Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1960

Pencil notes on pages inserted in a notebook containing the first draft of “Henry George — A Further Application of His General Principles” and dated 1934

Dear Fellow Single Taxers

     Those of you to whom the philosophy of Henry George is a living truth possessing power, benefit and beauty into which our understanding must ever grow, I greet you:

     Growth of and addition to our understanding need not be any contradiction to what we already know. New knowledge must always be built upon the old. When one of us catches a gleam of light from beyond the horizon, it would not be loyalty but treason to the spirit of Henry George for him to cover that new ray.

     I submit that the light which we all now see is this:

     It is necessary to the welfare of society to abolish all taxation save that on land value and that the title holders of land should administer its leasing or occupancy and turn over to the public servants for their services and proper expenses the entire rent of land, save only the value of their own services of administration and collection. I submit that this is both exclusively and inclusively exactly what Henry George in Progress & Poverty proposed. I believe that this is exactly what all followers of Henry George desire to bring about.

     Among the marvelous beauties, benefits and advantages to flow from the adoption of these measures there is one that has not been heretofore generally perceived.

Our proposal