The Washington times., 1932-11-17
Skipping Edison

few days ago Charmon Wiegand described the
American the system of invention used Russia and the
item about rewards and royalties just thrown in The
system greater than the defect it workers gathered
together to study invention, to decide what needed and to
discover of meeting the needs This is different from
system under which 10 may be trying to make the
same thing and the thing itself not be either necessary
desirable if is and looks good will make money
we are still IN the Edlsonstage of nventng great stage
for country which not yet fully developed ndusray;
Russia has eaprogged this step and landed in the research
laboratory cooperative field of invention as we practice it
under the patronage great industrial
Yet lam sorry that Russia has compromised even little
If it had not Russia could have done one of two things
down to disaster and fortified the capitalist system
by proving that its enemies weaker; or given us
great object lesson knocking supersons about money
and rewards into cooked hat-and, if we had sense
enough teaching how to reform way of conducting
business The compromise cheers because have
terribly afraid of Russia but it teaches very little
Try This One
Our crisis has, however, taught us something. In
Russia regardless of few prizes people work because they
have to work in order to live We in the same
state Say to inventor, ''We will give you food
Clothes ard place to sleep; will give you laboratory
and all the equipment you need; go ahead, invent You
won't get extra cent if take your invention but if
do you will have better equpment-and the same food
and clothing and free rent How many of them do YOU
think would reject the offertoday? How many would fall
back the coypbook maxim that without the incentive of
great financial reward would have inventions?
Apply the test bookkeepers brokers' brcklavers
and on down the line
Brother Not Mister
made mistake the other day. The of the song
/
and one Of my vicious correspondents wants to know
whether the slip wasn't psychological "Isnt it because
don't feel yourself brother to the beggar? he writes
Aren't trying to escape your share in the brotherhood
q of man."
Yes
myself see virtue in doing dimes to brothers To
strangers to people whose mseres unknown to me
and whose msortunes cannot affect me- give with some
of kindness If my brother Heaven forefend needed
dime from the situation would be unusual and the
psychological effects quite different
think that at the time should have been socialist (of
the collegiate nd deferred by the furious nssence
OF all socialists calling all except capitalists Com
rade They did not seem comradey, to the other:
and they weren't comrades of mine Comradeship is
personal relations brotherhood creating new
system of society economic relation and has nothing
whatever to do with personal feelings.
An ldeaIist's Hangover
The truth is that the comrade brother idea sprang from
the older type of communism when Fourier and St. Smmon
and dozens of others thought that you could reparce the
world off into small communes groups or phaanseres
and that IN these groups every would actually know
and love every other 1t sweet dea you see it. some
times IN small farming communities (where however know
ing and loving do not always go together You do not
see It, fear in Russian factories There is COM
mon enthusiasm which unites the Russians common en-
terprse which makes them feowsodier But fraternity
isn't an emotion to be broadcast Even the most ecund
OF parents can bring forth only brother or SO wear
10 run brotherhood into the millions is little vulgar