Evening star., 1936-10-04
BY BLAIR MOODY.

The political storm now raging
around the social security act. cli-
NAKED by Gov. Landon's attack on the
measure as "cruel hoax" and the
subsequent resignation Of John G..
winant as chairman OF the security
board to fight for the program,
promises to become one Of the most
bitterly contested issues of the next
Congress.
For whoever is elected President,
there are virtually certain to be sweep
ing changes in the present system. II
Roosevelt wins, the security board IT.
self will advocate partial revision.
II it is Landon, he will try to force a
hostile Senate, and a probably hos
tile House, to pull the whole program
up by the roots and substitute some
thing new, the exact nature OF which
he has not revealed.
The very fact that each Congress
must appropriate anew for the much
criticized old-age annuity reserve fund
is sure to create a live and recur-
rent issue. The Supreme Court may
force a rewriting of much or all of
the act.
Legislation Here to Stay"
But whatever the fate of particular
programs within the law, whatever
effect its broad strength and specific
weaknesses may have on the presi-
Dental campaign it Is fair guess
that legislated security" in some
form, has come to stay in this coun-
try.
Even Gov Landon, who would junk
the entire old-age annuity idea, re-
scind unemployment insurance as q
Federal undertaking, abolish the pay
roll taxes but pay every one over IS
who needs it generous" dole pension
through the States. has taken a much
more liberal position than anything
conceived by either major party six
years ago.
And no one familiar with the work.
ings Of Congress believes that Landon
could put through his entire con-
servative program. Congress already
has demonstrated itself to be over
whelmingly in favor of the broad
principles promulgated by President
Roosevelt.
Politically Mr.. Roosevelt can scarce
~ fail to reap credit for this accom-
plishment. Into whatever form the
system is finally moulded, the present
preliminary" act will go down in his
tory as a major piece of legislation,
forerunner of a new social and eco
nomic viewpoint in the United States.
Winant, a former Republican Cover
nor of New Hampshire, and other New
Deal orators, will not let the voters
forget that.
Has Campaign Advantage.
Gov. Landon, on the other hand,
has the campaign advantage of being
able to pick apart broadly conceived
but admittedly imperfect mechanism.
He can ignore the fact that such leg
tslation was as far away as the moon
only few years ago, commander its
fundamental purposes and point to
his rivals mistakes.
This he already has done with
great effectiveness Winant scarcely
would have resigned to answer Lam
don as private citizen if the admin
istration had not felt the need for
dramatizing its reply. And while they
are not talking about it aloud, experts
within the security board recognize
the need for major changes in the
act.
All politicians are apparently ready
to accept legislated security" as a
principle, but none has figured out a
complete answer to the problem. Mr..
Roosevelt and his advisors have not
found 1t yet; neither have Mr. Landon
and his. And that is no wonder, for
1t is the most difficult task ever un-
dertaken by the Government, involv-
ing the most money and affecting the
most people
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