Evening star., 1935-02-03
RY OWEN l.. SCOTT.

III o"L4N S>oA
Uncle Sam. just now represented
in the person of President Roosevelt,
rapidly is becoming the personal
guardian of 125,0oo,ooo American
people.
The few remaining barriers to CEN
tralization of economic as well as
governmental power in Washington
will fall with enactment into law of
the new s4.8S0 100000 job-creating
plan and of the bill for old-age pen
siors and unemployment insurance.
Not long ago a citizen could go
through life with almost no contact
with the Government in Washington.
In the future, as a result of New
Deal legislation and planned legiSla-
ton, it will be the unusual citizen
who can go through month without
humping against some activity of
Uncle Sam.
Through the social security pro-
gram, now urged upon Congress by
President Roosevelt, the Federal Gov
ernment will undertake, according to
CClAilo Va IAlC bAli, " dACNAoOc lllC
hazards Of old age, unemployment,
illness and dependency"
X X X X
Through the job-creating plan, al
ready passed by the House and about
to be debated in the Senate, the Fed
eral Government undertakes ito pro-
vide relief from hardshipS attributable
to widespread unemployment, relieve
economic maladjustments. alleviate
distress and improve working and liv-
ing conditions" Those are tasks that
a freely working capitalistic system
was supposed to perform in the past.
They now are being assumed by the
Government.
In fact, there now admittedly are
being created in Washington a whole
array of vested rights for groups of
citizens. Those groups are using
Federal power to assure advantages
for themselves. They include farm
ers, business men, workers and home
owners, among others.
But, 1t may be asked, how Is the
Federal Government coming into con-
tact with the individual citizen? Just
what Is it doing and planning to do
that will affect the lives of the
people?
The best way to find out may be
to follow through the possible expert
ence of an American family. Let us
take the case of family of unem-
ployed living in the Tennessee Valley.
At present bare subsistence is being
| y1rotiEad I1ryE Ealorol rn1inf frIndc "
shortly, according to word from
Washington. there are to be jobs, one
of which the head of this family can
obtain. It may pay him as much
as $50 month. Uncle Sam is seeing
to that under the new policy of as
suring work for all who are able to
work.
Then a job may develop in tex
tile mill nearby. The wages paid are
wages that have been approved by
the President. The hours of work
are hours approved by the President.
If wages are lower, or hours of work
longer than those the officials of
Washington approved, the employer
can be brought into court and fined.
X \ X X
But now, in Washington, there Is
about to be enacted a law which
will require that the father of this
family, starting January !, 1887, shall
set aside definite amount out of
each pay envelope so that this money
can be saved for him by the Federal
Government until he Is IS. From
then on he can be assured Of Fed
eral old-age pension. Money from the
Federal Treasury Is to help sustain
these pensions.
And from Washington, too, is COM
ing a plan to require that the en-
ployer, after January l, 1886, shall
start paying a tax on that employees
wage which can be used to build up
a fund to provide the worker with an
income for Is or 16 weeks even If
he should lose his Job.
Maybe the Government finds the
father trying to augment his small
income from a little tract Of land
that its agents believe is too poor
to try to cultivate. In that case it
may offer to move his family to a
new location on better land. There,
the Government would build him a
home, carefully designed to meet his
family's needs. That home would be
sold to the man on long-term
Government financing plan which
would assure him of cheap rent.
But that Is not all. In addition to
providing this man home, protect
ing him In his relations with his en-
ployer, forcing him to save against
rainy day, assuring him that he will
first have pension and then Gov
ernment Job, II he loses his present