Organization Proposals for the Georgist Movement |
[An address delivered at the Henry George Congress
held at Detroit, Michigan. Reprinted from Land and Freedom, November-December 1938]
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The subject assigned me is Co-ordination of Ideas,
-- but perhaps I can stretch it to cover tthe co-ordination of activities, for, while correct thought must precede right action, unless thought leads to action it is of
but little value.
Co-ordination means co-operation and this means
union. Today the most vital need of the Single Tax
movement is a greater degree of unity and team work
and, to have this, we must sooner or later develop a broad
nation-wide organization of those who put faith in the
philosophy of Henry George. I hope the time is not far
distant when we can look for aggressive political action
and, when this time comes, we shall need an organization more or less on the lines of the present-day political
parties. Why not start to build such an organization
now. Even today we should learn Hiawatha's lesson of
tieing our little sticks into a strong bundle that can not
be broken.
I am not advocating a new organization to displace any
of those now functioning so well nor to overlap in their
fields far from it. Rather an association which shall
strengthen them and reinforce their work and fortify
their position. Something to co-ordinate their work
and to attempt the things that no organization today is
fitted to do.
Such an organization should be broad, general and
national, and of a nature to enlist all Georgeists, without
splitting hairs over fine points and distinctions which can
well be relegated to the background, pending the achievement of our great purpose. Therefore I would make its
platform brief, broad and general one to which all can
subscribe without mental reservation. I suggest:
We favor the collection of all ground rent for the support of government and the abolition of all taxation save
that on land values.
To make its membership broad and general and comprehensive, and to keep the interest of its members alive
I would suggest two things: First, very low dues, of
course with provision for classes of members who could
and would pay larger fees.
Tentatively I would suggest:
Dues of $1.00 a year, including subscription to the
Freeman.
Dues of $3.00 a year including both Freeman and
LAND AND FREEDOM.
And we might also have a class of associates who would
pay no dues but who would subscribe to our platform, for
such a list would be invaluable for the use of the schools
and for recruiting, and it is not always policy to start
by asking each convert to pay anything or to become a
formal "joiner," just as soon as they "see the cat."
Of course headquarters should be maintained, with a
paid executive and whatever office staff is desirable and
necessary.
In order to place major control in the hands of those who
have demonstrated loyalty, and willingness, and ability
to serve, I suggest that some plan be worked out to give
to the organizations something like proportional representation in management. Control might be centered
in a board to have either membership or votes selected
by our active organizations, such, for instance, as the
School, the Schalkenbach Foundation, the Henry George
Fund, the Fellowship, the Manhattan Single Tax Club,
etc., each group having voice proportioned to the number
of their members who become affiliated with the national
organization. Such a policy would have the two-fold I
advantage of stimulating the formation of other Single
Tax groups, as for instance, local chapters of the Fellowship, of graduates of the school, and of bringing support
to the national organization.
What would be the functions of such a body?
- Maintain full up-to-date lists of
(a) Active Single Taxers,
(b) Sympathisers,
(c) Interested outsiders on whom we should work
and who should be constantly followed up.
Such lists should be open to all legitimate use which
will further the cause.
- Serve as a clearing house for ideas and activities,
co-ordinating programmes.
- Support and encourage approved programmes, discouraging those that are unwise or overlap. Particularly
should it formulate broad political programmes and policies, endorsing, aiding or checking programmes according
to circumstances, and, if the time is ripe for political
action, concentrating where conditions are most promising. Just as an illustration: What should we do in California? Is the time ripe to work for extension of Pittsburgh plan? Is it wise to bring our philosophy before
the coming New York State Constitutional Convention?
- Stimulate educational programmes, aid in starting
classes and recruiting teachers and students. A live list
of those interested or even sympathetic would be invaluable in these matters. Consider further extension of
educational work. I believe there is a vast untilled field
of opportunity in extending our courses of study to new
fields and suggest courses in the following:
(a) Promotion of peace, to bring the thousands of
pacifists, using the word in its broadest and unobjectionable sense, into our camp. This would give us an entering wedge in churches, schools, colleges, etc. And of
course such study should be based wholly on the economic
causes of war, keeping away from neutrality, disarmament, dum-dum bullets and other futile and half-way
measures.
