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/'# esle,n l '"vt v; OCT 25 1937 A/ bra No THE ffOR K S * 5j< • J 4-ltsO'l- PROGRAM % —Works Progress Administration- For Release to Morning Newspapers, Wednesday, October 20, 1937. following address The was delivered by Aubrey Williams, Deputy Administrator of the Works Progress Administration, at the 38th anniversary of State Conference of Social Work in the Manhattan New York Opera House, Any the one of us at City, always happy Conference of Social Work. our Federal, have been set both as administrators and present economic system, carrying to you or a it in hitherto tonight of the in terms time when public helpful critics, knowing something the technical the trained could not the most con- will be needed. always forces at work in of of represented continuing partici- the you will not problems of some Their familiar with the will welfare activities show the best ways of No matter how great room and as without earlier administrations unplotted directions, of organized State that currents expect me to and need for the the seem two welfare work, contribution of talk in increasingly dominant. coordinating the expansion of public special to be arc voluntary social work, special problems confronting voluntary philanthropic agencies Experience be an Social workers have contributed As experienced social workers, our our criticism of the Federal-State program. structive pation, to appear before State and local relief administration; going. relief and government's Professional social work is largely voluntary social work, of personnel Tuesday, October 19, 1937: connected with the Federal welfare activities is in 8:30 p. m., types of there will activity. always social work financed out of voluntary contributions. Four years of relatively uninterrupted business recovery should us with a vantage point in our social march from which D58275 a provide look backward over 4-1601 No. 2 - ground traversed, of social an may be had. set-backs, At the to objectives and indicating whether social workers Every social client. agency's worker knows how record of The vitally for pardoned the larger social all of us, concern it impossible is to understand and how rarely a an individual is case success- cooperation of environmental forces surrounding history voluntary social of ?/ork in our country is the a. recognition of the necessity of transforming the environment before, any marked improvement First, the case is in the condition of individual picked met, the social is may be we lay board members. or closed without the candid recognition a restating of the goals which some "case" without regard to its social context, fully time, same the future and of look forward into attempting objectives gained, and of inventory - on up the basis of work agency worth its capable of bringing about modification individual distress which is, after an the expected. the emergency organizing the forces the environment all, merely could be Once emergency. sets about salt of cases for responsible symptom of the destructive a environment. I submit that this administration has necessarily approached its social * task in that now same definitely emergency out of, at an emergency had to be dealt with. least, that Roosevelt first took office, it is difficult for untroubled days of 1937. that many of those same spring It is even business leaders who now us of more are when President 1933, to We How grave that period. emergency which the nation faced in the was paratively First, light. recall, difficult from these com- to remember charge governmental inter- * ference with favorable repercussions in particular, were one on business among those who government intervention four and for the responsibility to save the in general and new called most insistently for Federal activity country's collapsing is without further delays to vironment which for opportunity. un- investment business structure half years ago. One of the tasks, possibly the major nation, the stock-market and its decline of so long has of the liberal forces of about modifying the economic stood in the way of The legal basis for national income set one a more equality of the en- economic equitable sharing of the total produced by the voluntary collaboration of nearly fifty 4-1601 -3- million individual workers also In order to be clear is it task, the nation wrestling with have been tically this ing of every corner the ignore titution is due a though like country. Or, it may be due tion of his that term is the on we about destitution of the other, It is the lished least on the the mize one set to a to a are This failure hungry as the used. Nationally hope of all basis where great bulk complexity to cover world the cost of producconditions. competitive unemployed in which sense this distinction hand, and the industrial wage-earner the us that American one of it will provide of the families of the that under considerably reduced dependent In fact, problem. agriculture reasonably a on a the best conditions state) (some experts say now by This curtailment of crop acreage now engaged in agriculture Without trying to offer any definite can as at living for This is not to mini- of realism sense re-estab- (taking compels the world economic agriculture will not engaged in it. now Sec- utilized for crops needs to be as means be secure it. our can much as 100 million reasonable balance between the farmer's inrnut of labor and his marketable output of crops of families natural a section of the must recognize on retary Wallace intimates that the land a to the family of the as American standard of living to all those order for A economy. the environmental conditions from which modifying farmer we des- stem. recognize an wide-spread due maybe particular a inability just into prac- A farmer may be destitute unemployed. his the country's agricultural the situation in its present and prospective yield large part of affecting flood, we This has had the effect of mak-. town, but he is not "unemployed" in