Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2551

Letter from J. M. Barker, 7447 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, Illinois

April 22, 1957

Dear Mr. Heath:

It is thoughtful of you to send me the copy of your memorandum to the editor of the Harvard Business Review on Dr. Ohmann’s article, “Skyhooks.” As one who has been concerned throughout a long lifetime with the problems of business, in­cluding finance, production and distribution, I believe that I am as enthusiastic as anyone can be for our free enterprise system. I was a guest at the session of the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies some years ago, at which Dr. Ohmann developed orally some of the ideas which he later put in this “Skyhooks” essay. Perhaps I read what he wrote in his paper with a background of understanding from personal acquaintance, which merely reading his written words would not give. I did not sense any “imputation of essential wickedness to our economic system of production and exchange,” nor did I feel that he was denigrating our golden rule system of free contract and mutual service by consent and exchange. I have to admit that the process of production by assembly line, which is so necessary a part of our system of mass production in this country, probably does not give the spiritual satisfactions that the craftsman of earlier times got from his work. Mass production through this assembly line process is a necessary element in our improving standard of living. I have felt for a long time that the economic principle of the division of labor, so necessary in our modern western world, does not offer the inward satisfactions to the participant on the assembly line that the craftsman had in older times. My own feeling, however, is that there has been a distinct improvement in this evolutionary process which is mitigating the dwarfing effect on the workman’s mind. In any case, the over-all advantages to our western civilization far outweigh its disadvantages. I am inclined to think that Dr. Ohmann recognizes this but did not make it plain that he was not criticizing the whole free enterprise system.

 Dr. Ohmann is fortunate in having the benefit of thoughtful and philosophical comments on his paper from men like yourself. For my part, I am appreciative of your thoughtfulness in giving me a chance to read what you have said.

 I am sorry to say that I am not familiar with the Found­ation, of which you are director. I should be interested to know more about it.

Sincerely yours,

JMB:ma