Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-09-23

Eager for Proposals.
Men and women everywhere arr
eager for concrete definite pro.
posals. They want to know wha1
we can do to bring about the better
life that we are seeking. Accord.
ingly, I propose that our program
for social progress be broadenec
and strengthened, and that we move
forthwith to do these things:
First: The Social Security Aci
should be amended to provide ole
age and survivors insurance fol
those who most desperately neeo
protection and are not now covered
by Social Security or some othel
pension or retirement system.
Twenty million of us-farmer.
and farm workers, domestic workers
employees Of non-profit enterprises
many Government employees, ane
those who work for themselves
are left without this protection a.
the law now stands. What kind Of
security is it which leaves all these
people unprotected yet puts the
Ihigh-salaried officials of large corpo.
rations in the system, whether they
need 1t or want it or not?
Expects Many Problems
Why should farm families be
denied the benefit of this system OF
old-age security? Why should farm
workers be denied security? Why
should domestic servants be ex.
cluded? Why should those who
work for themselves be denied this
security? Why should large mum.
bers of white collar workers be ex-
cluded? Because there are diff
ficulties of administration? That
is not a good enough answer.
In bringing about the necessary
broadening of old-age and survivor:
insurance, We will, of course, meet
with many problems. We will have
to adopt different methods of col.
lecting the Social Security tax II
order to avoid a bookkeeping burden
upon small employers, family-type
farmers or others we seek to pro.
tect. If we make up our mind:
that protection against old age i
something to which every American
is entitled, we shall find a way tt
reach that objective.
A serious omission in the list o.
those covered at the present time
consists of the men and womer
now in military service. Those VINO
once worked in jobs covered by old
age insurance and who stepped out
of those jobs TO enter the service
of their country, suffer gap In
their old-age benefit credits. Unless
the law is changed, their reward
for serving their country may be q
net reduction and loss in their old
age or survivors benefit. The Law
must be changed promptly to cor
rect this injustice
Must Widen Provisions.
Second We must widen tn,
provisions of unemployment insur.
ance to include the groups which
are now unprotected.
Here again there will be problems
but they can and will pc solved.
Third-The employment service
originally handled by the States anc
taken over by the Federal Govern.
ment during the war, should be re,
turned to the States as soon as prac.
ticable. After all, jobs are in thu
States, not in Washington-we hope
The employment service must b,
where employment is and in tn,
hands of people who know loca
conditions.
Employment service and unem
ployment insurance are clearl,
parts of one and the same job. The,
ought to be handled in the sam'
Office by the same administrator
To provide benefits without pro
viding employment service is to d.
less than half the job. After all
it is another job a man wants-ane
as soon as possible.
Improve Medical Service.
Fourth-We must help to develop
a means for assurance of medica
service to those of our citizens whit
need it, and who cannot otherWis,
obtain it. This is a task that mus
be carried out in cooperation with
our medical men. There cen b,
no group better able to advise OF
medical care than the medical pro,
fesSion.
Yet, unhappily, this is the yer,
group which the New Deal has man.
aged to ALLEVIATE. Our free and in.
dependent medical profession ha.
advanced medical science in America
ahead of every other Nation il
the world. It's freedom has made
it great. 1t should be encouraged
not discouraged Let us enlist the
leadership and aid of the doctors Of
America in organizing our private
and public hospitals as we'll as oul
other services into fully effective
system to protect the health of al
our people.
Fifth-The States and the loca
communities must be encouraged tt
establish the fullest information
service for veterans.
Counsel for Veterans.
When the veteran comes back Il
his home town, he should be ablt
to get prompt and expert counse
as to his rights and opportunities
The CT Bill of Rights is non
partisan law. 1t rightly recognize!
service to veterans as part of the
cost of the war and as a nationa
responsibility.
But that is not all that needs tt
be done. Every veteran should b.
able to talk over his plans witt
some one at home. There shoult
be some one who can tell him wher,
to look for the best possible job, how
to go after that job, how to con
tinue his education if he wants to
There should be some one to tel
him where to find the local, Statt
or Federal agency that can hes
help him meet his problems. Tit
State and the home community car
do this best because they alon.
have an intimate understanding G
the personal problems involved.
This is already being dem
onstrated in my own State of New
York. We are proud of the effec
tive work being done by our vete
! T. 4