22 PHENOMENA, ATOMS, AND MOLECULES 



Basic Science Applied Science Percent 



Industry 9 i8o 5 



Government 7 50 I5 



Universities 23 33 70 



The main contribution that government can make through the pro- 

 posed Foundations is to lay better foundations of pure science which can 

 be freely used by all. Such results can best be had in universities. There are 

 two reasons for this : first, the universities provide the ideal environment 

 to stimulate fundamental science and second, the research spirit thus fos- 

 tered in the university gives an inspiration to the students which is essen- 

 tial for the further growth of both universities and industry. 



Universities are usually classed in the Kilgore bill as nonprofit institu- 

 tions. There are, however, some universities that are keenly aware of the 

 value of patents and which endeavor to arrange their research program 

 so that revenue from patents can support most of their research expendi- 

 tures. In such cases it is doubtful if the institutions should still be classed 

 as nonprofit organizations. 



The proposed Foundations of the Magnuson and Kilgore Bills are also 

 to initiate and support scientific research and development on matters 

 relating to national defense. Much of this work will of necessity be in the 

 field of applied science, and many of the projects, such as jet propulsion 

 planes or rocket missiles, will be of great magnitude involving the use of 

 heavy equipment and special metals available only in industrial plants. 



The nation's interest will then be served by carrying on such projects 

 in industrial laboratories. The experience and know-how of such labora- 

 tories may be of decisive importance in the placing of such contracts, just 

 as it often was during the war. Industrial laboratories of this type are 

 built and maintained to serve the industries of which they are part. They 

 are designed to earn a profit and ensure a continued existence to the indus- 

 try. There is nothing to be ashamed of in making such a profit. In fact, it 

 is a matter of vital public interest that industrial research laboratories can 

 receive incentives through the profits they can make. 



These laboratories are not organized to hire themselves out to anyone 

 who wants a job done and merely to receive pay for such services. The 

 patent provisions of the Kilgore bill, which puts all ownership of the re- 

 sults of research in the hands of the government, if any small part of the 

 research was paid for by the government, would usually make it impos- 

 sible for the government to get industrial laboratories to accept contracts 

 for such work. The reason that leads the government to desire contracts 

 for projects of this kind is a need to develop some device of importance 

 in national defense. If the government were to receive all rightlffor Army 

 and Navy purposes and leave all commercial rights with the industrial 

 laboratory, the government's interests would be protected. 



