Evening star., 1940-04-07
Industry Has
Registered
ManyGains
Example Given for
Other Countries
In This System
Bv Blair RO[[es.

Thomas Alva Edison, the newsboy,
Who became q millionaire, is just one
among many thousands of true
story Horatio Algers who rose from
rags to wealth in the United States
on the ladder Of their inventive
genius.
This week in Washington the
United States celebrates the 15Oth
anniversary of the founding of the
system which has made possible the
story Of the Edisons and the story
Of this country's arrival at pre-
eminence among all nations as q
center of industry.
On April 10, 1870, President
George Washington signed the act
of Congress that gave birth to the
American patent system. It was
revolutionary, providing rewards for
inventive genius, where in the past
in other lands the rewards had gone
to favorites of the crown. There was
no break for the inventor in those
countries. If he began in rags, he
might well end in rags, while some
body else took the riches.
Some monarchs not only granted
monopoly rights in use of inventions
to their favorites, they discouraged
invention by declining to grant even
monopoly patents. Such a one was
Elizabeth, the Good Queen Bess Of
England.
The leaders in the newly inde-
pendent United States decided at the
Constitutional Convention in 1887 to
make clean break with the patent
past. They decided to foster inven-
ton by assuring to the inventor the
fruits of his work. They felt that
thus they would spur the material
progress of the whole land.
Provision in Constitution.
So into the Constitutions Article
I, Section 8, they wrote a sentence
empowering Congress "to promote the
progress of science and the useful
arts by securing for limited times
to authors and inventors the exclu-
sive right to their respective writ
tngs and discoveries"
The act of 1870 fixed the period
Of exclusive right at IA years. Now
1t is II years talthough many in
ventors lose their exclusive right
because they cannot afford to fight
tnfringements).
Since 1890 almost every country
In the world has adopted patent
system copied after ours.
Since 1890 the United States Gov
ernment has issued 2,185,170 pat
ents, $1,000 of them in the last year.
They represent a varied lot of
inventions. There are the cotton
gin and a stickpin made Of candy,
which the wearer can eat when he
tires of using it to decorate his
eravat.
There is electric welding, which
provided jobs for 257,000 in 1887.
And there is an elaborate contriv-
ance of 1908 vintage for belling q
rat.
There is the telephone, which
represents an investment Of 1885,
600 1000. And there is bullet which,
In theory, at least, can be d1red
around q corner.
Rubber vulcanization, the sewing
machine, the Hoe press, the Hall
system for extracting aluminium, the
Nnotype-a great host of mechanical
and electrical marvels on which
American civilization rests-are all
inventions whose devisers received
their impetus from the knowledge
that the American patent system
would protect their interest in their
discoveries
In the Department of Commerce
many Of the original models of ia
NOUS inventions are on display. The
Patent Office has been part Of the
Commerce Department since 1925.
On Wednesday a great banquet
here will mark the high point in the
150th birthday celebration. DR..
Charles F. Kettering, president OF
the General Motors Research Corp,
one Of the great mechanical gen.
fuses Of modern times, is chairman
OF the Executive COMMITTEES IN