Oliver Sprague's Plan
for Economic Recovery

R. Joseph Manfrini

[Originally published under the title "Aliens Monsieur le Professeur!"
Reprinted from Land and Freedom, May-June 1938]

Late in January the New York Times magazine ran an article by L. H. Robbins under the heading, "Sprague Points to a Broad Path to Recovery." The impression one received in reading the article was that Professor Sprague realizes the importance of stimulating industrial production at this time. He emphasizes his point by adding "extraordinary expansion in some line always attends recovery from a major depression." He does not add though that, according to our present system (of taxation) and this goes for other countries as well a major recovery is always followed by a major depression.

The point is, do we want a recovery that will shift the pain of our present economic ailments from the present to some future generation or do we desire a recovery o a permanent nature to be enjoyed by our children am their children as well? It no longer appears to be just a question of wanting a lasting recovery inasmuch as our civilization seems to have taken all the shocks it can absorb under our present way of doing things. The rebound must be enduring if our civilization is to stop in its current slow process of disintegrating and reverse the trend towards a fuller development of the personality of man.

The recent economic report rendered to the British and French governments by the Belgian economist, Mr Van Zeeland, contained a remark which, undoubtedly was intended for sceptics. Said Mr. Van Zeeland, "No effort is ever completely lost if it does not succeed all at once." To return to Professor Sprague, it should be pointed out that in order to have an extraordinary expansion we must have something out of the ordinary. This is not economics; it is plain English. Now it certainly would be extraordinary to witness the abolition of al taxes which fetter production, foster bureaucracy and short-change the consumer, and the substitution in their place of a Single Tax on the economic rent of land. The approach to the problem can only be through educational channels such as those with which Professor Sprague is already identified. For the doubting Thomases let Mr. Van Zeeland's words be repeated, "No effort is ever completely lost if it does not succeed all at once." In this instance the efforts would be negligible in comparison to the ultimate results. Why not give the matter some serious thought, Professor Sprague, either blast the idea out of existence or throw your support to the Single Tax.

Aliens Monsieur le Professeur!