Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1571

Carbon of letter from Heath to Roger W. Babson, Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts

August 23, 1956

 

 

 

 

Dear Mr. Babson:

     I am very happy to have attended with my friend, Lilly Rona, your Conference at New Boston last Saturday. It is of much moment to me that your organization, so eminent in the dynamics of our exchange system, should seek in addition to this an understanding of the natural environment within which all human energy must flow.

     There is much analogy between the two. The human energy directed and distributed by the operations of business is called service. The flow of these services among business units and organizations is kept track of by accounting, which enables all parties to balance their accounts much as kilowatts are accounted for in systems of electrical flow. Perhaps gravitational energy when we know more about it, will be similarly distributed and accounted for.

     The only problem of business, in its purity, is how to have more of it. When the contract relationship, as against coercion, becomes better understood, free enter­prise will so extend itself as to take over the services which men must have in common, as well as those they can separately and individually enjoy. My own investigations as a research engineer have brought me to understand that the key to the extension of free enterprise into these wider fields is the institution of private property in land.

     Knowing your interest in the creation of values, both spiritual and material, I am sending you a critique on popular land communism as advocated in the classical, yet misleading, argument of Henry George.

     I enclose also the tentative outline of a prospectus for the coming community-wide organization of real estate as a field for highly profitable administration and invest­ment in public affairs.

     It was pleasant to meet with you personally after so many years’ knowledge of your constructive activities and success.

Sincerely yours,

SH/m

Enc:  “Trojan Horse of ‘Land Reform'”

“Notes on the Organization of Real Estate”