Evening star., 1933-08-27
Text of Roosevelt's Speech
President Says Unity OF Country Has Known No
Parallel Since War-Sees Depression
Fight Winning.

dividuals-sought to make unfair profits
from monopolies in things that every
body had to use. such as gas, electric
lights and railroad tickets and freight
rates and things Of that kind.
Child Labor Banned.
Still later on 1t became uniformly ac-
cepted throughout the country, almost,
that it was not fair to our neighbors to
let anybody hire their children, when
they were little bits Of things, when
they ought to be at school. And espe-
cially that 1t was unfair to hire them
at pitifm wages and with long hours Of
work.
Many years ago we went even further
in saying that the Government-State
government or National Government
would have the right to impose increas-
ing taxes on increasing profits because
Of q simple principle that very large
profits were, Of course, made at the
expense OF neighbors and. therefore,
should, at least to some extent, be
used through taxes for the benefit of
the neighbors. Now the extension OF
the idea Of not hurting our neighbors
is recognized today as no infringement
on the guarantee Of personal liberty
personal liberty to the individual. For
example, 1t is no more a restriction to
tell a man that he must pay adequate
wages than it is to tell that man that
he must not hire child labor, or that he
must not maintain nuisance against
his neighbors.
See National Approval.
I think 1t is within this understand
Ing OF the deeper purposes Of things
today that the national recovery act
We have heard so much about is pro-
ceeding and that the act Is being ac-
cepted by the people OF the country
with the understanding of what it is all
about.
OF course it is true that your Gov
ernment in Washington hopes that the
building up Of wages that are too low,
tnat are starvation wages, and shorten
ing of hours of work, hours that are too
long, In every part OF the Union will
result IN a greater distribution of in
come and wages and thereby increase
the number Of people in this country
that can be employed. 1t is true that
we IN Washington are seeking definitely
70 increase the purchasing power of the
average American citizen and. there
lore, OF the Nation as a whole. It is
also true, think, that we are definitely
succeeding in this purpose and that
the down hill drift of America has def
nltely turned and become the upward
surge Of America.
New Deal Paramount,
Now, my friends, that is dollars and
cents put II Is also true that the people,
tHrough government, are extending as
permanent part Of American life and
they are extending their insistence that
individuals and associations of individ-
ualS shall cease doing many things that
nave oeen hurting their neighbors in
bygone days.
we are engaged today, as you know
not Just the Government in Washing
Ton, out groups of citizens everywhere =
In reviewing all kinds of human re.
Iationships and in these reviews we
are asking an old question in a new
form: We are saying, is this practice.
Is tnlS custom, something which is be-
ing done at the expense of many?" and
the many are the neighbors. In a ma
tlona! sense the many, the neighbors.
are the people Of the United States as
a whole. Nationally, we must think
OF tnem as a whole and not just by
sections or by States. We cannot give
special consideration to the people of
the North If, in so doing, it will not
result in good to the people of the
South or the West. We cannot give
special privileges to those who farm
one particular crop if the giving makes
things more difficult for those who farm
some other crop. We cannot single
out one industry at the expense of
others. The National Government must.
OF course, think In national terms, but
your responsibility, your interest in Ma
tional Government ought not to stop
there. The greater part OF govesn-
ment, as 1t affects your daily lives
and mine, is your local government.
The opportunity In this field of local
government for improvement, for
betterment that will be felt in your
lives, Is Just as great as 1t Is in Wash
ington.
Still Advocates Reforms.
When I was Governor of the State
for four years I used to do a good deal
OF talking about local government, and
just as long as I live, whether I am
in Washington or Dutchess County, I
am afraid cannot get over the habit.
used to tell people that we have In
this State more than $4,000 local units
og government. You were all interested,
puC uu uOt uOtlCe CnaC you QlQ any.
thing about 1t. used to tell when I
was Governor about the fact that there
were over $50 highway departments in
the State of New York. You were in
terested, but did not notice that you
did much about it. I talked to you
about the six or eight layers of govern
ment that you lived under, Federal,
State, county and town, electric light
district and fire department district,
etc.-even sidewalk district and don't
know how many other kinds of dis
tricts-and you were paying taxes in all
Of them. You know that and SO do !.
But we haven't done much yet along
that line.
We haven't done much to reorganize
In our local government-what you and
I know to be an outworn system built
up in the days Of the oxcart and un-
changed in the days of the automobile.
Some day-because have always been
an optimist, believe it will occur dur
ing our life time-some day the people
of the State of New York and the
County of Dutchess will do something
about it. But tell you that nothing