the rightfully can important adequately describe the social selling-price fixed by family in the nearest before or crop in the This farmer mid bis worker that not social We have been inclined to generalize country. "unemployment." it calamity, drought its most our The truth is that for five years failure of his crop. the of complexity down into does not today. break-down of farmer may be destitute because of break it significant fact to and magnitude major problem of poverty, extending a the problem by dubbing us to be established. to of course, Unemployment, problem confronting the to as vitally important components. needs an acres) capital in and be established. ultimate diminution in the number their principal solution for the means problem of livelihood. of what is to become that of farm that can which is characteristic of such who travels one economically, - we this vast The different economies. different from are And there three are country of not with dealing are problems those different of problems# scale farms worked by an There is the plantations, labor# Mississippi and its And finally, ours one soon The There old is the with its there growing cotton with its land and water the constitutes a different the for the worker who dustrial wage-earner and a industrial relief one part-time a on of already dependence the and the is on Great Plains insuffici** Ozarks# and the same the entirely The in Imperial, different from degree of economic reasonable time a part-time in- farm hand. which has been encountered in connection with in relief since the enactment "loan" bill is traceable, unemployment destitution among bringing is at difficulty governmental participation first R.F.C. an Plains migratory seasonal wage-hands Valleys of California, measures Part of the and wage— High from the of the Salt Eiver Valley of Arizona, and Sacramento security to and its problem for devising equipment resources problem of stabilizing employment that of small- with its cotton farms, Appalachians Salinas, peculiar own section of the the self-sufficing farming areas corn-belt# the Negro wage-hands. mal-utilization of irrigated dozen a relatively large mechanical larger even South, in the that system of share-cropping. on dry-land grain regions ency of appreciate in each with its increasing reliance and to but with half highly developed technique of mechanical cultivation, migratory Mexican poverty of economic stabilization in the cotton Delta cotton area, of West Texas and Oklahoma, eomes agricultural adjustment the with the agricultural population# our archaic and uneconomic is alternative some dealing economy, cotton areas, economic and cultural of large part a plain non-agricultural pursuits# the best way of about generalize we support them, them in of livelihood must be found for Nor belt land will not the is it operators displaced by crop acreage reduction, to the extent means Any No. 4-1601 4 M an in my unprecedented scale, in opinion, and agricultural producers, coincided. July 1932 of the to the fact that widespread No other great 5 - capitalist country, I know, as complexity. Great Britain,- for unemployment among wage-earners, and of far so Isles small relatively in engaged has had- has had percentage of a stratcd that in certain sections of the United is degree of economic security nation must wrestle for some a solution to the does, however, constitute and to problem is dependent Any system inevitably result in production outruns deprived mic policies political ideology or mitigated by their power we prefer is willing no goods we can and eager the on bring public works com— in which the to work, unemployment eliminate inclination to Nazi pretend that of can of it the adopt Germany we are econo- or liberty the com- eliminate unemployment can unemployment insurance, unemploy— employment, thrown into no things they their Russia) maintain the evils of tested systems of means in can and services with the admitted evils do not we It powerless are disturbances of Soviet Russia, struggle But prevent it. and involuntary by the maintenance of idleness through no pur- fault own. the problem by re-establishing surrounding suranco. to In other words, of workers Of course, of of of farmer. function of the a gladly spend show the We hold the price they pay in loss of freedom and ment assistance and of and economic people relief, multitude of competitors will a claimed by Soviet and Italy. unemployment (as even is the the nature for which he production totalitarian states the American too dear and chasing of reasonable that in an How the a individual efforts and workers, But petitive system. be The control, perhaps Fascist far consumption, practically into which the farmer unemployment in which the mal-adjustments produce. altogether. the British intelligence of security for calamity a own of the income which they would themselves under by the unrelated efforts on is pretends one "dug-out" which his against No of economic It has been truly remarked that petitive system. of course, amply demon-' to be assured are come. economic an it States, July 1932, offers anything when overtaken temporarily, it has been with which the problem years lines followed since responsible This is due, playing against Nature. now of the United States agricultural producers wise problem grave comparatively insignificant, risky business, but a unbeatable game which the farmer is descend, a magnitude farming. inherently definitive such working population of the is the of it had cope with. Farming along problem a while example, destitution to problem of agricultural to the No. 4-1601 - our our of poverty in the United States agricultural economy on industrial wage-earners with the Those solutions involve who is both able and willing only to work. those a is not rational basis, safeguards families with a disposed and by of social inbreadwinner Social workers do not need to be 6 - reminded of But be the number of persons who large competitive system our found and No. 4-1601 - to bring reasonable a