Evening star., 1932-10-14
Text of Roosevelt Speech
Democratic Nominee Sets Forth Basic Principles in
/;,7ver to Questions Submitted BY Social
Welfare Workers.

hPPIOplaot1o&AS 1oA PuoAS "oAn A
question. however, must be answered
first, because of the simple fact that
these public works cost money. We all
know that government treasures,
whether local or State or FEDERAL, are
hard put to it to keep their budgets
balanced, and in the case Of the. Fed
,ral Treasury thoroughly unsound inan-
cial policies have made its situation not
exactly desperate but at least threaten
ing to future stability If the policies OF
the present administration are con-
tinued All public works, including
Federal. must be considered from the
point of view OF the ability Of the Gov
ernment Treasury to pay for them.
There are two ways OF paying for pub
lie works One is by the sale of bonds.
In principle such bonds should be issued
only to pay for self-sustaining projects
or for structures which will without
question have a useful life over long
payment Is from current revenues,
which in these days means in most
cases added taxes. And we all know
that there Is very definite limit to
the increase Of taxes above the present
level.
Prom this point, therefore. can 60
on and say that II funds can be prop
erly provided by the Federal Govern
ment for increased appropriations for
public works, we must examine the
character Of those public work.. I
have already spoken Of that type which
is self-sustaining. These should be
greatly encouraged.
A Community Necessity.
"The other type is that of public
works which are honestly essential to
the community. Each case must rest
on its own merits. 1t is impossible, for
example, to say that all parks or all
Fairgrounds ere essential. One may
be and another may not be.
If a school, for instance, has no
playground 1t Is obvious that the fur
nishings of a playground is a necessity
10 the community. But if the school
already has a playground and some
people seek merely to enlarge it, there
how necessary that enlargement is.
Let me cite another example 1 am
much interested in providing better
housing accommodations for the poor in
our great cities. If slum area can be
torn down and new modern buildings
put up, I should call that almost a
human necessity put on the other hand
the mere erection of new buildings in
some other part Of the city while allow
ing the slums to remain raises at once
a question of necessity. I am conf
dent that the Federal Government
working in cooperation with States
and cities can do much to carry on
increased public works and along lines
which are sound from the economic
and financial point CT view.
Now I come to another question.
am asked whether I favor a system of
unemployment insurance reserves made
compulsory by the States, supplemented
by a system of Federally co-ordinated
State employment Offices to facilitate
the unemployment of jobless workers.
The first part Of the question is di-
rectly answered by the Democratic
platform which advocates unemploy-
ment insurance under State laws.
This is no new policy for me. I have
advocated unemployment insurance in
my cwn State for some time, and in
deed last year six Eastern Governors
were my guests at conference which
resulted in the drawing up of what
might be called an ideal plan of un-
employment insurance.
This type of insurance is not cure
all, but it provides at least a cushion
to mitigate unemployment in times Of
depression. 1t is sound II after start
ing it We stick to the principle of sound
insurance financing. 1t is only where
governments as in some European
countries have failed to live up to these
sound principles that unemployment
insurance has been an economic
failure.
R.cked Wapner RiI1
"As to the co-ordinated employment
Offices, I can only tell you that I was
for the bills sponsored by Senator
by the Congress. They created a ma
tionally co-ordinated system of en-
ployment Offices operated by the indi-
vidual States with the advisory CO.
operation of joint boards Of employers
and employees. To my very great re-
gret this measure was vetoed by the
President of the United States. I am
certain that the Federal Government
can, by furnishing leadership, stimu-
late the various States to set up and
coordinate practical useful systems.
These first three questions which
have discussed relate to the relief Of
those who are unemployed, and 1t is
perhaps logical that the next two queS-
tions should relate to children, because
we know that unemployment works a
great hardship on the young people of
the coming generation. I certainly
favor the continuance of the fine work
which has been done by the Children's
Bureau in Washington, but at the same
time we must not forget that the Fed
eral Government, through several other
agencies, is constantly working for the
welfare of children. Attempts have
been made to cut the appropriations
for child welfare work. 1t seems to me
that this is the last place in which We
should seek to economic. I cannot
agree with the member OF President
Hoovers cabinet who suggests that this
depression is not altogether bad thing
for our children. You and I know the
appalling fact that malnutrition is one
of the sadoest by-products of unemploy-
ment. The health of these children is
being affected not only now but for all
the rest of their lives.
Furthermore, a depression takes
thousands of children away from schools
and puts them to work to help the FAM