RED TAPE V. BRAINS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14567, 2 January 1911, Page 8

RED TAPE V. BRAINS

HOW INVENTORS ARE TREATED.

The refusal of the New South Wales Railway Commissioners to allow facilities for the trial of the Angus patent for avoiding railway collisions was strongly criticised by the State Minister for Public Works (Mr. Griffiths) in Sydney last week. He had, he said, some personal knowledge of the Railway Department, in this matter. An inventor had asked the Department to give his patent a trial, and was requested to furnish a full-sized model, to be fitted on a truck and tested. Ho did so, and after waiting a month he (Mr. Griffiths) wrote about it, and received a. reply that the device had been fully tested and found valueless. The inventor called at the office, and found that tho parcel containing the model had not even been opened. The model was taken to America, and was adopted by a large railway company, and had proved a distinct success.

A few weeks ago, he continued, he had seen si letter from the Commissioners in reply to a request from a railway employee to be allowed to take out a patent for an. invention. The workman was told ho might take out his patent at his own expense, but only 011 condition that lie allowed the Commissioners to use it free of cost. Mr. Griffiths is determined that, every stance shall be given to test any invention submitted.