Evening star., 1937-10-12
FAMILY SECURITY
IS SBOARD'S AIM
Miss Dewson Explains Pro-
gram of Social Security
in Forum.


Social Security Board, declared last
night in an address in which she ex-
planned how the act seeks to maintain
the stability of the family pattern.
Addressing a Nationwide audience
In the National Radio Forum, spon-
sored jointly by The Evening Star
and the National Broadcasting Co.,
Miss Dewson said the acts primary
objective is to establish a greater
measure of security in the life of the
family.
For when you begin to help the
family to attain some security" she
said, you are at the same time be-
ginning to erect a national structure
for the same purpose. Through the
well-being of the family we create the
well-heing of the Nation"
Almost 35,0O0,0OO social security
accounts already have been set up
under the old-ag insurance system,
she said. Under the Federal-State
unemployment insurance system, 21,-
100000 workers are engaged in jobs
covered by State unemployment laws
So far total of $235.000,000 in Fed
eral funds has gone to the States for
assistance to needy groups, such as
the aged, the blind and dependent
children-beneflting almost 100000
persons, she said.
Text of Miss Dewson's Talk.
The text of Miss Dewsons address
follows:
There are hundreds of laws in this
country which may never affect us
They are buried in books. But the
social security act is alive. 1t is as
real as your job, your future, the
health and welfare of your family
And you have definite stake in it
which is growing larger daily.
I want to talk about that stake
tonight.
In extending the invitation to me
. that I speak about What the Social
Security Act Means to Women.
Frankly, at first I did not warm tc
this title. My first reaction was
Here it is again, the so-called
'womens' angle an angle-if that
Is the word-which in most things
has existence mainly in the imagina.
ton, rather than any foundation ir
fact.
My experience has been that most
"angles" are artificial. I know thai
In the social security act you CAM
point your finger and say this is the
women's angle. And, over there, i.
the mems angle. Social security
doesn't mean that, and it doesn't work
that way.
For Men and Women.
Take our old-age insurance system
Tor instance. Under it We have al.
ready set up almost 35,000,00O socia
security accounts. 1t is a program fol
the workers of this country-for mer
and women. Under our Federal-Statt
unemployment insurance system 21,.
100000 workers-nnen and women
are engaged in jobs covered by Statt
unemployment insurance laws. I fee
that to present on such a marrow
basis any evaluation of what womer
see in the social security program
would be without purpose or conclu.
sion. But after giving the topic anc
its implications little more thought
realized that there are, in the Socia
security act, certain deep and far.
reaching consequences of particular
significance to the women Of thi,
country. In fact they explain why
every one of us has a stake in the
social security program.
Suppose, then, we recall one expla.
nation of why we have such a pro.
gram A little more than two year.
ago President Roosevelt said in a mes.
sage to Congress: Among our OBJ.
jectives I place the security of the
men, women and children of the Ma.
ton first" To me those words mean
not security for three separate groups;
they mean a related security for the
three together, for the family group.
And there you have the truth and
worth of a national program for socia
security. Its primary objective is tt
establish greater measure of security
in the life of the family. For when
you begin to help the family to attain
some security you are at the same
time beginning to erect a national
structure for the same purpose
Through the well-being of the family
we create the well-being Of the Nation
Through our constructive contribu-
tions to the one we help the other tc
flourish.
Ten Programs in Set-Up.
Now let's see how the social security
act gets at this.
In the act are set up 10 programs
which come to. grips with conditions
and obstacles hindering our socia'
progress and security. Some of them
like old-age insurance and unemploy.
ment insurance-we are establishing
for the first time. Others were begun
long ago, and by including them ir
the social security act they are placed
where they properly belong and car
be most effective. OF course, each
program under the social security &C,
has a separate purpose and responsi.
bility. But each one is above all on,
part Of broad pattern, just as tn.
family group consists Of individual!
who are held together by a counties.
number OF economic and social ties.
To make this pattern as complete
and useful as possible-for the indi
vidual, the family, the community ant
the Nation-is the aim of our socia
security program, and this we hav'
started to do.
Through the old-age insurance sys
tenn We have started to build for NOR
security in old age. In nine month
we have set up social security account
for the vast majority Of workers o
this country who are engaged in com
merce and industry. We have entere'
the second phase Of our operations
recording workers wages in their indi
vidual social security accounts. Tn
amount of monthly retirement bene
fits the eligible worker receives will
In turn, depend on the total amour
of wages recorded in the account whe1
the retirement age is reached.
To some extent We nave even begul