Evening star., 1936-12-01

identical. The whole system begins
with the Federal Government. The
Federal Government will control the
system. The Federal act anticipates,
however, that each State will pass its
own act, and that the Federal Govern
ment will cooperate with the States.
The Federal act requires that the
acts passed by the States conform.
in general way, to the Federal
act. But the Federal act permits
some latitude in the State acts.
The latitude thus permitted to the
States may give to one or more States
the opportunity to do an important
service to the country. The service
would consist of omitting from its
old-age insurance act the one feature
of the Federal act which, it seems to
me, Is fundamentally Objectionable.
Let us admit, as nearly everybody
does admit, that old-age insurance
is desirable. either by Government
system or by private ones. Admit. as
most persons do, that it Is desirable
for the Government to provide this
insurance to those who want the
Government to do it. Admit. as most
persons do, that the present Federal
act is a good ground work and begin
ming Though. as a member of the
Federal Social Security Board. Mr..
Vincent M Miles, says, the act is
not perfect and may be changed
as experience dictates.") Finally. let
us admit, merely for the purpose of
argument, that the details of the
present Federal act are as they should
be-with one exception.
The exception is this: The law
compels workers to take the insur-
ance which the act provides. The
law compels every worker to whom it
applies to take the insurance whether
he wants it or not. whether he needs
it or not. whether he would prefer pri-
vate insurance or not. The law COM
pels each one to surrender l cent out
of every dollar Of his pay check (rising
later to cents.
Objectionable Compulsion."
1t is this compulsion that seems to
me objectiona BILE. The objection is
not alone the compulsion that takes
money from the worker whether he
wants to give it or not 1t is likely
that practically all workers will want
the Government insurance. 1t is
likely there is much public good in
requiring every person TO be insured
against old age. Those who are not
thus insured, and thereby become
public dependents. are a charge on
the rest of us. Hence the rest of us
have some right to insist that each
individual be insured. for the good
of all as we'll as for the good of the
individual. Since many persons are
inclined to neglect insurance unless it
is pressed upon them, there is much
public good in making the pressure
strong.
Yet the pressure ought to stop short
Of absolute and universal compulsion
There are many who provide their
own old-age insurance in their own
way. There are many who have long
had insurance through pension sys-
TENS set up by private employers. or
benevolent or trade associations
There are many who have means and
do not need the insurance. For these
there should be immunity from
conpulsion.
But the argument against compul-
sion goes deeper than mere justice or
convenience to the individuals who
do not happen to need that which
they are compelled to take. The OBJ
lection is one of principle.
To compel man to take and pay
for insurance whether he wants to OF
not and whether he needs it or not