economic security to these categories of persons, whose blind and other the children, conditions Social them place Security Act, yet The conditions of and of will, in due course, the to meet adequately How an dependable season, of what I to the environmental modify The Act is admittedly imperfect be itself modified in order changing demands shelter a . financial in- and the outstanding example present economic system. our the catagories contemplated by by the necessity for governmental action mean And for many them. 1^gislation is social security dependent they fall outside of its benefits. While contenplat- it does not include ing then, in the crust degree of persons. limiting definitions to the abilities of certain states, Ways viz., the 'aged, physically handicapped rightfully due to fend for'themselves. recognize their existence, must also that endeavor supported unable are of unemployment benefits paid social insurance. for people our more out of separate state important business recession remains funds will prove in the next to be seen. There is great likelihood that states with relatively heavy cyclical unemployment will less their reservoirs of contributions see heavy incidence period too seems of take represented by enforced shifting experience to seems protection of the type of frictional unemployment The Wisconsin to another. indicate that workers now in employment and subject from unemployment compensation system recourse to relief that the relief load will continue to be almost ment compensation operation one in all of the heavy as states? after unemploy- An accurate employment compensation scheme to meet the needs for which it this Does to answer the many that need answering in order for the of the to those who have are assistance. public or mean is in a waiting job state this question is but The one in the ~^ast had to have not of the care states with still have funds. cyclical unemployment to long dry while run un- designed. was What is to be done regarding relief for the "insured" worker after he has exhausted his right to to this question is majority out of state of a unemployment The Great Britain has given scheme covering the great answer national unemployment assistance employable the national benefit? workers between the ages of 16 and 65,and financed How shall the treasury. unemployment compensation be enlarged admittedly inadequate and the obvious largely coverage of inequalities among states be corrected? Similarly, believing that carried out - the old age in creating would annuity plan is faulty, a reserve ultimately have been injected into fund amount to which, - many competent authorities if the intent of the law thirty billion dollars, a were factor will the economic situation capable of intensifying the very dislocations the Social Security Act attempts to smooth out. The coverage of 4-1601 No. 7 - - old-age annuities needs to "be enlarged to take in the agricultural population, domestic of servants, employees The contributions too weigh governmental and voluntary philanthropic agencies# heavily But the younger workers. on the important thing is not whether the Social Security Act is adequate-or not, "but that the principle has "been laid down that the to the economic that any future administration should lation off the federal There are of statutory type security legislation, lihood for themselves. Census among the as are assistance public unable, Although these under contemplated by persons are classed Our industrial havior. imposed line of is industry, no manual skill because he has need to we premium the age limit passed on their to concerns arbitrarily with relief take increasing trial in the concerns light in their these workers To - of no fixed during the past thought for men economic the by - the only recourse shows while they particular a worker All over clearly may be convenience, enforced old age assistance under the Social must look forward to inevitably a "employable" are in fact by indus- "invalid workers" schemes of social insurance in certain insecurity because they will themselves. employment policies actually are become for this more eligible of ten years or more not able to measure standards attaching to locally available jobs. (which by physical discriminate against the five yeans who, haven because they have not reached the them, however, sickness and community. European countries dub them offers live- eraployability experience in when offered aptitude, for purposes of relief classification and administrative unemployable a by the United States mental alertness, of saleability mechanical or gain do with their moral be- to youth, on to outstanding qualifications for the available job, merely country, experience that a Many large industrial longer young. worker who cannot show the system puts having nothing which tend to reduce the dexterity, etc., who and other causes accident, present our liable to long and frequent are the limitations of dependents, who, while by premature old-age, impaired physical vitality, susceptibility industrial and provide, protective legis- existing conditions, "gainfully employed", they unemployment because of periods can statute books. state or entitled are this wipe thousands of other workers with and without excluded from the social the wage-earners which tested forms of social insurance security it is unthinkable of masses age of 65. Many of great and increasing up to the physical During periods of unemployment frequent with advancing type of worker. Security Act age) local relief is Works Progress employment can only 4-1601 take of these "invalid" workers care And local relief, assessments for in the face of the financing "by lowering the its standards own growing resistance of unreasonably. mounting costs of government, "becomes increased to taxpayers more and more precarious.. The of wise and devising larger context of the social in the out Deal. chief The but it will do yet won its of spite fair to tural economic system must "be thought and economic review them to