Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 161, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1915 — WILL COT GASOLINE [ARTICLE]

WILL COT GASOLINE

United States to Reduce Price With New Device. Secretary Lane Says Rittman Process Will Be on a Commercial Working Plane Very Soon —Benzol Price to Bp Less. Washington.—Secretary Lane of the department of the interior is trying to preserve .for the people of the United States the processes devised by Dr. Walter F. Rittman, Chemical engineer of the bureau of mines, to procure gasoline and benzol at a much lower cost than that they are now obtained. “Excellent progress is being made in the development of .the Rittman process," said Secretary Lane, “and there is every reason to believe that both the gasoline and the benzol processes will be on a commercial working plane within a reasonably short time. I am informed that the gasoline process is now ready for large scale industrial applications and the hope is expressed that the benzol process will be ready soon. “The benzol process is being developed in co-operation with the Aetna Chemical company of New York, which company has entered into an agreement whereby all patentable equipment, processes and ideas available as a result of the co-operative work will be turned over to the department to be dedicated to the public. “The department stands'ready and is anxious to enter into similar agreements with any other companies in the country that will agree to the same terms —that all processes and ideas patentable in the development of either process shall be turned over to the department for the use of the public.

“The department is willing for all who are desirous of making use of the processes to do so to the fullest possible extent consistent with the proper protection of the. processes in order that the public may derive the greatest measure of benefit therefrom. It looks as If it would be only a short time before the complete mechanical equipment necessary for the practice of the processes has been worked out and the inventions covered by patent applications. "The department considers that all those desirous of employing the processes should agree to contribute to the public in the same manner that Doctor Rittman has done with his basic patents, all patentable ideas that may be conceived as a result of the employment of these processes. “This is the condition that the department imposes, and its rep-

sonableness will become apparent when it is considered that Doctor Rittman has given to the public, through the department, processes which conservatively might be worth millions of dollars were they controlled by a private industrial concern exclusively for its selfish purposes. “As soon as the department is assured that the public’s interests are properly safeguarded, a full and complete scientific paper describing the processes will be issued. In the meantime, the processes will be open to anyone who wishes to develop them under the conditions imposed. “At the first public demonstration of the Rittman benzol and gasoline processes, held March 8, before the representatives of the army and navy, the General Chemical company, the Aetna Chemical company, the Standard Oil company of Indiana, the Du Pont de Nemours Powder company and some twenty or more representatives of the National Petroleum association and' other prominent refining interests throughout the eastern part of the United States, announcement was made that both processes might be used by all interested persons upon application to the department At the same time, however, because of the desire to give the public the fullest possible benefit of the Rittman processes, it was stated that the use of the processes would be coupled with the condition that the person using the same would give to the public the benefits of such ideas along mechanical lines as they might conceive during the employment of the processes.”