Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1548

Carbon of a letter from Heath, The Science of Society Foundation, Roadsend Gardens, Elkridge, Maryland, to George S. Montgomery, 488 Madison Avenue, New York 22, New York.

July 1, 1955

Dear Mr. Montgomery:

     Ever since reading your Return of Adam Smith, and reflecting much upon it, I have had you in mind with a view to your more or less active cooperation in advancing a sound understanding of our free enterprise and free society along the lines so admirably laid down by Adam Smith.

     There is, of late years, a growing, substantial opposition to the totalitarian drift. Since my retirement from active business, I have been strongly in sym­pathy with this negative opposition, but this alone has not satisfied me. I have been forced to recognize that this at its best could only defer, in the long view, the self-increasing role of government.

     As a research engineer, I have long believed that we could discover a positive technology in which the contractual and non-coercive processes of free enterprise could extend themselves into the administration of those services and commodities which can be had only in community form as well as those individual services that can be separately provided and enjoyed. Adam Smith laid it down (Wealth of Nations, Modern Library edition, p. 248) that the land-owning interest is the one and only portion of society whose private advantage is directly and immedi­ately identical with the public advantage. Following this, and noting with what disastrous results Henry George (and land nationalizers generally) went off on a wholly different tangent, I have developed a positive, new aspect looking to the evolution of proprietary com­munity administration to displace by its own natural growth the customary political mal-administration of which we have so much to complain. I have found the virtues of society more interesting than the vices of government.

     To publicize this through my remaining years by good employment of some substantial financial resources of my own, is my single remaining objective. I want your sympathy and friendship, and your professional assis­tance and advice in my conduct of this enterprise through the mazes of taxation and other political obstacles it must overcome or evade.

     On the accompanying sheet, I have very broadly out­lined the kind of organization I hope to establish, tax-free as far as possible. One of the first organ­ized activities will be the publishing of a comprehensive outline of the nature and functioning of society, en­tirely apart from the political. This is now in pre­paration for printing by the publications department of the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, by consent and encouragement of my very wonderful friend, Dr. Edward McCrady, the Vice-Chancellor, although the principal distribution will probably be from New York.

     Your secretary was very courteous to me upon my calling at your office in your absence some time ago and in bringing about a kind letter from you to me. When I get back to New York, I hope I may have the pleasure of your company as my luncheon guest.

Sincerely yours,

 

 

SH/sm

Enc:  Preliminary Statement of Purposes.