Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-03-15
Shelf Waits
RooseveI+'s
Social Plan
20 Per Cent Too Busy to
Worry About It Now
By PAUL MALLON

WASHINGTON, March 10
w Mr.. Roosevelt sent his cra-
dle-to-the-grave security plan
TO Congress in the name OF
Uncle Delano Roosevelt, head OF
the National Resources Plan
ming Board. but it was somewhat
the work of Ambassador Winant.
The ambassador to London
has been in Washington nearly
two months working on the pro-
gram, on the basis of his experi-
ence with Sir William Beverage
in preparing the Beverage plan
for the British.
The British government al
lowed three days of debate in
Parliament on the Beverage
plan and then postponed action
until after the war"-a nice
shelf on which il can gather
dust. Not even all laborites were
for il.
The American Congress is apt
TO do the same thing with the
Roosevelt plan-w I hout the
three days of debate.
THERE are many excellent
L notions in the plans, but
somehow few can bring them
selves TO seriously consider such
political canned goods in the
midst of the war No worse time
could be chosen 10 talk OF Sc
curity," than when every one
can look into his own life and
see there is no such thing,
never has been, never will be.
The best laid plans Of govern
ments and politicians 10 collect
a lot of taxes now on the prom
Use 10 pay some one SO, $40 or
SIP week IN the future never
look sillier than when they
come up against war, with in.
fiationary prices, food rationing.
death and destruction of lives.
and even governments and their
promises 10 pay.
Men have always strived for
security, in the past mainly by
trying to make themselves rich.
or by acquiring property and in
surance. The rich found in 1882
that their way was no guaran-
tee. Their paper riches were
washed away.
The poor man has learned the
same lesson then and now. when
the d disaster of war with its
prices and taxes have nullified
his attempts to find assurance
against dreaded want.
VET man $500 as the politicians
Il well know-first is inclined
10 seek safety rather than work,
advancement, freedom. and adj
venturous goals. at least in these
days when his leaders constantly
gid the pot of gold at the end
of the rainbow.
In truth. however. security is
negative goal. 1t does not
look ahead, but back. II does
not suggest progress and inn
provement OF the individual or
nation, only a hedging against
an old constantly fading norm.
These government pl ans at
best could only bring an unsatis-
flying measure (S8 a week. Of
security 10 the 10 per cent or
less Of the people at the expense
of the 90 per cent or more of the
people who replenish the
treasury.
OUR own working social secur-
" ity pl IN. already adopted,
has collected $1,000. 900, 900 more
than IL has paid out to the
people. Comparatively few have
benefited, Most good workers
will never get anything out of il,
and the poor one may not really
be worthy of all this taxation.
A Britisher tells me Sir Will
liam Beveridge is coming over
here TO sell his plan, because he
failed 10 put IL over in Britain.
If Beveridge had been success
full at home, he would be too
busy working il out there TO
make the trip, so my informant
says.
The British. he says, In the
past three years have come up
against the real facts of life.
However. Beverage may be
more successful here. We are
more gullible than the British.
After all, we took bite of the
wasteful Keynes spending plan,
devised by a Britisher,. although
Britain spurned il.
And all politicians like TO
promote security" because il
makes them appear TO be doing
something for the common man ,
and thus covers multitude OF
Sins--including currently the in
security OF rising price levels
which is destroying whatever
security citizens have been able
TO provide for themselves, in
insurance or otherwise.
THE current report Is thus
L merely political canned
goods laid out on the shelf in
Congress, with no guarantees
against spoilage. 1t is a mass Of
elevating theories strung to-
gether without any concrete
plan or drafts or specifications
for carrying them out.
While the social security
board is supposed to be working
on some dollar and cents RECON-.