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| Governments ought to handle the necessary monopolies such as water, gas, electricity, etc., plus relief of hardship, and leave Education, Private Health, Banking and Airlines to the private sector, BUT private monopolies are antisocial, AND governments exist to ensure that: * All people shall have the right of equality of opportunity to apply their labour of hand or brain, directly or indirectlyto the earth - the land of their country, and * To have property rights in the product of their labour, in order to provide for the needs and desires of themselves andtheir dependants. 5: Restriction of Government Functions. Pattern for a Better World. Graham Hart |
1. That all people shall have the right of equality of opportunity to apply their labour of hand or brain, directly or indirectly to the earth - the land of their country, and
2. To have property rights in the product of their labour, in order to provide for the needs and desires of themselves and their dependants.
We have determined that private monopolies are antisocial but there are some functions in which monopolies are necessary for efficiency. It would be impracticable, for example, to have numerous competitive reticulated services for the supply of water, gas and electricity etc.
| By 1886, seven years after Progress and Poverty was published, Henry George was an international celebrity. New York City's United Labor Party drafted him as their Mayoral candidate in 1886. George ran well, outpolling Theodore Roosevelt, but he lost to Abraham Hewitt, a Democrat drafted by the Tammany machine to put back the threat of George. Puck frequently lampooned George during this period. Here he is depicted hefting the Labor world, with nothing more to stand on than cloudy "theories". |  |
It would not be desirable for all land holders to be responsible for the construction and maintenance of the road strip passing their property. Main highways and railways are necessary monopolies.
We could not have private competitive judicial or defence systems, although private arbitration, at much lower cost, could be considered before seeking justice in the courts.
Many functions which are necessary monopolies could also be competitively contracted to private enterprise with advantage.
It is established that, subject to the foregoing, governments should be restricted to functions which, by their nature, are necessary monopolies, in which competitive private enterprise cannot function efficiently and in the national interest.
It is noted that contrary to popular belief, education, banking and private health are not necessary monopolies, neither are airline services.
Healthy competition is always desirable where possible to get the best results. These services will be separately examined.
Henry VIII then stole the church lands and set the pattern for his nobility to steal the remainder. These practices were progressively legalised by acts of enclosure during the following two hundred years.
The people became so impoverished by the loss of their land that they could not afford to pay to send their children to school and the public education system commenced, financed by taxation instead of land rent, as previously.
This is not fully possible until all taxation and private monopolies are abolished and the locational value of land becomes the main source of public revenue. Public health, as distinct from private-health, can be handled more efficiently by governments in the prevention of epidemic diseases, and for this reason is a necessary monopoly.
In all other respects they should operate as private enterprise. (End of section 5)
Georgists worldwide invite you to work towards a Pattern for a Better World, and study Georgist Policy,
by selecting from Graham Hart's writings: [ 2. The True Functions of Government ], [ 3. Public Revenue ],
[ 4. Taxation & Monopoly ], 5. Restriction of Government Functions, [ 6. A Private Banking System ],
[ 7. Democratic Elections ], [ 8. Phasing in Over a Period ].
[ Back, 4. ] [ Next, 6. ]