Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1679

Carbon of a letter from Heath to John Lawrence Monroe, Henry George School of Social Science, 236 N. Clark Street, Chicago 1, Illinois.

October 8, 1959

 

 

 

Dear John:

 

     It was most generous of you to write me on August 26^th suggesting a short visit and exchange of ideas with you and your associates on my next journeying west.

 

     My present plan is to leave here for California about the second week in November. I shall be most happy to arrange for a stop-over in Chicago when I do so. Many, many thanks for your kind letter.

 

     A copy of Citadel, Market and Altar was mailed to you as requested for the School on September 19^th, suitably inscribed. It occurs to me that in addition to this copy for the School, you might like to have one as a gift from me to you personally. If so, please let me know, and I will be happy to send one to you.

 

     With the copy of Citadel, Market and Altar sent to you for the School was included the following:

 

Society and Its Services (two copies)

The Organization of Real Estate

The Trojan Horse of Land Reform

The Economic Argument of Henry George

The Practice of Christian Freedom

The Christian Doctrine of Man

 

I hope you will find this somewhat heretical material of interest to you and in any case some food for thought, remembering Henry George’s statement in his preface to the fourth edition of Progress and Poverty that what he had most endeavored to do was to establish general principles, leaving it to his readers to make further application of them. More completely than any of his predecessors, he established the general principle that ground rent is nature’s perfect provision for the cost of public services. That was a great achievement and is beyond dispute. It is only in the matter of further application of this principle that any difference can arise — not the soundness of the principle but the propriety of the means or the manner of applying it.

 

     With many best wishes to you all,

 

                            Cordially,

 

 

sh/m

 

Inspiration of Beauty enclosed