A

1. What are the chief features of the United States patent laws ?

2. Point out the good and the bad phases of the patent system.

3. What is the value of a trade-mark to the producer? to the consumer?

4. How does a copyright differ from a patent?

5. What is a trust?

6. Are all trusts monopolies?

7. Are all monopolies trusts?

8. Why did the trust movement develop so rapidly about 1900?

9. What caused popular opinion to be aroused against the trusts?

10. What were some of the objectionable practices of the trusts?

11. What was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act?

12. How did this law affect the trusts?

13. How has this law been strengthened?

14. What is the difference between reasonable restraint of trade and unreasonable restraint of trade?

15. Why were early public utility corporations given so many privileges ?

16. Just how at the present time are these corporations usually regulated ?

17. What experience has this country had in price-fixing?

18. Why is price-fixing likely at all times to be unsatisfactory?

B

1. What steps would you take in securing a patent?

2. Make a short list of important inventions that have revolutionized American life and industry. Were these inventions patented ? Which of the patentees has been rewarded adequately for the labor and skill employed in perfecting his invention?

3. Mention twenty trade-marks with which you are familiar.

a. Would you consider them as assets of the concerns which own them? Why?

b. What similarities have you noticed in the trade-marks carried by the same kinds of goods?

c. Why do business firms often retain the names of members who have died or withdrawn?

4. Just how widespread is the practice of securing copyrights ?

a. How can you determine whether or not a publication is copyrighted ?

b. Is this book copyrighted? What is the evidence?

c. Make a list of ten books or other publications not copyrighted.

d. Are copyrights owned by publishers or authors?

5. Name ten concerns which you would class as trusts.

a. How many of the ten are manufactures?

b. Which of these appear to be monopolies?

c. Which, if any, have resorted to unfair competition ? Explain.

d. What is the general attitude of the people toward them?

6. Make a list of the public utility enterprises in your community.

a. Which of these are publicly owned?

b. Which are monopolies ?

c. Why does society permit monopolies in these enterprises?

d. To what extent are these enterprises regulated by law?

e. Is this regulation as effective as the regulation that would arise from competition? Explain.

1. "Some people deny that men who have a genius for invention and discovery require any special inducement to follow their natural bent." a. Just how does a genius differ from other persons?

b. Do all inventors have a genius for invention ?

c. Might genius be stimulated by a hope of reward?

2. Why are goods sometimes advertised," Not made by a trust" ?

3. During the early years of the trust movement the argument was frequently heard that the trust excelled all other forms of business organization in efficiency and economy.

a. What is the basis of that argument?

b. In what respects are trusts more efficient: i. In organization? ii. In buying? in selling? iii. In transportation?

c. What is the relation between this increased efficiency and prices ? 4. Because of increased costs of labor and material a street-railway president finds that a five-cent rate does not bring a fair return. How would he proceed to secure a six-cent rate?

Supplementary Reading

Ely, Outlines of Economics, 3d ed., pages 195, 230-247. Fetter, Economics, Vol. II, pages 427-457. Johnson, Introduction to Economics, pages 137-150. Seager, Principles of Economics, pages 442-471. Seligman, Principles of Economics, 5th ed., pages 340-350. Taussig, Principles of Economics, 2d ed., Vol. II, pages 419-442.