The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-12-27
To Hear Them All
Cleveland Plain Dealep

tGlNFetaltQ tiatn Bea4cff
 one of the first moves by majority leaders when Congress assemblies in January will be toward broad Liberalization of the Social Security Act Amendments estimated to bring sn additional l6000000 persons under its protection are discussed probable
 This is the answer of the administration to advo- cates oi variety graIdOse pension schemes which Congress win be asked to approve When MT Roose- val warned the country against short cuts to Utopia designed by a "mnatic fringe to scatter gold among the aged and dependents he had n mind some o the groups which now prepare to sWoop down on Congress with their demands and their pressure methods.
 Y s agreed that social security is here to stay That the present act needs revision b likewise widely believed And .ts liberalization is by no means the only step desirable to make it more serviceable There is for Instance the matter of the reserve account" which most contributors assumed was an accmnuiat- ing fund ueabc for the tltue payment of od-age benefits whereas in fact contributions to it are used like other taxes 10 help pay the running expenses Of the Federal government
 The stuanou merits study n the interests ot ouuo and fan procedure Il is at least comparable in importance with the acts liberalization The ad- tsow council on social security meets early next month 10 formulate a program for submission to Conglesa It's proposal may well include more than amendments 10 extend the benefits of the law as important this step appears to be
 The national vice president of the Townsend recovery plan claims that l50 of the 266 candidates for Congress his organization ndorsed were elected several weeks ago Advocates of other pension plans equally confident that harvest days at hand The so-caled general welfare bitI which many Town enoites have indorsed probably the nearest they come ta the original S200-a month plan is among tha measures e0ngressnen will find awaiting them
 Uness some one n authority vetoes the sugges- ten. the House ways anQ means committee viii open the doot consideration of all these pension pro- posals Chairman Dousbton of the committee as Usn as ranking Republican members of it, agree on this point Tbis marks departure rom the policy of the last session when the short cuts to Ftopia bcttled I'D and the aeouzed cries Of their adVO eates ignored.
 Ii suggested piece Of legislation is by ts nature unsound or dangerous perhaps the best way to ac- quaint the public With the fact is to give It's adherens 2 hearing Keeping 1t in 8 committee pigeon hole may save valuable time. but 1t is not good method oG persuasion
 The 75th Congress received a liberalization pro- gram for amending the social Security Act but took action 1t For a variety of reasons most Of Jhem obvious. Che program is likely to find more ponsige attitude this time
 II vii be proposed that the act be extended to include farm laborers and domestic servants, the the start Of the old-age annuity operations may be moved forward from 1942 to 194o; the payment to those retiring the early years Of the system may be increased. Greater economy in administration is ore purpose included which the country will hail with approval
 Tn the dscesson of social security amendments the consideration of other proposals for amelioT ang the condition Of the industrial eastoff and the aged q prime consideration must always be that meney for financing any or all of them comes from employment and production. Enthusiasm must be tempered with caution. lest the cure prove worse than the disease