Montgomery County sentinel., 1932-05-20
Oar Great Patent system.

Science moves in mysterious way its
wonders to perform. Certainly il would
have been impossible for the scientific
achievements of transportation. communi-
cation. industry, medicine, and ell other
branches Of the various professions coming
under the general heading Of research and
development to have reached their present
degree of perfection without the patent
system of this country as a SAFEGUARD
against infringement.
DR.. Frank B. Jewett. vice president of
the American Telephone and Telegraph
Company and president of the Bell TeIe-
phone Laboratories. said at the recent
opening Of the new Patent Office in WASH
fneton. D. c.. THE patent system Of the
United States is vast influence not alone
in stimulating to the limit inherent in.
eenuity. but greatly accelerating the appli-
cation Of science to the affairs Of everyday
life. 1t is essentially impossible to con-
ceive Of our pfesent-day country having
developed in the absence of the patent
system. No mere food of immigration
either Of human beings or ideas however
large, could within the space Of $50 years
have transformed a meager agricultural
frontier into the greatest industrial nation
on the earth"
With the workings Of the patent system,
according to DR.. Jewett, there have been
placed in the hands Of the people Of the
United States during this past century and
half, vast array Of toos. for the most
part labor saving in character, these tools
have enabled new and relatively sparce
population to subdue and develop wider
ness and at the same time to do II under
conditions which have raised the average
standards Of living and enjoyment Of life
to heights fer beyond anything heretofore
conceived possible or elsewhere obtained
That people have not always 10 the past
and are not now utilizing the things Of
their creation to the maximum advantage
Of the people in the matter of greatest
happiness, contentment or release from
drudgery. Is no basis for valid criticism
against the patent system or its continued
maintenance. Rather. it is an indictment
Of the rate Of progress as human beings in
the social and political relations as regards
the elements Of greed and avaricp, Of lust
for power. and Of just regard for the CON-
mon decencies of living together.
10 this respect the urgent problems Of
the present AMI the future are not con-
cerned with stopping or diminishing the
flow Of new things into the current OF lifes
activities. but are rather the problems of
finding the best way of utilizing these
things and of distributing the benefits Of
that use to the best advantage Of all citizens
TO me" DR.. Jewett said. "the idea that
there should be holiday in scientific
research, In the quest for new and useful
applications of science. or weakening Of
the forces such as those which result from
the urge Of our patent system, as many now
urge, is an abhorrent thought. Instead
would seek to stimulate increase of activity,
since to me there is nothing repugnant in
the idea Of goal which has for its aim
the minimum of human drudgery and the
maximum OF human enjoyment in living
To me the great problems ahead are the
problems Of so distributing the benefits Of
our human ingenuity and of so educating
people in the profitable use Of these benefits
and Of the time salvased from the mere
daily operation of securing food, shelter
and raiment. that the sum total Of our
effort will be happier world for our de-
scendants than the one we now know"