Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-01-27
Beverage S Slap
At the Marxians

IRON lOng-term historic STANDPOINT lheIe Is SonF-
I thing in the Beverage plan of vastly greater signh-
canoe than his detailed proposals for extending and
improving social insurance in Great Britain after the war
Sir Williams comprehensive study of freedom from
want" in the postwar world constitutes cerhcaton that
further social and economic progress can be achieved
within the framework of the private enterprise system
tcapitaisml In this sense reputation of the whole
Marxist school which alacously and mischevousy con-
tends that capitalism has within itself the seeds OF its
own decay
IN addition 10 thus rcfuting the Socialist thesis the
Beverdee report likewise those who assume that
the mere fats Of government can be substituted Tor the
spirit of individual thrift and industry.
IN PRESENTING the inner meaning of the British plan
on social insurance and allied services at the Town Hall
in New York Sir Henry Bunbury British economist re-
Gently declared
eThe pan is not an alternative to work and enter
prise either for the individual for society as
whole On the contrary il implies them IT is TO succeed
In other words hard work by in association with
tools and power machinery directed by competent private
management produce the goods and services not
only for regular family consumption but also to validate
the claims of the insured under conributory scheme
for providing against hazards of old age sickness and
unemployment.
Sir William in defending the private-enterprise
system uses British prewar accomplishments to demon
strate his points Since American living standards have
been higher the American way is better proof of
the social and vitality of the system of individual
initiative and enterprise.
THE Beveridge report quotes from official surveys to-
indicate variations material wellbeng of British
families in various cities before this and then con-
cludes:
want could have been abolished before the present
war by redistribution income within the wageearning
classes without touching any of the weather. classes
This is said to suggest that redistribution OF income
should be confined to the wage-earnng classes sui less
is il said to suggest that men should be content with
avoidance of want, with subsistence incomes.
ut is said simply as the most convincing demOnstra-
ton that abolition want Just before this easily
within the resources of this community; want was
needless scandal due to not taking the trouble to pre-
vent it,"
This is an immensely significant valuation of the
social usefulness of the enterprise system and powerful
reutation to the propaganda of Marxlans and total
tarans that capitalism has become decadent and must
inevitably be superseded by statesm masqueradng as
a planned economy.
IN UNDERsCoRING the progressive nature of the pr-
l vate enterprise SYSTEM Sir William further stated:
1.-THE wages of labor what the wage Garner could
buy with his earnings just before the present war; were
i'm about Onethd higher than in 1900 for an hour
less of work each day.
1.-The moral is the encouraging one, that it is wrong
10 assume that the present war must bring economic
progress for Britain for the rest of the world to an
end"
Thus, the pregnant meaning of the Beverage report
should not be missed.
Vastly more significant than his specific proposals
for extending and undermining the British scheme OF con-
tributory social insurance Sir Williams impartial and
objective finding that science and invention and the i'm
provement of technology under private enterprise are
capable of yielding the postwar Improvement In popular
material well-beng for which the common man every
where is yearning.