reforms there agriculture, the A.A.A. was The income of American farm operations. in the declines severe well known to all of you, are because briefly, their of re-adjustment, of the prices the not are efficacy of Supreme Court put an the is principal f of products arm - in bids - The task of agriculand labor with capital and has been made -unfinished, session of special the for 1937 producers balancing the farmer's input marketable crops, of business at objectives program, within reach of that for the boom year 1929. come in the New implicit need to be fought for. side of output of his for demonstrated before the adverse decision of was end to harm no our dealing with the measures in the Government's program points and still On the which still characterized that wide-spread poverty sound economically the first order called by the President for Novem- Congress ber 15. N.R.A. notwithstanding the criticism voiced against it in many quarters, was statesmanlike a business and concerns condemned were The and without "Company a new 7-A, A which was principle guaranteed outlawed. the welfare of of com- small- employees generally, written into was to workers by their employers restraint Union" ethical new the American into philosophy endangered the economic security "unfair." as trial code by Section freely introduce Certain practices which militated against petitive system. er to a.ttempt the indus- the right to organize in unions their of The invalidation of N.R.A. own the by choosing. Supreme Court carried the newly conferred guarantee of collective bargaining into the constitutional discard likewise, Supreme Court, - P. of L. and the C. I. and the 0 - Wagner Act, the reaffirmed this right of collective bargaining, A. but all to duly sustained by the - growth of union membership to testify the which the Roosevelt Administration based its The Spread industrial workers. validity - in both the of the main sponsorship of the premise on original N.R.A. Collective bargaining between employers and representative unions freely chosen by their \7ork of of our employees, our economic workers. constitutes security one which of we the most now important recognize to be bulwarks a in the frame- fundamental right 4-1601 -9- The wages and hours bill, an effort to write working week and Here, again, we into have the modifying by shall not fall. individual the close attention rnust be equally one of case paid by the gov- . Court Supreme week in many industrial working was plants, and, during the periods of active demand for goods, overtime became general. There is a will, in the strong belief in the country that the shortening of the work-week long provide run, relief rolls many of those in Progress the shortening which it in build social can Against ness all business private of present plight is objection the Our the offer the prophecy country is just for its chief nomic security to the stretch of the business the the in other enterprise. capitalist" producers and That country human distress. to the cost of the to that be curbed it needs to be destroy it if its greatest a dangerous radical like the one from which to the present economic system recognize. bringing called countries, consumers; depression the cost of be the of only needs not One does not need to be can parts of light of world conditions and the of the American imagination possession destructive governmental interference and beneficiaries to masses in amelior.ating will leave little of the emerging supporters of gain increasing strength Business is fearful that no of undue, of masses be Administration, certain reactionary busi- that another business now few years, present economic system corrected. soon a industries and slow, but with competent be conditions in all competitive system puerile. not the But, in activity. interests of are in "sweated" legislation capable charge saved from those who will abuses working these efforts of interests raise the in the should, within about wage r.ates and kno?/ledge • there. the lowest wage rates the nation and take off the employment, prevailing work-week will probably administration, on raising now additional a people, reasonable under revolutionary, enlarging measure legislation will be social of eco- that bjr saddled on services which prese? day economic insecurity makes imperative must be met out of taxation goes withou saying. It must be recognized that the end of the borrowing The creation of public debt billions of dollars of idle and bankers had not the in order to capital temerity to suck out which business lend, was an . voluntarily accepted provisions But the invalidating of the Act of the gradual lengthening of a over-long an the conditions out of which the need for relief grows. industrial codes. followed limiting that while viewpoint expressed N.R.A. attempted to accomplish this end by of for provisions floor under which rates of wages a economic distress must be relieved, ernment to swinging in the last Congress, represents Federal law our building left into men era is approaching. the channels of had not emergency consumptic the urge to borro- urgently called for by th 10 - \ No. 4-1601 - i theoretical and he needed in deciding how But to he levied. to the and where all things spend other forms of take they Disbursements out in The of tax funds for to maintain help cannot This is mass must are much as and with the idea that in which our natural our made to of the day but human problems only stopped be visualized in its broad capable of eastern Pennsylvania, where livelihood accomplish anthracite can industry it be cannot the even idle state if it gained. in any Congress, agricultural The State of objectives. the regions, tied up with is the way has been tho by on in of to set con- appointed the mines. in north- going to migrate places Pennsylvania,however,is powerless This is because the fate the of the State. Pennsylvania in New England control the natural gas coal. can either other coal is or Tho industry cannot be realized: will have the Commission a