Evening star., 1937-07-18
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and there is no indication the tide
is about to recede.
Any one who predicted seriously a
half century ago the present-day world
of millions of automobiles. millions OF
radios, telephones, airplanes, stream
lining and air conditioning, would
have been looked upon as a lunatic.
Yet every one of them might have
been predicted, it is shown, on the
basis of ideas and gadgets actually
in existence. Almost inevitably there
is long gap between the birth of an
idea and the time when it begins to
affect the ways of life of the general
public-time enough for a planning
board at least to soft-cushion the
consequences.
Nearly everything seems to point
to faster and easier life for the
American people and more and more
Capitalization of human activities.
Roosevelt Lauds Report.
On receipt of the report President
Roosevelt issued the following state
ment:
"A review of new inventions and
the problems of change which they
carry with them is made for the first
time by the Federal Government in
this comprehensive survey OF tech
nolgogical trends in major indus
tria b4 81
plans we need continuing surveying
agencies.
In our planning for the Nation we
must view the general causes and
trends that bear on our welfare.
Any specific program may be affected
by forces originating outside a par
ticular problem This report holds
out the hope that We can antici-
pate some of the affects Of major
inventions and make plans to meet
new situations that will arise as these
inventions come into widespread use.
While it is certain that much
of the unemployment caused by the
march of technical advance is alb
sorbed by new occupations born of
new industries. it is equally true that
in the meantime labor may pay
very heavy price through the read
Justment and adaptations necessary
on the part of workers whose jobs
are affected by change. Employers
likewise are deeply affected by swift
archaeological changes producing OBJ
solescence and displacement of cap
ital investment.
More than jobs and investment
are affected by technical change:
Family, church, community. State
and all industry are subject to its
influence. Study and investigation
of chronological advances and their
social implications constitute one of
our most important American plan
ming problems.
Il commend this report for earn
est consideration in solving the
great problem of how best to con-
serve and develop our vast national
resources. A study of this report will
be OF help not only to the public serv-
ants in the legislative. executive and
judicial positions of government, but
also to others in private employ, busi-
ness, Journalism, agriculture and the
teaching professions.
100000 Patents Predicted.
During the next 80 years, the re-
port predicts. there will be at least
100000 patents issued Many of
them will be useless, some of them
silly and the majority will have little
actual effect on the ways of life of
the American people as a whole
Some, it is entirely proba BILE, will
be along lines now undreamed of
and will be revolutionary. The COM
mlttee makes its cautious predic-
tions only on the basis Of what now
exists in theory or even actual prac-
tice-like the autogyro and televi-
sion-Which need only technical i'm
provement or commercial exploitation
to become vital factors in daily life.
Such a development as trans-Atlan-
tic air passenger service, for example,
seems just on the edge of being
practical, although generation may
elapse before all the difficulties that
now stand in its way are overcome.
1t is highly probable, the report
stresses, that the great developments
Of the next few decades will be of
devices based on principles already
known. However startling and sound
new discovery, the public always
is 10th to accept it. 1t took the
World War to make aviation a factor
in everyday life The principles of
radio were known to science at least