(b) Housing: to bring housing reformers into our
faith. This should embrace also the appeal to construction and building trades and professions and we should
endeavor to make real estate operators see the gain in
freeing buildings from taxation.
(c) Business aspects, dealing with the beneficial effects
on all industry and business life, showing industrial leaders
how they would benefit.
(d) The labor problem. The approach to this is
too obvious to need elaboration. Bring out the basic
principles of economics, skidding over such matters as
the Malthusian doctrines lightly and stressing the identity
of the interests of labor and capital and showing that
wages and interest are essentially twin-brothers, and are
both the reward of labor, the one direct and immediate,
and the other the reward of thrift deferred and prolonged.
(e) Fallacies of socialism, communism and kindred
cults. This would go far to counteract the impression
that we are reds and would help to enlist support of conservative elements and perhaps to win financial support
for our work.
(f) Perhaps the purely ethical and religious side of our
philosophy, stressing that, as McGlynn put it, our present
system is a flat denial of "the brotherhood of man and the
Fatherhood of God." This, I believe, would find easy
entrance into the churches.
These are only suggestions and some have proposed
that we follow our basic course with such courses, but
this, I think, is putting the cart before the horse, and I
don't see it that way. The object is to make pacifists,
housing reformers, business men, etc., Single Taxers,
and not to train Single Taxers in these particular phases
of our philosophy. Make builders and architects and
building material trades see how we can help them. Make
the manufacturers and machinery people see that we would
give them tax exemption on their products and operations. These subjects should be introductions rather
than follow-ups to our philosophy.
- General publicity. I am glad the school is using
the methods of advertising and believe a wise and carefully planned advertising campaign, under expert guidance, would bring results. The single "ad" of the Citizens
National Committee brought them in $59,000 for their
work, and brief notice of the starting of an extension
class in Albany, in the newspapers and not paid for,
brought us more than a dozen students and students of
very high calibre, including two bankers. I believe carefully planned advertising in building and business papers,
might bring us very material support from manufacturers
and professions and might lead to formal endorsement
and support by various trade associations. This might
easily lead to valuable contacts with many groups.
Aside from newspaper and magazine advertising there
are limitless opportunities for publicity along other lines.
I have had a good deal of experience in health work with
visual exhibits at fairs, conventions, etc., and I know they
can be made to bring results. What is to be done at the
coming World's Fair in New York? Am sure much could
be done and that it might prove invaluable in recruiting
students.
- Contact and follow specific groups and individuals,
Rustgard, Crusaders, Citizens National Committee, machinery people, National Association of Manufacturers, Chrysler School, Political parties, etc. Get Republican support
in fighting fallacies of New Deal, Democratic support in
fighting tariffs and in supporting Hull. Watch the newspapers and follow up the news. And this pays.
- Publications. Membership would aid LAND AND
FREEDOM and the Freeman. Aid and advise authors
and see that new Single Tax books mention and advertise
our school and present activities. Get away from present
inertia or shall we say bad manners of those who fail
even to answer letters, or to acknowledge contributions.
Organize to sell helpful books and this can be done with
profit, as I know.
- Most important, keep converts busy. Don't let our
rich harvest of students rust away but give them something
to do. All too often new converts say yes, that is all
true, but there is nothing I can do about it and frankly,
today, there is often very little. Mere membership in
an organization helps some, reading current journals
helps more, but being given a job helps most. What can
our newer converts do? They can:
(a) Study and read so that they shall be more competent and qualified to take an active part.
(b) Teach and enlist students, and help in organizing
classes (as Brown has done).
(c) Extend our teachings into such groups as I have
indicated, peace, housing, politics, business groups, etc.
(d) Letters to the press and particularly follow-up
letters.
(e) Sell books, get them into libraries, get them read,
and start circulating libraries. Wish the general association could make up small traveling libraries of about
a dozen books and place them in local hands to be loaned
out, perhaps at a moderate charge like many of the libraries in our cities, and perhaps to be sold.
(f) Research and writing. Make studies of assessment rolls to show how the Single Tax would actually
work in concrete cases. This is needed.
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