The Washington times., 1937-04-09
HEARST SURVEY
ON SECURITY
PRAISED

CLEVELAND, April civilian
j. Graham, vice president Of the
Equitable Life Assurance Society,
IN a speech here yesterday praised
William Randolph Hearst and his
newspapers for setting up the Non
partisan Social Security Commits
sion.
Graham, q member Of the COM
mission, addressing the Clev e
land Rotary Club, said:
"Willialn Randolph Hearst, In
the spirit Of public service, has
inspired the creation of the Nom
partisan Social Security Com
mission, which Is sponsored by
his newspapers.
''Mr. Hearst's objective was to
bring considered judgment to
the problem Of attaining the OBJ
jectiveS Of social security legiS-
latiOn, with a maximum Of ben
efitS to the workers of the cOun-
try and with minimum Of bur-
den to industry.
"The work of the commission
Is not only valuable in itself
in aSsaying the value of expert
mental legislation, but Is also
significant as a new technique
in journalism and In public af-
fairs"
PENSION SUGGESTED
Reviewing the contribution
which the Hearst Commission had
already made to public thinking
on this subject, Graham added:
"The commission suggests re-
vision Of the social security act
to correct the anomalous Situar
ton under which. during the
early years, average payments
under the old age assistance or
relief sections Of the act will
exceed payments m d 9 under
the cOntributory old age bene-
, fits sections. 1t believes that it
; just this inequity during the in
trOductOry years. This COMPARE
son also suggests the ad-
visibility Of initiating old age
benefit payments before 1912,
to those who have reached the
age of IS, thus cutting down the
interim applications for relief
under the old age assistance
sections Of the act.
POSSIBILITIES TOLD
at would still be possible to
accumulate . substantial con-
tingency reserve by 1945 If
present pay roll taxes amount
ing to 2 per cent were con-
tinued instead Of being stepped
UP in 1910, as now provided,
and if Old-age benefit payments
were started in 1910 instead of
1912 and were raised to q basis
more nearly comparable with
the schedule rs or 30 years
hence.
J Approach to the pay-as-yOu-gO
principle would enable the Gov
eminent to deal more generously
: with those nearing the retire
ment age. At the same time,
! during the early years, taxes
on employers and employees could
be held at q substantially lower
level than contemplated"
Turning from social security to
private thrift, Graham observed:
FINALLY, may 1 as an insur-
ance man be INDUCED to say a
word for that splendid body of
men and women constituting the
alert and able field force of the
insurance companies?
"These agents of the insurance
companies are the ones who
have brought to you the great
order of social security which in
surance has added to our Ameri.
can structure by their effective
ness in causing all of US to con-
slider our own individual neceSSi-
ties. ~
u. S. RESULTS CITED
'Many who have taken out
I insurance are disposed to do
that human thing Of viewing the
act as having been engendered
BY their own undirected vision.
That may be so, but If the his
: tory of the United States in the
widespread use of insurance Is .
criterion, the efficient American
agency organization as compared
with those of other countries
must be credited with q cOnSid-
cradle part Of the impressive re-
suits obtained to date in provid-
ing social security for our people
and bringing to us now the
greatest aggregate of insurance
protection Of any nation ON
earth.
"MOre power to the agent in
his proven field while the social
security act opens up new fields
to bring to us more Of that Of
which we can never have enough,
to wit: