Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2262

Letter to Heath at Roadsend Gardens, Elkridge, Maryland from H.B. Cowan, Director of Research, International Research Committee on Real Estate Taxation, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

January 15, 1941

 

 

Dear Mr. Heath:

 

     In answer to your letter of January 10 would state that as far as I know there has been practically no interference, in any of the countries I am to visit, on the part of political authorities in the distribution of sites. Canberra, the capital of Australia, where the land is owned by the government, might be considered an exception but that is the only one.

 

     So far, about all that has been done has been to remove taxation from improvements and to increase the tax on land values. Sites are bought and sold exactly as they are on this continent except in Canberra where they are leased on long term leases.

 

     Thanks for letting me see the copy of your letter to Mr. Chodorov. It is not a letter that can be read and comprehended, the first time, without considerable mental concentration. I notice that it is an elaboration of some of the basic principles you have set out so clearly in some of the other material you sent me and which reveals much original thinking on your part for which, I feel, you have not received sufficient credit. In one of my previous letters I advised you that I was in general agreement with your conclusions and that I believed that it would be all to the good if landowners generally realized the importance of the matter and acted accordingly.

 

     I have been hoping that it will be possible for me to leave on the inquiry by boat from Los Angeles on February 5. If I am delayed it will be due to some difficulty our Canadian committee is experiencing in raising their share of the expense involved. Hon. Gordon W. Scott, of Montreal, who, as you may have noticed by the press, lost his life recently by enemy submarine action while on his way to England, was to have rendered important assistance in this matter.

 

     You may remember that in your address in Toronto you tactfully suggested that some of our Single Tax friends have unintentionally antagonized many influential people whose support they need if they are to obtain general acceptance for their views. I have had many opportunities to find how true that is. The result has been that I have not encouraged the appointment to the committee of a number of otherwise good men whose presence on it might arouse opposition because of the extreme views they are believed to hold. The result is that they have been, or appear to have been, somewhat hurt as they are refraining from giving any financial support although much interested and impressed by the remarkable response that the project has received in quarters which hitherto have shown very little interest in the matter. As soon as this last hurdle has been cleared I will be off. I purpose doing a thorough job and expect to be away about seven months. What has been said does not apply to such men as Herbert T. Owens and Mr. Patterson, of Toronto, and John Anderson, of Montreal, who are giving the movement every support in their power.

 

     Your good wishes are fully appreciated and I will seek to deserve them.

 

                        Sincerely yours,

 

 

                            /s/  H.B. Cowan