Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-21
TO BE AN ASSAULT
ON PATENT SYSTEM, BY
GILBERT II. MONTAGUE.
GREAT CORPORATIONS GIVEN
ADVANTAGE OVER COMPETITORS
Speaker Maintain. That Existing Laws
Are Sufficient to Effect Cure for Al
legged Evils Of Present Patent System
Foreign Situation and Patent Laws
Discussed at convsntin.

Detroit, Mich, May 21.-Discussions
of Recent Assaults on the Patent
System; What They Mean to the Man
ufacturers." problems of Industrial
Education and European Laws and
the American Manufacturer" were
among the topics discussed at today
session of the American Manufactur-
ers Association.
Today was the last business day of
the session and it was expected Off
GERS would be elected today before ad-
iournment.
vigorous attack against the Old
field bill was made by Gilbert H. Mon
tague. of New York, in mis- remarks OH
the patent situation.
THE Old field bill proposes" he said,
that if any applicant shall establish
in a federal district court that a pat
ent owner who has purchased a pat
tented invention from the original in
ventor. is Withholding II with the re-
suit Of preventing any other person
from using the patented process, more
than three years after the patent is is
sued. the court shall order the patent
owner to grant a permit to the appl.-
cant to use the patent The burden of
litigation which this proposal involves
would give large corporations the
greatest advantage over the ordinary
patent owners. The excuse offered for
this universal prescription Of patent is
that patents are some times sup
pressed.
Suppression Of Patents Not Shown.
For twenty-seven days the house
committee took testimony on the Old
field bill and not a single case of sup
preston was cited. Almost unanimous
ly the witnesses opposed the bill with
positive proof that its proposals were
unwise.
eff the small independent manufac-
turer could be compelled to license his
big competitor to manufacture all the
second and third best inventions he has
acquired, his big competitors with their
superior advantages OF capital and
selling organization. could soon crowd
the smaller manufacturer completely
off the market.
Existing Laws Sufficient.
"In the closing sessions Of the old
congress, members Of the house COM
mttee, representing both parties. unit
ed in a minority report against the
Oldfeld bill. They showed that every
evil for which the bill! has been urged.
could be cured under existing laws,
and under the Sherman act. as has
been shown By court decisions, the
patent law affords no protection
against any form Of restraint in trade.
If American manufacturers and In
ventors whose existence is now threat
ened by the Oldfield bill will join hands
with the opponents Of the bill the pat
ent system can be saved"
DR.. John H. Leet, dean Of the School
Of Applied Science, Carnegie Institute
Of Technology. Pittsburgh. Pa. read a
paper on Fundamental Problems Of
Industrial Education" AS remedy for
lack of school education in Industrial
lines he urged:
"The provision Of vocational train
ing for the different fields Of industrial
activity, approximately commensurate
to the demand for trained men III those
fielCs: more efficient direction Or the
students toward the work to- which he
is best adapted; facilities for supple
mentary education for the workmen
and cooperation on the part of the
Industries to make such continuation
schools efficient"
Should Study Foreign Laws.
A. ]. Wolfe. commercial agent lot
the United Sttaes department of COM
,nerce. speaking on European Laws
and the American Manufacturer" told
in detail of a recent six months study
of European laws and commercial or
eanizations, concerning which he VIII
make a report to the department ol
-~,,roa ua urged American man
nraeturers to always acauaillt them
selves with foreign laws before estap-
itching foreign branches or agent. The
fact that words and terms have an
entirely different meaning in dinerens
countries led to needless ntigatloh
which could be avoided II the Amerl-
can manufacturer had acquainted hfm-
self with foreign conditions.