Winant Claims Federal Help Necessary Under Stress of Economic Disturbance

"Federal help was necessary under the stress of unprecedented economic disturbance," stated John G. Winant, National Chairman of the Social Security Board to a member of the H-Y-P Conference Committee, as he enthusiastically pronounced the Social Security Act the era's most important legislation in its field.

"The American characteristics of self help and independence are spiritual valuses too great not to preserve", alleged the former Governor of New Hampshire, "but the forces which our changing technology had unloosed in the world were so great, so ruthless and so unchangeable that the individual had to have added strength which comes from social action in order to cope with them."

The chairman stated that previous attempts at social assistance had been fruitless and had demanded a remedy of "national security as the objective, and national action through the national government as the approach." In brief, he stressed that "the other levels of Government--City, County, and State--had done all they could; Federal help was necessary."

Mr. Winant proceeded to mold his case with the statement, "in this spirit, then, we might well view the contribution of the Social Security Act of 1935 to the national security." Having treated the various fields of his board, such as, public assistance to people in need, unemployment compensation, and old age benefits, and proved their necessity as well as their justification, he reverted to the spirit of the Act. "It is the greatest piece of social welfare legislation which this nation has adopted in many a generation. As time goes on, we shall increasingly realize the profound importance of this first step towards security for the individual and the national seenrity."

"To say this is not to say that the Act as it stands is perfect, or that it is not to be changed", the administrator was swift to proclaim. But the most vital of all of the Chairman's avowals was his far-sighted prediction for the future. "It is a part of the intelligence to expect that we shall learn how to improve social security constantly, and that through the years the system will undergo definite and steady evolution."