Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-25
Letter Box.
A Plea for Government Control
Educ a%ions

Education.
] tNot Copyrighted No Rights ReservedJ
In these days when earnest efforts
are being made throughout the coun-
| try, and indeed throughout all the
world, for th" advancement of educa-
| ton. it would seem that some accepta-
Die plar could be formulated whereby
an equitable, worldwide publicity
might be given to every thought or
discovery or achievement the duplica-
ton o.; which in other minds or lives
would b" thu basis Of equal knowledge
and the foundation for Inventions
and discoveries and achievements far
beyond any which have heretofore
| been possible or even conceived to be
possible. Were it possible (and why
should il rot hc?) for the government.
having at its command a record of all
patented and copyrighted ideas of
value, to render to the discoverer or
inventor an entirely satisfactory
equivalent, these ideas or discoveries
to be at once made public, in every de-
| tail, by the government, for the edu-
cation of every individual in the Unit
| ed States ard a working basis for i'm
proved ideas Or discoveries or inven-
| tionS,-this Co-educative, comprehen-
| s;vc. magnificent brain combine"
embracing the brightest minds, the
keentst intcilects, and the widest and
most complete scientific knowledge,
| would put the entire world thousands
of years AHEAD of any stage of devel-
opment hitherto dreamed of. This
combine originating in the United
States, foreign countries would I'M
douDtcdlE wish to purchase, or to par
ticlpate in, or to exchange value for
value for such knowledge from our
country, and this income would put
| Inc United States in a position to
|rcndcr Still more attractive to it's
people che formation of a government
| al repository of national education
| free to all. This plan by eliminating
the selfish keeping to ones self of
| ideas which would be valuable and
/ sometimes indispens able to ALL and
which. would render each thinker cap
able Of better service to his country
| |eNery individual of it, and to future
generations. by giving therefor sat
isfactory money consideration or the
Suaranty Of a recognized equivalent
10 its worth. would place each inven-
|
to all hitherto acquired knowledge, to
| nave for starting point from which
| to acquire new Knowledge the arcu-
mulatcd treasures of the past No in
dividual living mas right to say that
any thought, or any invention. OF any
| achievement is his alone or that he
| has any logical right 50 to regard it,
Every particle Of reformation which
/ no
others, fror. his parents, his teachers,
his associates. his employers or en-
ployes, from newspapers and maya
zines and their makers, from books.
and before all ard above all from
God. To take to ones self the entire
credit, or claim the right to profit ex-
clusively from the result of ones
study is unjust to all who have con-
trlbutcd i'll any way to that success,
] as We'll as their heirs and descendants,
our fellow creatures When the gov
eminent Will pay these God endowed
| teachers of their fellow students, in
ventors, . fair equivalent for their
study earned ability to teach, whether
| It be as a prize a price, or a priv
elegc for their successful preparations
| they can then devote their time to
! further research and the further con-
Sequcnt bcstowal of benefits upon the
human race Teachers then, instead
|of spending long weary months to ac-
4ulrc knowledge that exists and which
Should be accessible to every one. and
being limited to reaching pupils mere
| ly such portions of knowledge as arc
| not patented or copyrighted, could
| nave ut connanG ard teach what the
world knows and how to obtain the
Knowledge. or such portion OF it as
scholars wish to use in their particu-
lar choice Of study. Every moment
| spent i'll trying to discover for Ones
self what another knows and could be
impaired instantly through mechani-
cal diffusion to teachers or papers, or
individuals ri accumulated data, is
waste effort if the pupil que stionins
is eager enough for the knowledge to
retain it when acquired. Multiplying
N" moments of study by the ropula-
ton Of the United States Cor of the
World will give the sum total of DOS
sl5lc waste of student time in seeking
| t. acquire what the government from
a properly conducted establishment
could communicate by wireless or tel
eSraph or telephone or newspaper or
book TO every section of the country.
and to the teachers of each school
according to needs and capacity for
: learning and teaching. of instructor
and pupil. When people are ranked
| by what they know, by what they
| have accomplished and by what thew
are contributing or have contributed
! to the worlds true happiness and
prosperity and equality, through the
f!lstrlnution of worth while KNOWLEDGE.
the world viii have taken a tremen
dous stride. To make this plan pos-
sible the government should be en-
powered to render each inventor a
satisfactory return for his achieve
ment, and each American should con-
tribute his share toward the payment
Of any invention the use of which will
benefit him and enable him to secure a
| like reward if he improves his oppor-
tunltles. Would not an investigation
INTO what is possible toward achieving
/ such a system of universal education
as would result from the relinuuish-
ing, for satisfactory consideration,