Evening star., 1937-12-21
ALTMEYER SHOWS
SECURITY ADVANCE
Report on Achievements Is
Given on National Radio
Forum.

The following address on "Recen
Progress in the Social Security Pro
gram" was delivered last night b,
Arthur j. Altmeyer. chairman of th'
Social Security Board, speaking on tn
National Radio Forum arranged b.
The Star and broadcast over Nation
wide hook-up Of the National Broad
casting Co.:
am grateful to the National Radio
Forum and to the National Broadcast
ing Co. for this opportunity to discus.
the recent progress that has been made
In making more effective the various
benefits of the Social Security Act.
want particularly to discuss the ad.
vance that has been made in the de-
velopment of a Nationwide system OF
unemployment compensation, or jot
insurance as it has sometimes beer
called.
On June IS, 1886, I had the privilege
Of appearing on this same program to
discuss the operation of the SociaI
Security Act. At that time it was
necessary to discuss very largely what
might be termed the promises con-
tanned in the Social Security Act. To-
day I am able to give you report
on the achievements of the Social Sc
curity Act 1t will be impossible for
me to cover all of the benefits pro-
vided by the Social Security Act, since
the act covers 10 separate programs
administered by number of Govern
ment agencies. Nine of these ten diff
ferent programs are actually operated
by the States, although financed in
part by the Federal Government.
Board Directs Five Programs.
The Social Security Board admin
listers five programs which are of two
general types One type is called pub
lie assistance; the other is called So
cial insurance. 1t is most important
to distinguish between the public as
sistance provisions and the social in
surance provisions. Payments are
made to individuals under the various
public assistance provisions only on
the basis of their actual need, after
an investigation has been made to de-
termine the amount of their financial
resources, if any. Payments are made
to individuals under the social in
surance provisions as a matter of right
and in accordance with their past
earnings. No investigation is made
either of their needs or their resources.
Although it is less than two years
elnce funds we're made available un-
der the Social Security Act. there are
today 100000 needy men, women
and children throughout this Nation
receiving monthly cash allowances,
which will total more than S400.000,-
600 a year. More than 1900 900 of
these are aged persons who are in
need; more than half million are
needy children, and $4,000 are needy
blind. While payments are made only
after an investigation has been made
to determine needs, these payments
are made in cash each month, so that
there is more regularity and less su-
pervision than in the case of poor
relief
In the case of old-age assistance and
aid to the blind the Federal Govern
ment contributes so per cent of what
State expends, up to $50 per in
dividual, In the case of aid to de-
pendent children the Federal Govern
ment contributes one-t third of what a
State expends, up to s18 for the first
child and s12 for each additional child
Forty States Aid Children.
All of the States and Territories,
with one exception, are participating
In the old-age assistance program
Forty States are participating in the
aid to dependent children program