In an earlier posting I posted the public finance reading list for the Ph.D. field exam in public finance prepared some time during the fall semester 1933-34 which was in a Harvard economics department folder along with reading lists for other fields (railroads, corporations, and banking). In this posting we find the identical reading list along with a cover letter from Professor Charles Bullock of Harvard to Prof. Haig, the public finance expert, at Columbia asking for comments. I have added Haig’s suggestions for deletions and additions in blue-boldface.
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[Bullock to Haig, 15 January 1934]
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
January 15, 1934
Prof. R. M. Haig
Columbia University
New York City
My dear Haig:
Burbank and I have been conferring recently about the reading that ought to be done by our graduate students who offer public finance as their special field for the doctorate. After considering books and the results students apparently get from reading them, we have got up the enclosed list. If you would be interested in reading it and commented commenting upon it, I should be greatly indebted to you.
In particular I would be glad to have you note any books which you have found useful for your students but which we have omitted.
Some of the books we list, like Miss Comstock’s “Taxation in the Modern State”, are pretty light-weight affairs; but they have some information in them which students can’t readily get elsewhere; also, of course, some misinformation.
If there are any books listed here that you would strike out, I should be very glad if you would indicate deletions.
Another question is that of the division of the books into the three groups. The first group mostly is intended to give the general approach, though the last thing in it, the Colwyn Report, is put there because Burbank has found it extremely useful with his students. Mine have not found it so useful; and I would have preferred to put that title in Group II.
I would be glad to have your comments also on the amount of reading. I am inclined to think the requirement of all the books in Group I, six or eight books in Group II, and three or four books in Group III is excessive; but the first two titles in Group I are really read in class. Do you think the total amount of reading excessive?
For your convenience I am sending along two copies, so that you can jot down in lead pencil on one of them additions, deletions, criticisms, and any other comment, and then mail the damned thing back to me without even going to the trouble of dictating a letter. In the present state of the literature in public finance, I have found it very difficult to know what to do; and so has Burbank. Perhaps you may be sufficiently in the same frame of mind so that you will not find this polite request I make too much of an imposition!
Yours sincerely,
[signed]
Charles J. Bullock
CJB/AMB
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Readings in Public Finance for General and Special Examinations
Students preparing for the special examination in public finance should read all the references listed under I. In II the student should read a substantial portion of six or eight books, selecting topics which he considers of most interest and value to him. In III the student should read a substantial portion of three or four of the books listed, again following his own requirements or interests.
I. Required Reading
| A. Smith | Wealth of Nations, Book 5 |
| J. S. Mill | Principles of Political Economy, Book 5, ch. 1-8 |
| C. F. Bastable | Public Finance (3rd edition). Read pages: 1-149; 153-257; 261-421; 425-442; 443-464; 465-468; 469-494; 504-573; 611-711. |
| H. L. Lutz | Public Finance |
| C. J. Bullock | Selected Readings in Public Finance (3rd edition). Read pages: 1-51; 76-147; 156-268; 278-379; 445-490; 533-607; 755-902; 921-982 |
| A. Wagner | Finanzwissenschaft, Vol. II. Read all the coarse print; use judgment on the fine print. |
| P. Leroy-Beaulieu | Traité des Finances, Vol. I (8th edition, 1912). Read pages: 1-10; 28-92; 92-133; 134-143; 172-249; 367-387; 394-437; 439-482; 483-517; 539-626; 626-703 [Haig note: Substitute Allix] |
| D. R. Dewey | Financial History of the United States |
| The Colwyn Report | Great Britain: Report of the Committee on National Debt and Taxation, 1927. Read pages: 73-244. (Cmd. 2800; Econ. 5389.27) |
[Haig note: Add.—H. Dalton—Principles of Public Finance]
II. Reading Recommended
| Mills and Starr | Readings in Public Finance and Taxation. Read Pages: 41-150; 168-195; 205-264; 369-453; 482-607; 763-808 |
| A. C. Pigou | A Study in Public Finance |
| B. Moll | Lehrbuch der Finanzwissenschaft (1930) [Haig note: I was surprised by the low rating given Moll’s Lehrbuch by his German colleagues] |
| E. Allix
|
Traité élementaire de Science des Finances (6th edition, 1931). Read pages: 1-81; 151-204; 216-256; 285-312; 341-382; 437-573; 870-902; 910-958; 1011-1050;1091-1134. |
| L. Suret | Théorie de l’Impôt progressif [Haig note: Subsitute Seligman] |
| J. Stamp | Fundamental Principles of Taxation |
| T. G. Shearman | Natural Taxation [Haig note: “?” (a question mark)] |
| H. L. Lutz | State Tax Commissions |
| S. Leland | The Classified Property Tax |
| A. L. Harding | Double Taxation of Property and Income |
| E. Cannan | History of Local Rates |
| A. F. Macdonald | Federal Aid |
| J. W. Grice | National and Local Finance |
| A. E. Buck | Municipal Finance |
| The May Report | Great Britain: Report of the Committee on National Expenditure, 1931 (Cmd. 3290; Econ. 5389.31) |
| National Tax Association | Proceedings, 1933, Report of Committee on Model System of State and Local Taxation |
III. Other Reading
| G. F. Shirras | Science of Public Finance [Haig note: Elim. in view of incl. of Bastable] |
| E. R. A. Seligman | Progressive Taxation |
| ——————— | Essays in Taxation |
| ——————— | Income Tax (chapters on Great Britain, Germany, France, U.S.A.) |
| ——————— | Shifting and Incidence of Taxation |
| H. A. Silverman | Taxation, Its Incidence and Effects |
| A. Comstock | Taxation in the Modern State |
| J. P. Jensen | Property Taxation in the United States |
| W. G. Schultz | Taxation of Inheritances |
| R. G. Blakey | Taxation in Minnesota [Haig note: Eliminate] |
| R. M. Haig | The Taxation of Excess Profits in Great Britain |
| National Industrial Conference Board | General Sales or Turnover Taxation |
| National Industrial Conference Board | Sales Tax |
| A. G. Buehler | General Sales Taxes [Haig note: Substitute C. Shoup: Sales Tax in France] |
| R. Magill, editor | Lectures on Taxation |
| R. Stourm | The Budget |
| W. F. Willoughby | The National Budget System |
| H. S. Adams [Haig note: “C” (i.e. not S.)] |
Public Debts |
| M. L. Walker | Municipal Expenditure |
| Britain’s Industrial Future, pp. 426-447. H.U. Library, Econ 6069.28.5 |
|
| Joseph Sykes | British Public Expenditures, 1921-1931 |
| Report of New York Commission for Revision of the Tax Laws, 1932, Part III. | |
[Haig note: Add.
W. F. Willoughby. The Financial Condition and Operations of the National Government.
H. C. Adams, Science of Finance.
H. Higgs. The Financial System of the UK.
Taxation of Foreign and National Enterprises. Fiscal Commission, League of Nations.]
Source: Columbia University Libraries, Manuscript Collections. R. M. Haig Collection, Box 15, “Lecture Notes”; Folder, “Reading—Suggestions—Econ.101”.
Image Source: Harvard Album 1932.