[Letter] May 16,[1893?] [to F.H. Giddings]

May 16, [l893?], n. p.

Dear Friend,
       I have lost time
on the Patten review by going
to Worcester to lecture, and
by proof correcting. I can
probably send it by about Tues.
or Wed. of next week. I fear
the notice will disappoint you.
The book is particularly baffling,
because of the brevity and
incompleteness of its statements,
and its way of earning by a
jump to conclusions. Yet I
am half in sympathy with
one main point. I should
suppose that protection would
react on land values in a way
that would depress them.
 Considering who owns the land
(agricultural land) and who can
own it if they will, I am
not inclined to say that reducing
land values is a thing to be
treated with indifference. The
only thing that I can do is to put
in a little plea for a really
fair and scientific discussion
of the points raised. It is more
of a job to do that than it
would be if Patten were clearer
than he is. One has to credit him
with much that he does not say in
order to complete his argument.

       Yours Very Truly,
            J. B. Clark