Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2428

Carbons of letters of November 1 and December 20, 1955, to Thaddeus Ashby, 1521 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles 17, California, and Ashby’s response, undated.

 

 

Dear Mr. Ashby:                       November 1, 1955

 

From reading some of your articles in FAITH AND FREEDOM and hearing about others that have not yet come to me, I feel like writing you about a dramatic story that I have been trying to get competently written.

 

 I am enclosing herewith a mimeographed copy of the story in its present state, the first part of which I think is very good. But from about the middle on, it is not well dramatized, nor does the writer show any great fervor or enthusiasm for the system of community organization that has been developed.

 

  Knowing your powerful incentive in favor of free enterprise, that is, non-political administration, I do not hesitate to ask you to examine this narrative with special attention to the general idea that it is intended to convey, and to give me your ideas as to how I can get it re-written, especially the last half of it, in a truly vivid and dramatic form.

 

 Mr. Opitz has been kind enough to suggest to me that you could make a wonderful job of it, and I thoroughly agree.

 

 I have written and in a small way published some brief articles in support of proprietary administration, which has been so fruitful in our private affairs, to supply our common and public needs. I am sure  you will get the idea from the story I am sending you, but I am also enclosing by way of supplementary material, two pamphlets, “Property in Land Explained” and “The Administration of Property as Community Services,” in case you should wish also to refer to them.

 

 I would much prefer to take this matter up with you in person, but since the distance is so great, correspondence will have to serve for the present at least.

 

 I am preparing for publication very soon, quite a collection of articles in a systematic explanation of the principles of freedom and free enterprise from the scientific, philosophic and the religious points of view and am prepared with the necessary funds to give them a wide circulation. But I hesitate to include the story that I am sending to you unless I can have it in very much more vivid and dramatic form.

 

 I shall appreciate hearing from you as early as your convenience and other affairs will permit.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

 

Spencer Heath

 

 

SH/m

Encls:    “The Romance of Realty”

         “Private Property in Land Explained”

         “The Administration of Property as community Services”

 

 

____________________________________________

 

Dear Mr. Ashby:                       December 20, 1955

 

I have been looking forward eagerly to some reply from you to my letter of November 1^st. I hope it was not mis-directed and that it did not for any reason go astray.

 

 With cordial best wishes,

 

Sincerely yours,

 

SH/m

 

__________________________________________

/Hand printed response,

undated, on the above letter:/

Dear Mr. Heath:

 

I have finally managed to read your project, and was very much impressed by your positive message. I am a professional writer and do “rescue work” on manuscripts for fees. Since you didn’t mention this, I was afraid maybe you’d been led to believe I could help you gratis, and so delayed answering you to see if I could. My own work has me tied up, however, and I’m afraid I can’t help anyone now except at prohibitive rates. Sorry.  Thad Ashby