Organization for Victory:
A Five-Year Plan

Walter I. Swanton

[An address delivered at the Henry George Congress.
Reprinted from Land and Freedom, September-October 1940]

We have received a challenge at this Conference from Mr. H. J. Haase, who suggested that the single tax plan can be adopted within five years, if only all of us will get to work for it in every possible way that we can.

The time has come in the Georgeist Movement with the large number of new younger members drawn in by the Henry George School of Social Science to give thought to organizing in a nation-wide way, not in any political or partisan sense, but in the interest of fundamental economics, for putting over the principles of taxation of land values as promulgated by Henry George in Progress and Poverty.

I would not for a moment think of trying to limit in any way individual initiative or rugged individualism in the many cities and states where good work is going forward; but we should coordinate this work, and organize with a center, or headquarters, where we can learn what is going on, who is doing it, and where the work is most successful in accomplishing the best results.

At the present time we have a large number of active organizations throughout the country. In New York City we have the Henry George School of Social Science, the publication LAND AND FREEDOM, the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation, the Graded Tax Committee and the Manhattan Single Tax Club. In Chicago we have a number of organizations, among which are the Chicago Single Tax Club, "We, The Citizens," and the Tax Relief Association. Among other organizations are: the Henry George Foundation of America, in Pittsburgh ; the Henry George Society of Canada, in Toronto ; and here in Washington, the Women's Single Tax Club, the People's Lobby and the National Popular Government League.

Besides these organizations and the many others that exist we have a great number of individuals doing active work. Among them are: J. Rupert Mason of San Francisco; John C. Rose of Pittsburgh; Charles H. Ingersoll and Harry J. Haase of New York City; George J. Knapp of Denver, who is campaigning for Governor of Colorado, and many others.

All these efforts should in some way be coordinated. A central headquarters for the Movement is the answer. While I have no special interest in any city or organization, it would seem that the logical place for such a headquarters, at least for the present, would be in the largest city, New York. And the logical place in New York would be the present permanent building owned by the Movement, at 30 East 29 Street, now the offices and headquarters of the Henry George School of Social Science. At the central headquarters should be maintained a master index of all active Georgeists and representatives in all the 48 States and the District of Columbia, and agents in the 3,000 counties throughout the United States, located at the county seats.

With this central headquarters in our largest city, and with the influx of many new and younger persons in the Movement, we can go forward with the assurance that we are all working together for Victory in fundamental tax reform.