The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-16
President Asks Spread Of Old Age Insurance
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 assembling data, and developing ways and means of improving the operation of the social security act.
 Old Age Security
 I particularly call attention to the desirability of affording great CT old age security. The report sug- gests 8 two-fold approach which believe to be sound. One way is to begin the payment of monthly old age benefits sooner, and to liberalize the benefits to be paid in the early years. The other way is to make proportionately larger federal grants in aid to those states with limited fiscal capacities, so that they may provide more ade- quate assistance to those in need. This result can and should be &C., complished in such a way as to m- volve little, if any, additional cost to the federal government. Such a method embodIes a principle that may well be applied to other federal grants-in-aid.
 Protect Children
 I also call attention to the desir- ability of affording greater pro- lection to dependent children. Here again the report suggests a two- fold approach which I believe to be sound. One way is to extend our federal old age insurance sys- tenn so as to provide regular monthly benefits not only to the aged but also to the dependent children of workers dying before reaching retirement age. The other way is to liberalize the. fed- eral grants-in-a to the states to help finance assistance to depend- ent children.
 As regards both the federal old age insurance system and the fed- eral-state unemployment compen- sation system, equity and sound social policy require that the bene- fits to be extended to all of our people as rapidly as administrative experience and public understand ing permit. Such an extension is particularly important in the case fthe federal old age insurance system. Even without amendment, the old age insurance benefits pay- able in the early years are very liberal in comparison with the taxes paid. This is necessarily so in order that these benefits may accomplish their purpose of fore stalling dependency. But this very fact creates the necessity of ex- tending this protection to as large a proportion as possible of our employed population in order to avoid unfair discrimination.
 Administered by States
 Much of the success of the social security act is due to the fact that all of the programs contained in this act (with one necessary ex- ception) are administered by the states themselves, but coordinated and partially financed by the fed- eral government.
 This method has given us fexi- ble administration and had en- abled us to put these programs into operation quickly. However, in some states incompetent and politically dominated personnel has been distinctly harmful. Therefore, I recommend that the states be required, as condition for the receipt of federal funds, to establish and maintain merit system for the selection of per- sonnel. Such a requirement would represent a protection to the states and citizens thereof rather than an encroachment by the fed eral government. Since it would automatically promote efficiency and eliminate the necessity for minute federal scrutiny of state operations.
 Greater Protection
 I cannot too strongly urge the wisdom of building upon the prin- ciples contained in the present so- cial security act in affording great CT protection to our people, rather than turning ot untried and de- monstrably unsound panaceas. AS I stated in my message four years ago: Tt is overwhelmingly impor- tant to avoid any danger of per- manently discrediting the sound and necessary policy of federal legislation for economic security by attempting to apply 1t on too ambitious scale before actual ex- perience has provided guidance for the permanently safe direction of such efforts. The place of such a Fundamental in our future civiliza- tion is too precious to be jeopar- dized now by extravagant action"
 We shall make the most orderly progress if we look upon social se- curity 8 as development toward 8 goal rather than 8 finished product. We shall make the most lasting progress if we recognize that so- cial security can furnish only a base upon which each one of our citizens may build his individual security through his own individ- ual efforts.
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