12 



CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



is SO great as to render them mutually exclusive under existing conditions. 

 The distinction between invention and investigation is rarely understood and 

 is not always easily drawn. They are indeed closely allied ; for the inventor 

 is often compelled to make investigations and the investigator is often com- 

 pelled to devise inventions. It should be said also that the egoism of the in- 

 ventor which leads him to secretiveness and to seek state privileges through 

 patent rights has its correlative in the desire of the investigator to secure 

 priority of discovery and publication. The distinction is one of reversed 

 attitudes and objects. The inventor is primarily interested in direct personal 

 benefits which may come from the application of facts and principles in the 

 perfection of useful devices, machines, and processes. The investigator is 

 primarily interested in the discovery of facts and principles which may be 

 given freely to the world without expectation of immediate application or 

 hope of direct personal benefit. It is claimed, however, that the party of the 

 second part to be considered in all such matters, namely, society, is in gen- 

 eral disproportionately the gainer over both the inventor and the investigator. 

 The extensive evidence on this subject acquired by the Institution shows 

 clearly that the indirect advantages to the investigator arising from his altru- 

 ism are generally much greater than the direct advantages to the inventor 

 arising from his egoism. This evidence is, indeed, so convincing as to sug- 

 gest the desirability, at some future date, of the organization of a depart- 

 ment devoted to inventions, which, instead of being protected by patent 

 rights, should be protected, if at all, against them. It is plain, in fact, that if 

 society could make use of knowledge now available the labors of the expert 

 inventor could become far more fruitful, and far more satisfactory to him, 

 than they are at present. 



c- • 1 c. . . The sources of funds available for expenditure during 



rmancial btatement *^ ° 



for Fiscal Year the past fiscal year, the allotments for the year, the revert- 

 1911-1912. ments made during the year, and the balances unallotted 



and unexpended at the end of the year are shown in detail in the following 

 statement : 



* Unexpended amount. 



