University of Virginia Library

Seminar Explores Private Property Rights

By Stefan Lopatkiewicz
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

"Man and Property" is the
subject of an economics seminar
to be held at the University this
March 8 and 9. The delivery and
discussion of four papers, including
one by Gordon Tullock,
who recently left the University's
Department of Economics, will
comprise the substance of the
conference.

A pamphlet advertising the
seminar describes as its aims
"to explore the intellectual history
of the decline of respect
for private property rights; to
speculate about the effect on
the future development of civilization
of the decline in private
property rights in the 20th century;
and to investigate the relationship
between property rights
and economic progress."

The seminar's working paper
asserts that "the moral and
legal bases of private properly
have been undermined" and
that "the decline in respect for
private property goes hand in
hand with the decline in respect
for the dignity of the individual
person." It goes on to say that
socialist laws have been passed
democratically which infringe
upon the property rights of the
individual and cites the administration's
claim last month to
power over American foreign
investments as an example of
this.

The Intercollegiate Studies
Institute, the Virginia Intercollegiate
Studies Conference,
and the Virginia Society of Individualists
are jointly sponsoring
the seminar. George W. Trivoli,
a graduate student of economics
at the University who is coordinating
the seminar's program,
describes the VSI as an organization
of students "interested in
a free market mechanism."

Registration for the seminar
begins in Newcomb Hall at 5
p.m. on Friday, March 8, and
will reopen the following morning
at nine.

On Friday evening, James J.
Kilpatrick, a syndicated writer
and former editor of the Richmond
News Leader, will deliver
the seminar's first paper, followed
by comment and discussion
by the audience.

Alfred Avins will deliver his
talk, "Speculations on the Fate
of Property Under the Warren
Court," the following morning.
Mr. Avins has served as advisor
to the Virginia Commission on
Constitutional Government. He
is now a professor of law at
Memphis State University and
currently has a one-year leave
of absence to serve as Assistant
District Attorney for New York
City.

The afternoon talk, "The
Limits of Property," will be
given by Mr. Tullock, who is
now Professor of Economics at
Rice University. Thomas R. Ireland,
the University graduate student
in economics who conceived
the idea for the seminar
last year, will comment on the
talk.