El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-17

"A LTHOUGH the patent system of
~ the world had its inception in
England. and finds its most eff
fectiye application in Germany today,
1t probably mas rendered its greatest
service in the United States. For IN
no other country have the material
rewards of successful inventors been
SO rich, even though it has been said
that the patent office is the graveyard
OF buried hopes and that inventors
die poor. The civilized nations of the
earth have issued 100000 patents,
and of this number 1000, 900 are to be
found IN the files of the Patent office
OF the United States
From time immemmorial the right
to grant exclusive privileges was con-
sidered the prerogative of kings,
among other privileges being that of
benefit from inventions and discoy-
cries This prerOgative was so abus ID
about the time of Elizabeth that ia
right to purvey the necessaries of
life. Others were inhibited from en-
gagfng in occupations that would con-
flfct with the wishes and desires of
royal favOrites. In 1923 king James
agreed that in future all patents
should be granted only to inventors
of new manufactures, and to them on
ly for limited time. But for many
years this law was interpreted entirely
in hostile way to the interests of IN
ventOrs. The patent was not even
prima facia evidence that the patentee
had made the invention. No margin
was conceded for possible error An
unapt title to his invention, an ILL
judged word in his specifications, an
incautious experiment. or the least dis
closure before the sealing of a letter
|, patent would end a patentee's privi-
leges. 1t was only natural that such an
attitude of hostility should result in the
issuance of only 1000 patentsc in $50
years.
Judges See Light.
Then Watt succeeded in Harvesting
machinery to steam, and Arkwright
hitched spinning to machinery. This
was followed by such a crop of in
Engagements that the courts became
fierce battlefields, and the Judges be-
gan to realize that inventors were pub
lie benefactOrs, worthy of all honors
and material rewards. In this atti-
tude they laid the foundation of mod
ern patent practice and the industrial
era that followed.
The idea came with the empire
builders to jamestown and Cape Cod,
and in 1641 the colony of Massachus-
y
patent for a new method of making
salt. In 1916 a patent was granted to
Joseph jerks for an engine for the
more speedy cutting of grass. This
engine" was nothing more than an
old fashioned moving scythe, but 1t
was the first of a long line of Ameri-
can agricultural machines which have
revolutionized the farm life of the
world.
Connecticut FavOrs Inventors.
The Connecticut colony was strongly
in favor of encouraging inventors,
and in the century preceding the rev
olution granted many patents In 1872
1t passed a general law that there
should be no monopolies granted or al
lowed except on valuable inventions,
the length of time covered by a pat
ent being within the discretion of the
general court From that day TO che
present, the people of Connecticut
have taken out more patents per cap
tia than those of any other state.
The convention that framed the
American constitution had been sit
ting for three months before the pat
ent question was brought up Many
propositions were introduced, but the
final enactment provided that congress
should have the power Ito promote
the progress Of science and the useful