Evening star., 1936-12-29
W|NANT DISCUSSES
SOCIAL SECURITY
Admits Shortcomings of Act
in Radio Forum
Talk.

Admitting shortcomings in the social
security act, John q. Winant, chair
man Of the Social Security Board,
declared In an address in the Ma
tional Radio Forum last night that
''there can be no fnality to its form
until every practical effort has been
made to perfect Il in the light Of
actual experience"
The Forum Is sponsored by The
Star and heard over q coast-to-coast
network Of the National Broadcast
ing Co.
Winant's talk was an accounting of
the results that have flowed from the
act since 1t was started In operation
in February Since that time. he ex-
planned, a million and one-half per-
sons have directly benefited under its
public assistance provisions: 100000
needy aged. $4,000 needy blind and
800 900 dependent children.
Many States Participat ting.
Winant also told his audience that
three-quarters of the States are par
ticipating in the unemployment COM
pensation provisions of the act. and
discussed the set-up for the old-age
benefit program that will be effective
as Of January l.
Unemployment compensation is not
Q cure-all," he said. "It was not in
tended it should be a solution Of the
Iavoa y,rol,ley,. of aropIovv,, ant Tt,;e
feature Of the social security program
was designed to protect employed men
and women against wreckage of tenn
porary unemployment; to guarantee to
them at least subsistence income not
as charity. but as a right during Pc
riods when they are looking for work.
Text Of Address.
The text of Winant's address fol-
lows:
In the closing pages of Rubinow's
great book on THE Quest for Sc
curity." he tells us that to build con-
ditions to make happier life pos
sible must be the purpose of the new
state. And then he adds: But un-
derlying all other reforms and changes
there must be one to make such
happier life possible There must be
economic security. Both the hope
and the fact of security. Misery must
be eliminated. or at least insured
against. The fear of destitution must
be destroyed"
At the years end it seems fitting
and proper to review actions taken
to bring administration into align
ment with legislation.
At Christmas time we are touched
by the warmth of generous giving and
look toward the future with new hope
Marks Great Advance.
Social security represents an ad-
vance in relationship of men-one
with another and of society toward
the individual. For the first time
on a wide front the National Gov
ernment has concerned itself with the
welfare Of the family. In this legis-
lation it has carried out promise Of
American life. set forth in the Decla-
ration of Independence. included
within the limits of the preamble of
the Constitution of the United States
and resting on the spirit of the golden
rule.
In this legislation, necessity. that
kindly stepmother of most of us. has
touched the tap roots Of human as
pirations and an industriali1ed de-
mocracy has given answer to hunger
needs by accepting this measure be-
cause self-preservation supported by
deep religious conviction has de-
manded it-and let no man UNDER
stand otherwise.
Under this concept of a peoples
government the welfare of men should
no longer be left entirely to chance
or charity or to their own inadequate
devices. to protect themselves from
menaces to their existence entirely
beyond their control. The social Sc
curIty program aims to help people.
not TO hurt them. to remove some of
the fears that harass human lives.
and to eliminate some of the harsher
uncertainties Of everyday living.
Destitution q Recent Hazard.
The major hazards of life have
changed their form and their inten-
sity. Througout most of history the
violence of war has menaced mems
security and, in spite of all the rules
set up to control it, this menace per-
sists. Though science has robbed pes
thence and plague of their allotted
toll. the human body is as frail as
1t was 5000 years ago. and sickness,
idleness, accidents and old age are
still common penalties Of human
kind. And though drought and flood
and other calamities of nature are
not yet entirely controllable. the suf-
fering that results from them can be
mitigated by the action Of govern
ment.
At the worse these causes of inse-
curity are intermittent. But poverty
knows no armistice. 1t has seemed
inseparable from our economic system
"A constant rebuke to its boasted eff
cheney. For in spite of all our sensa-
tional material achievements, our
. IAa dArs of y,andarn industrv than, caIvac