New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-10
Should Uncle Sam Condemn
Wright Brothers Patent!

come 70 he a national demand for Il 20
great as 20 urge the action Of Cons ress and
the courts"
One point OF present day interest which
Mr.. Page avoided Is pointed out by Others
VINO are interested in the affairs of aviation.
II one corporation held the sole right 20 g.
aeroplanes. they say. II could stop al ex-
periments except those made by its own
experts To narrow thus the fed Of sS-
perinentaI work would OF course greatly
retard the evolution OF the asroplsns ints
a practical modern convenience In tAis 70
spec. the Wrights have been very generous
They have always refused 20 hamper Othsr
Investigators in their work II - pointed
OUT. however. that many circumstances
might arise which would take The controi
OF such things out OF their hands
In American business life TODAY there IS
q striking parallel 70 the ar monopoly
which Mr. Page fears for the futu-e. IN
1873 George B. Selden applied FOR a pstsnt
on a road engine 10 be driven BY a
liquid hydrocarbOn gas engine OF the com
preston type" His idea seemed imprac-
ticable: the inventor was more interested
in other things. and his application was
buried for fourteen years in the files Of the
Patent Once.
During those fourteen years the modefa
automobile was evolved. and was proved
10 be a convenience Of enormous prsc'ica
significance. Factories were started. when
turned out cars that were substanusi
enough 10 make the public buy them %
ride in and not for mere Curiosities. IN a.
this Selden took no part; he neither m
proved his invention nor tried 20 MARKS.
automobiles.
In 1895 Selden reminded the Patent OHrcs
that he had applied for a patent IN ls'~
The forgotten paper was dug ron ~
archives. ~ was found % be quite less'
and a patent was issued on the terms vhie"
IL prescribed. Those terms gave 20 sed'n
the exclusive right 90 msnufscturs T@
wagons driven with liquid hydrocarson
engines.
The fruits Of the patent we're gathered
1876. when the Association q Licensed AZ
tomobns Manufacturers formed What Par
ported 20 be a genuine monopoly OF ="
autOmobre manufacture o. the COUNTY,
The member companies had grown ID
sardless Of Seldsn and his patent. eut NV
document brought them together IN S0..
sal combination. which paid tribute 20 ~.
man whose interest IN the subject slept -
fourteen years The war OF the license
and unlicensed manufacturers anu
temporary settlement last fall BY dsS's'',
in circuit court favOrins the seidsn ~
ent are still recent history.
There Is ore other basic patent tnss -
aviatOrs think u worth COMPARING
small way with those of the Nrisht o.t
ers IL Is Alexander Graham Bells 'rs
patent on the telephOnr. How mueh nv"
II made for the inventor alone the mNS nv
himself does not know. When ~N'
court how much he was worth 80.
years ago. he replied that he could h'.
make an estimate He was sure ne oN
N.cc.co he said when pressed. sho a
fessed i'm succession 10 S.""' -.
and. finally. sl2Wooe. Beyond ths' -,
not positive What the tundamen's' -
on the telephone was worth e the ~
can Telephone and Telegraph Co"
which Il launched as the practical Ho =,
list OF a great public utility, eo1N
readily be reckOned
Wilbur Wright arrived IN town a" q
and the proposition for the sNsf ,,.s
condemn the wrish. patents ana P~s s,sa-
81. 600 GOO or 10000. OOO for them "AS
toned TO the aviator. a..
''Or course. IL would be possioe ~ s,.
government TO do sOmething aions ss,-,,m
but very probably he said tho .,sn:
brothers were not To blame tha' sun" az
like that was rot done long n.s
ono aundrod thousand dollars ms re
satisfied then and tAs Invention ''
, to even bOuy uoN.