John Dewey on "Progress and Poverty"

This comes from an April, 1924, Single Tax monthly from California called Tax Facts:

JOHN DEWEY ON A GREAT BOOK

Owing to the fact that certain extremists and fanatics have tried to read into Henry George's works ideas that he never intended to convey, a great many people who never read them have gotten the notion that he advocated Socialism, Communism, Bolshevism, or some other wild plan that would destroy private property. As a matter of fact Henry George was an individualist, a democrat, and believed most emphatically in private property.

As an example of what men think who have studied George's works, and are therefore qualified to express an opinion, the following letter to Mr. E. B. Swinney by Prof. John Dewey of Columbia University, is offered.

"In reply to yours of the 28th, I would state that for many years, ever since first familiarizing myself with the principle of the Singletax, I have regarded it as both theoretically and practically sound, and an indispensable basis of much needed social reform.

"I may add that I am a great admirer of the general social philosophy of Henry George, whose contribution to intellectual thinking about social matters, even quite apart from his practical proposals, does not seem to me to have received the recognition it deserves among thinking people.

"Sincerely yours,

"(Signed) JOHN DEWEY."

As one cannot read everything, one must take many ideas on the judgment of others. But since the abridgement of "Progress and Poverty," Henry George's greatest work, from 563 pages to 211, there is no excuse for any thinking person to harbor a false notion through lack of time to read for himself. This little book, published by Harcourt, Brace & Co.. which has all the charm of the unabridged edition will be mailed from this office to any address at the publisher's price of $1. Or with Tax Facts for one year at $1.25.

LVTfan here: I found a copy of that abridgment on ebay a couple of months ago.  It was done by Henry George's daughter Anna George De Mille and Louis Post, who was Secretary of Labor in Woodrow Wilson's cabinet.  It was inscribed by AGdM.  (I was the only bidder, and paid more for the shipping than for the book!)

In 1928, Dewey provided the introduction to a shorter abridgment of P&P called "Significant Paragraphs from Progress and Poverty, available online at http://www.wealthandwant.com/ (near the bottom of the page).  You might also be interested in a radio speech by Dewey, from the depths of the 1930s depression, linked higher on the same page.