the anthracite will be of what to problem conditions under which anthracite particular substitute for anthracite distinct Pennsylvania is bound up with conditions outside modify seven operation population surplus population New York which determine whether oil a short of outlines, either of those if it thinks wise, mined, but tho with in view of tho decline population dependent employing or last the far so proposed legislation and recent months, anthracite miners of tho plight in along inescapably are of north-eastern area public light during that in the field utilized. are mining This by economic. of hard coal has brought forth rocommendations industries fault of no bill which has It sets up sumption the ethical on through little progress 40,000 unemployed remedy for is benefited. the economic on are foresight a do about as normally legislation,and Federal governmental reorganization. resourcos The anthracite coal in the to refer the order on by political lines, by Governor Earlo justified for those who, regional authority bill. on prominently put and hours so-called the bounded not used security assistance and age purchasing power,as they provide public attention,which stabilization,wages can, are unemployment benefits,old in conclusion, but which the President has to of social is diverted from those who necessity for planning constructively received scant a wil] provide for themselves. social welfare leads me, based cost employment. Wisdom daily consumption,the country governmental social services that they their own, their on grounds that organized society of that income extent the to meet taxes the amply justified hy considerable portion of their total income to those who in the nature of a ground situation and stimulation to business and increase in general results in save of the practical exigencies conditions or bituminous coal and is to be 11 - In the northern the on further ditions in the and ers or of the best cutting out Washington, The than more impose restrictions it cannot dictate the competitive but providing bill land and water resources. shall the is but part the best planning new planning proposed legislation, give the basis for type governments for all of the Social long it may run resources interest of the in people. business interests likewise express fear and executive power away from legislative exercising wide it into tendency which people inability demand to a a we central in strong government. In together. must be it where authority, what over they call can be own choice but to no total In time a and use to accord it the of of world- crisis, to make authority the power with and Responsibility Those who demand that the Federal government logical enough a case,the states have shown their step in collapse. is exercised, -cannot"escape: our inherently incapable units cope with the disastrous human and economic effects the national economy from saving governmental the United States and the Federal branch had go for in the the centralization of power in the Federal government. But this consolidation of the the region's of the of collaboration between Federal and State the best utilization of natural Reactionary of new contemplate ultimately develop. may should know about this some States. does not use Oregon "regional economic" approach, workers us fir from or the United of and it beginning, a But out of this foundations for economic and social Idaho white pine use southern basis for regional a con- of the Middle West which determine whether build- centers regional authority ruth— the to can yellow pine from or due timber. The State of Idaho establishments wood-working population, towns and stranded cutting of timber, populous and the industry is in decay the lumber Idaho, of is dotted with derelict region less part Ho. 4-1601 - assume that depression, view to a authority responsibility responsibility real. However, to say that the Federal government must have enlarged authority * does not must be necessarily signify exercised by Federal officials. public interest will state or be best local bodies. The answer is served This, of lief is to be administered, better. that in every instance, Federal authority can, thereby, course, is be part and whether Federal that there is administrative room delegated of or the to functions whore the appropriate question of how re- State administration is for both and that in certain in- stances, Federal administration will best meet the need of the situation, ITo, -12 and in of the problem is The American do not people, any This in which the a and month out. our triousness, with a We for are right to There is as necessary that anti-poor but something a new not There is and they to coming vote they is one the rich. of general thing, a ability - and better our men grinding want, assertion abroad that with a such on conviction in the air that a positive illusory and most of their become It pro-rich. than continuous, more and mechanical way this becomes week our natural living than have we of now. government major changes. to regard government than as something as having responsibilities more a police agency foreign relations department. are coning to regard Government the peace and order of agency in our individual our national life but struggle as 44UL IHrir not only the authorized collective for economic and social security. in, world-acknowledged indus- concerning the obligations and responsibilities some essence is, basically, something different in his heart should all be able to have we Our ideals We once authority judge them by the to This attitude raised \ip. organizing undergone is But without expecting secretly one total is generally have have one longer accept it attitude is at ne\7 wealth, if should continue poor. from that of every The on. develop the most effective type of collaboration between to the Federal and the State government. friends - sta/fce and local administration should he relied other, matters, 4-1601 well-being and
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