WCP3709

[1]¹

Parkstone, Dorset.

Jan[uar]^y. 18th. 1892

My dear Mr. Flürscheim

I only received your book about a week ago, & have been as much occupied that I have only so much occupied that I have only just been able to read it. I think you have quite proved your point as to interest, as against George. No doubt when ^private rent and government ^{& other} Stocks are abolished, interest on large amounts of capital will cease. But that will not prevent interest still being paid on small and temporary loans,- and perhaps almost as much as now. This I have shown myself in a paper written 4 years ago but which I cannot get published! ²

I do not quite [2] understand your long & elaborate argument about "spurious interest". Spurious capital as opposed to real capital is clean enough, but, when you make the interest on real capital "spurious", and the interest on spurious capital real, and make one rise while the other falls, I am altogether confused and unable to see my way.

Your exposition of the benefits !. of waste, idleness, war, intemperance[?] &c. &c. under present conditions of society is very forcible, and will [3] serve to show people how surely there is "something other in the State of Denmark"..

Your objection to the Single tar are also good,- and especially your discussion of the fallacy of the "net-proceeds" argument.

On the whole, as you see, I agree with you in all important points. I only fear your book is too lengthy and rather too laboured and obscure in parts, and thus the admirable arguments will not produce their full effects. There are too a good [4] many misprints, and between pages 109 and 110 there must be a page or a sentence omitted as there is no connection between them.

Are you coming to England this summer? If so pray come see us. We are moving slowly ahead & I hope next Autumn to see a good radical majority, with at least a score of land-nationalisers in the House of Commons.

Accept my sympathy for your sad loss, and Believe me | Yours very Faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

Reeves³ is a bad publisher. The print & paper are both inferior...