Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1962

Pencil notes for a letter

Probably before World War II.

 

Original is in item 1961.

 

 

Dear Mr. Geer:

     Mr. Thomas K. Krug suggests I summarize for you the great new services the world is next going to receive and the mighty fortunes their giving will build.

     There are many sides to it, each supporting and being supported by all the others

     All social progress is in the performing of new kinds of services for which payment — fortunes — are made. New fortunes come from new services.

     It is public services, not private ones that are in default — governments always bankrupt and borrowing, always losing money instead of making fortunes.

     It is in the public field, then, that good services are most needed — a virgin field for great fortunes to be made. But government cannot make them. Fortunes are made by owners of properties. When the business of a city is well done then its population will prosper

    Fortunes are made by giving services, new and enlarged fortunes by new and enlarged services.

    Services cannot be performed without property — one’s own or borrowed property (capital) or one’s employer’s property.

    Fortunes are made, not from wages, but by administering owned or borrowed property and hired services and selling them or the use of them at a profit or net income — the earnings of administrative (including sales) services, whereof the selling is one part.

     Services, true services, because they are services, make the buyers of them able to pay for them.

     Periodical payment for the services of administering property is called the income from the property. The heading up of future income by anticipation is the price or capital value of the property — it transfers title.

     In any community, land is the first and basic property prior to all other titles. The land of a community, when owned for the sake of income (as capital) is administered by selling the use annual (or term) of it, including all __________ /check original/

     use of parts — the common advantages appurtenant to those parts — but not including improvements upon them owned by the exclusive occupants. The earnings of such administration are called ground rent.

     A community building, when owned (as capital) for the sake of income is administered by selling the annual (or term) inclusive use of parts of it, including all the common advantages appurtenant to those parts but not including any property within them that is owned by the exclusive occupants.

     Owners of a community’s lands (as capital) often also own capital improvements, buildings, of a community kind for the use of occupants in common. In such use they own two kinds of communities: (1) The natural com­munity (with its artificial common appurtenances called public improvements) and  (2) The artificial communities, buildings, with their separately occupied areas and spaces and their common appurtenances adjacent to and between their private areas and spaces.

     As land lords of buildings, such owners guarantee their tenants quiet possession and against molestation by any of the servants of the community building and take full responsibility for the community services appertaining to the private parts of the building.

     But as land lords of the natural community they do not guarantee their tenants quiet possession and against molestation by servants of the natural community.

     They leave these servants unsupervised and unpaid to prey upon the community occupants by taxation and the many other molestations that taxation supports, with such growing severity that the inhabitants become unproductive and unable to pay rent, their labor, capital and resources being less and less productively employed.

     When landowners discover that taxation strikes down production, the very source of their rents and values, they will take measures to diminish and finally abolish it from the practice of the general community servants just as they as landlords of community buildings forbid it to the servants who attend to common services within and adjacent to their community buildings — such as police and watchman services and every other service common to the inhabitants and appertaining to the private areas and spaces.

/Continuing on a later occasion:/

 

     New fortunes sleep in the unperformed services

     The world ever needs, dreams, yearns, for things that make it free from limitations — of time — space — desires

     As men were earthbound yesterday so are they government-bound today. How shall they be served, yet not enslaved?

    What fortunes will they not create out of their deliverance — and gladly pay.

     True services cannot fail of reward.

     For what it most needs the world most freely pays.

     Here is the formula for riches: Give the world what it most desires — most needs.

     Who can doubt that need now is protection from politics — of freedom to create and exchange.

     Fortunes come to owners who own and who administer their properties into services to those whom they serve.     As every land is owned by its land lords, so it must be served by them. And as they serve it, so will it enrich them.

     The enclosed printed pages show the owners what the occupants and users of their lands most need and must have, how to give this to them, and how vast rewards, values, riches with honors, will come freely in return.

     There are many aspects. The implications are vast.

     Only through property, not politics, is a community served.

    Property serves its customers; politics violates property, impoverishes customers.

______________________________

Mr. Gear

Dear Sir:

    Mr. Krug says in reply: Summarize to Mr. Gear.

So:

    Fortunes are made by serving — by aiding, prospering and, in case of need, protecting, customers.

     Only through property are large services performed. Owners of labor serve one employer. Owners of property serve millions.

     Every land, every improved community is like a hotel — owned by its land owners, its land-lords. By them alone can it be truly and without violence served. Only to them can it freely and without compulsion pay.

     The printed leaflet enclosed shows owners what services, what safeguarding, the occupants, users, of their sites and lands most need and must have, and what vast values, rewards, riches with honors, they then can and will give in return.

    A community is enriched only as it is served; not as it is enslaved. Only through property, not politics, can communities be served without being enslaved.

    While governments — their tyrannies and wars — impoverish and destroy, shall we only hope and bewail — or take time out to discover something — to really THINK?

     Sincerely,

S. H.

 

Encl:  “Questions for the Consideration of Land Owners”