The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-07
AND MONOPOLY

IN EN- HUN AMI IlONOEOLI
The United States Patent Office
reports that between rs and 80 per
cent of all inventions are now pat
ented by corporations. This i'm
portant fact illustrates the collec-
tive nature of present-day technical
and scientific work. The old handi-
craft methods Of the lone investi-
gator have become obsolete. They
have been replaced by the collective
work Of huge laboratories, operating
like big factories. The individual
inventor cannot compete with the
research halls Of great monopoIes
with their large finances, remark
able technical skill and corporation
lawyers.
But the sew form that invention
has taken has put it all the more
under the thumb Of big business.
The inventor and scientist have be-
come integral parts Of the profit
making machine, and they can only
work at those things that promise
profits to their company. When
they complete a job, there is no
assurance that 1t will be used. II
the company decides to bury it in
the files, the invention disappears
and is never heard of again.
The Inventor does not profit from
his discovery. The patent rights
belong to the company. He con-
tinues to work at a miserable wage,
which is often as low as SIS a week.
Because big business dominates the
flow of invention, it can sabotage
all discoveries that 90 not make for
war and profits, and keep the re-
search worker harassed and IN
derpaid employee.
FOREST FIRES AND INSECTS
Foresters have found that forest
fires are a frequent aftermath of
large-scale insect outbreaks in the
woods. Large areas of timber are
attacked by defoliating or boring
insects that kill a high percentage
of the woods that are often swept
later by conflagrations that cannot
be controlled.
One of this years worst forest
fires, 5000 acre fire in the Col
vile National Forest in Washing
ton, burned through a stand of
Douglas fir that had been killed in
1880 by the Douglas-fir tussock
moth. In 1929, a forest fire swept
through large area Of beetle killed |
lodgepole pine in the Chelan Ma
tional Forest in Washington. Thou
sands of acres of hernlock and
spruce on the Oregon coast which
were killed by an outbreak of the
hennlock topper we're subsequently
destroyed by tremendous fires.
The dead branches both in the
insect-killed trees and on the
ground provide plenty of fuel for
sparks or chance flame. The de-
foliated trees offer little resistance
to the sun and the litter on the
forest floor is more readily dried |
out. Some insect outbreaks kill |
from so to 90 per cent of the tim
Der In the stand where they &C.
cur. And even a so per cent kill
opens the forest canopy enough to
keep the material on the ground
in highly inflammable state. In
addition, the dead timber supplies |
numerous dead stems which aid in
starting lightning fires, in supply |
ing fuel for the flames, and in
throwing burning twice or pieces Of |
bark across fire lines.
A RICKETS PREVENTIVE
Until now it was believed that
Vitamin D was the only substance
that could prevent ricketts,. But
Professor Lester Yoder of the Iowa
State College reports in a recent is
sue Of Science that he has found
another preventive, which differs
from the vitarnin somewhat in
chemical composition.
The new substance has the name
.cholesterilene sulfonic acid Ac-
cording to the professor its ricketts,
power has been tested
IN the laboratory, but it will not be
put out as a substitute for the vi
tamin. He gives the rather disin-
genuous reason that he must first