Evening star., 1932-10-14
BY the Associated Press.


ALBANY, N. Y. October lf-Gov.
Roosevelt in a radio speech last night
said:
Il am speaking to you from my desk
in the executive mansion in Albany on
a subject which Is not in the narrower
sense of the word political, but which
because 1t Is connected with govern
ment vitally affects the lives Of almost
every man. woman and child In the
United States.
II canont, of course. answer the hun
dreds of questions which come to me
| in every mail, but letter signed bv 10
Of the leading social welfare workers
permits me to use their questions as a
basic principles Which are vital to us
III this time Of stress.
"The first question asks my position
In relation to the duty Of the Federal
,, and State and local governments to
provide funds and aid for the relief OF
those vino are out of work.
The problem thsrein outlined Is one
which is very real in every section OF
the country, as have good reason to
know. This was accentuated by what
I saw and heard on my recent trip to
the Pacific Coast.
Let me answer it by laying down
HilCt 1 USltFe 10 Ue CSI IdlIl CdIu uIldl
principles In the first place, even in
out of work. there would always be the
need of welfare work conducted through
the churches, through private charity
and by local government-the need for
clinics and hospitals and vocational
training. the need for the care Of the
aged, for care Of mental cases and for
care of the crippled. Such commune
ties where there is no unemployment
are almost Utopian, for even in times
of prosperity th:re are always some
unemployed-people who want to work,
but can find no work.
First Duty on Community.
"The first principle I would lay down
is that the primary duty rests on the
community. through local government
and private agencies, to take care Of
the relief CT unemployment. But we
then come to situation where there
are so many people out of work that
local funds are insufficient. 1t seems
clear to me that the organized society
known as the State comes into the pic
ture at this point. In other words, the
obligation of government is extended to
the next higher unit.
Il practice what I preach. In 1880
the State of New York greatly increased
its employment service and kept in
close touch with the ability of localities
to take care of their own unemployed.
But in the Summer of 1881 it became
apparent to me that actual State funds
perative. 1 called a special session Of
the Legislature. and thsy appropriated
a fund Of $40, 0,00O,00 for unemployment
relief, this fund to be reimbursed to the
/ State through the doubling of our in
come taxes. Thus the State of New
York became the first among all the
States to accept the definite obligation
of supplementing local funds where
these local funds we're insufficient. The
administration cf this great work has
become a model for the rest Of the
country. Without setting up any COM
pleX machinery or any large overhead,
the State of New York is working sue
cessfully through local agencies, and in
spite of the fact that over a million
people are out of work and In need in
this one State alone, We have so far met
at least the bare necessities Of the case.
This past Spring the Legislature appro-
priated another S5,00O,0 900. and on No
Vember the voters will pass on
$50 900, 900 bond issue to tide us over
| this Winter and at least up to next
| Summer.
Federal Responsibility.
Finally. let me come to the last step
in the statement of the principle I am
very certain that the obligation extends
I beyond the States and to the Federal
Government itself, if and when it be-
comes apparent that States and COM
munities are unable to take care of the
necessary relief work.
'It may interest you to have me read
short quotation from my message to the
Legislature in 1881: What is the State?
It is the duly constituted representative
of an organized society Of human beings,
created by them for their mutual pro-
lection and well being. One Of the
duties of the State is that of caring for
those of its citizens who find themselves
the victims of such adverse circum-
stances as make them unable to obtain
even the necessities of mere existence
without the aid of Others In broad
terms, assert that modern society, act
ing through its government, owes the
definite obligation to prevent the star
vation or the dire want Of any OF Its
fellow men and women who try to
maintain themselves but cannot. To
these unfortunate citizens aid must be
extended by the government-not as
matter of charity, but as a matter OF
social duty
THAT principle which I laid down in
1881. leaffrm. l not only reafirm 1t.
1 20 a step further and say that where
the State itself is unable successfully to
fulfill this obligation which lies upon 1t.
it then becomes the positive duty OF the
Federal Government to step. in to help.
! In the words of our Democratic ma
tional platform the Federal Government
has continuous responsibility for hu-
man welfare, especially for the protec-
ton of children" That duty and re-
sponsibility the Federal Government
should carry out promptly. fearlessly
and generously. 1t took the present
Republican administration in Washing
ton almost three years to recognize this
principle.
Federal Funds Voted.
Il have recounted to you in other
speeches, and it is matter of general
information, that for at least two years
after the crash the only efforts made by
the national administration to cope
with the distress of unemployment were
to deny its existence When finally this
year. after attempts at concealment and
minimizing had rallied. when they were
at last forced to recognize the fact OF
suffering among millions OF unemployed
appropriations Of Federal funds for as
sistance to States were finally made.
II think it is fair to point out that
complete program of unemployment re-
lief was on my recommendation actu-
ally under way in the State of New York
over year ago and that in Washington
relief funds in any large volume were
not provided until this Summer and at
that they were pushed through at the
demand of the Congress rather than
through the leadership of the President
of the United States.
AT the same time have constantly
reiterated my conviction that the ex-
penditures of cities, States and the Fed
erol Government mist he reduced in