Man’s Relation To the Land

A statement of principles signed by some 75 of America’s Catholic, Protestant and Jewish leaders, we find the following: “All human beings possess a direct natural right to have access to created natural resources...The land is God’s greatest gift to mankind...Land is a very special kind of property...The land is not to be a source of benefit to a favoured few...The worker on the land and his family possess the first right to the fruits of their toil...Reform the system of taxing land and improvements so as to facilitate access to natural resources, security of tenure and proper land use...” Among the top 20 Catholic leaders who signed this declaration were: Msgr. Rev. E. V. O’Hara, D.D., Bishop of Kansas City, Founder of National Catholic Rural Life Conference; Rt. Rev. Professor W.J. McDonald, Catholic University of America; Professor W.J. McDonald. Catholic University of America; Rev. L.R. Ward, C.S.C.., Notre Dame University; Dr. T.J. Arcemaux, South Western Louisiana Institute; Rev.J.C. Rawe, S.J., Author & Teacher, Ridge, Maryland; Rev. M.E. Schirber, O.S.B., Dean, St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota; Edward Skillin, Jr. Editor “Commonweal”; Rev. J. La Farge, S.J., Editor, “America”; Most Rev.W.A. Griffin, D.D., Bishop of Trenton; Most Rev.W.T. Mulloy, D.D., Bishop of Covington; Most Rev. C.D. White, D.D., Bishop of Spokane; Very Rev. H. Lerschen, Regional Director of Rural Life, Rayne, Louisiana; Rt Rev Msgr.J. O’Grady, National Conference of Catholic Charities; Rev. G.C.Higgins, National Catholic Welfare Conference; Rev. P.T. Quinlan, Regional Director of Rural Life, Brookfield Centre, Connecticut; Rev. A.J. Adams, S.J.; Rev. C. Phillips, St. Mary’s Church, Oakland, California;Rev. J.V. Urbain, Pastor, Millville, Ohio. Journal Progress Dec 1959-Jan 1960