them. This was only Que item OF
the saving to the public. But 4}urdcn
worked at horseshoe machinery for twcu-
ty Years before the successful machine of
1917 WAS completed. He. however, WAS
more fortunate than most Inventors, for
he ut last made some uinc hundred thou
sand dollars out OF the business. The
copper-t)cd shoe saved from SIX to twelve
million dollars annually, to the public Ill
wear and tear Of foot gear. After four
teen years OF waiting the inventor made
S61 900 cut Of it, The Waterman pro-
cess of tempering wire reduced the cost
from - pound 10 three cents. A paper
folding B-machlne saved two million two
hundred and forty odd thousand dollars
Ill fourteen years to the book and news
paper trade. In these cases the invent.
ors profits were small percentage OF the
total benefits conferred. Nearly forty
years ago Il fourteen-year patent was
granted for an improvement in lead pipe
The inventor made Sl4,0 ont of it all
told, but the public has protited about Il
quarter OF million every year. An in
ventor made 81, 600 i'll fourteen years
from patent on stoves in that period
the invention saved to the users S275, ,0OU
IN fuel. The wire bottle-stopper fusten-
ing yielded the inventor S20,0 900 in nine
years, and saved 80, 600, 600 to manufac-
turers of soda water aud other bottled
liquids III the same time. While the in
yentor was making 81 from the patent
the publlc was making $50 from the III.
ventlon. The open slot IRON tie for
ton bales netted the inventor less n
five thousand dollars, while i'll thirteel
years it saved the cotton trade a million
and half. Stewart sugar process yield
ed him less i'll fourteen years than th,
sugar manufacturer made from it ever,
six weeks. The Cahoon lamp burne
saved the public 50 i'll lamp chlmneys 70
each solitary cent it yielded the inventor
The BigelOw carpet loom profted tn
patentee only 10 per cent, of what it pro
fitted the public during the life Of the pa
tent. Years ago the Hoe press saved il
twelve months $3.50, 600 in one New YorI
newspaper office alone. Such are the re
suits ot inventions and it is mcnslik
these inventors who are singled out b
the House Of Representatives for plunde
and persecution. 1t may be remarked i
this connection that the data above give
are derived from sworn statements i'll r.
corded patent proceedings.