Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2345

Letter from Herbert U. Nelson, Executive Vice President, National Association of Real Estate Boards, 1737 K Street N.W., Washington 6, D.C.

October 2, 1953

 

 

Dear Mr. Heath:

Thank you for sending me the material concerning the Science of Society Foundation. This material is very interesting, especially the various points that you make concerning the single tax.

 Personally, I have always been rather partial to the British plan of taxing real property on its income, rather than the ad valorem system which we use. In talking to real estate people in England, I have never found anyone who thought that the British method was unfair, whereas most of our own real estate experts feel that the ad valorem tax is not equitable.

 In Chicago, Mr. Clark the Assessor, did work out a plan whereby the income of business property was made a major factor in arriving at a practical value, and this practice is becoming increas­ingly common. Perhaps it may gradually replace the old-fashioned ways of assessment by the reproduction method.

Sincerely,

/s/ Herbert U. Nelson

 Executive Vice President