Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1558

Carbon of a letter from Heath to Eloise Michel McLendon, 243 West 54th Street, Apt. 1F, New York, New York

September 16, 1955

Dear Mrs. McLendon:

     It’s quite a long time since I have seen you but not very long since I have thought of you, for Mark Wolin and I often speak of what an interesting person you are. I have wondered how it happens that I have been so little in touch with you for quite a long time now. I remember your very active interest in economic matters and have been very much interested in your ideas as nearly as I remember them.

     On that point, of course, I have a few ideas of my own which I would like to compare with yours. I think we have been inclined rather to bark up the wrong tree in putting all the onus of our economic difficulties on the landowner, who provides a means for the peaceable and socially sanctioned, thereby secure, transfer of land. And we have paid too little attention to what Henry George calls, “those schemes of taxation which suck the life blood of labor and capital as the vampire bat is said to suck the life blood of its victims.” We certainly do not have any assurance that if we would tax the land owner out of his distributive function and let the politicians distribute the sites and resources of our communities, that we would be any less in the politician’s hand then than we are now.

     This, however, is technical stuff, and I think it would be much nicer if we could talk things over than write them to each other. Let me know if you are still in the city, and perhaps you and I and Mark and some others can have a pleasant evening or luncheon time to­gether. I should like very much to be more in touch with you.

Sincerely yours,

SH/m