Evening star., 1938-12-10
More Dependency Aid
By u. ). Favored
By A|tmeyer
Would Place Entire
Security Structure
In Merit System

Liheralizati ton of Federal pay
n1ents for dependency and extension
Of the merit system to the entire
national security structure was sug-
gested by Chairman Arthur J, Alt
meyer of the Social Security Board,
one of seven prominent Govern
ment officials who last night ad-
dressed the dinner conference of
the American Public Welfare As
ISOLATION.
Asserting I'VE still have long
way to go in meeting national re-
quirements." Chairman Altmeyer
enumerated several changes he
deemed advisable in extending pro-
visions of the Social Security Act.
He also suggested the matching of
so per cent of all State funds and
predicted the Federal Government
must come to a program of varia-
BILE grants"
In introducing Mrs. Franklin D.
Roosevelt as the toastmistress,
Charles F. Ernst, president of the
association, referred to her as "the
first social welfare worker of the
land" More than 500 Federal
State, local and private officers at
tended the symposium on welfare
needs at the Wardman Park Hotel.
Mrs. Roosevelt heard Works Prog
ress Administrator Harry l.. Hopkins
deprecate the recent criticism di-
rected by Washington pastor at
her son James in testifying before
the Dies Committee on Un-Ameri-
can Activities Mr.. Hopkins sat
next to her at dinner and made only
a passing reference to the incident
without mentioning any names. He
was referring to some of the things,
he said, that made him tired and
sometimes "discouraged."
Halls Welfare Progress.
"One of these times" he explained.
sis when a censor of our morals
gets before a committee of Congress
and expresses his outrage because
he doesn't like what certain young
man puts in the church collection
plate" 1t was the Rev. Howard
Stone Anderson. pastor of the First
Congregational Church. who had
criticized the example" set by
James Roosevelt for not including
church contributions in his income
tax
Mr.. Hopkins added that he felt
"encouraged" when he realized that
public welfare had made the
greatest progress in the history of
America in the last five years"
but reminded the audience also that
all over this country, tens of thou
sands of people still have no Sc
curity and live in miserable poverty"
Another high light of the confer
ence was furnished by Surgeon Cen
eral Thomas Parran, jr, of the Pub
lie Health Service, who brought ap-
plause when he alluded to the fact
that professional interest" in the
national health program was more
IN evidence than was generally be-
ueved.
Surgeon General Parran referred
to the proposed national health pro-
gram as the most important event
Of the past year. Il have been
astounded by the ground swell Of
public thought in public health" he
said. Expressing hope that the
health program will be extended, he
said it proposes, for the first time,
ito put medical science to work for
the better health of the Nation"
Other Speakers.
Otksrnnlo addressed the confer
encesl4 aed Katharine Lenroot.
chief of s14e United States Childrens
Bureau; Josephine Roche. chairman
of the Interdepartmental Commit
tee to Coordinate Health and Wei
fare Activities; Nathan Straus, ad-
ministrator of the United States
Housing Authority, and Charles H.
Taussig of the National Youth Ad-
ministration. They briefly reviewed
their own special work Frank Bane
of Chicago. executive director. Coun-
ell of State Governments, made the
only formal address His topic was
Public Welfare-a Cooperative
Program" in which he sounded the
keynote of the sessions being held
here
Miss Lenroot said that more
money was needed for social work.
Mr.. Bane deplored the pullman
car criticism of the grants-in- laid
to States and the "grandstand
quarterback expounding upon waste
and Incidence" Such criticism. he
claimed, is directed not only at
Government and administration, but
also at the unemployed. To render
necessary services to the people
has been increasingly one of the
acute problems of the Government
hs society has become more COM
pleX, he said, and the causes of
insecurity have multiplied and be-
come more remote.
Reviewing the changes in public
sentiment and from emergency to
permanent policies for meeting the
demands for security. Mr.. Bane
emphasized the development of CO.
operative methods between local.
State and Federal governments.
"Th cooperation of all areas of
government WIN respect TO a gwen
service-whether it be the improve
ment of farming. the construction
of roads, or the relief of an aged,
needy person-is increasingly be-
coming the usual pattern of public
administration in this country" he
said.
Mr.. Bane recommended the "inte-
grafton of all Federal activities con-
cerned with welfare in one ad-
ministrative department. He also
urged the re-examination of the
basic "grant-in- aid" structure with
a view to granting assistance to
States on basis of need.
AS final point in a program
he advocated that all administrative
personnel in Federal-State CO.
operative programs be selected in
accordance with civil service rules.
These recommendations no doubt
will be submitted to the association
for consideration at further ses-