Show Text of Roosevelt Talk At Human Need Meeting I WASHINGTON Sept 23 UP p- p The Text of President Roosevelt's remarks before the third annual meeting for the mobilization of human needs delivered from the south portico of the White House today follows Mr Swope ladies and gentlemen gentle gentle- men of this third annual meeting for the mobilization of human needs I lam Iam am happy Indeed to 10 greet the then n national tion l and community leaders of the human welfare services of the whole nation For the third time v we have ha the the opportunity face to face to pledge at once the substance and the sinews of government government government gov gov- and of pr private prate ate organized welfare agencies in the service of the tho less fortunate of oL the land The problem in spite spit of definitely definite definite- I ly brighter economic skies this year demands the best that both can give I want to extend my congratulations and appreciation for your heroic work and work and I choose that word heroic deliberately deliberately dur dur during ing these years through which we have just passed The fact that you have maintained your support of welfare re services with witha a shrinkage of only 13 per c cent nt of the amount raised since 1929 is remarkable I am glad to know that you halted the retreat at that point a year ago and now are headed once more toward the front Let there be a general advance advance advance ad ad- vance from that point in the campaigns which have been organized organized organized or or- for the a autumn of 1935 There are very special reasons why all must cooperate to bring private welfare support back at least to the 1929 level In pursuance pursuance pursuance pur pur- of the announced policy of the legislative and administrative tive tuve branches of the federal government government government gov gov- the government is withdrawing withdrawing withdrawing with with- drawing as rapidly as possible from the field of emergency home relief We are moving successfully successfully success success- fully ruBy toward the substitution of work for direct relief relic We anticipate anticipate anticipate antici antici- pate in addition to the work provided provided provided pro pro- vided by federal funds a very definite increase in work provided provid provid- ed by the employers of the m nation tion during the coming year The great mass of private employers realize today that they again must greatly help in our economic situation situation situation sit sit- by offering employment to the tho utmost limit of their abil abil- it ity Chiefly because of the steps taken by the government itself during the past two and a half- half years to save homes and farms to bring prices into a more fair adjustment adjustment adjustment ad ad- to make the payment of or debts easier to make loans to industry to railroads ds and to banks the act actual al purchasing power pow pow- er of the mass of the people has greatly risen from the low point of 1932 This means therefore that the nation as a whole is better better better bet bet- ter able to do its duty to private charities than it has been for six long years and that is a a. pretty good selling argument for all of ot you to carr carry to the nation In the task of caring for the less fortunate in this year of 1935 there are arc of f course many important important important tant gaps to be filled It is to the filling of these gaps that your earnest efforts are being directed It cannot be emphasized too often that the task you ou have been doing all these years rears is far broader broad broad- er than relief The public must realize more a and d more the great and necessary work you are arc doing in such fields as s nursing hospitals hospitals hospitals hos hos- child welfare recreation and youth guidance Such services services ser ser- vices as these have not and cannot be assumed as a responsibility of ot the federal government except in ina a most limited degree Their very nature consigns them to private agencies I am very glad that the new commission for social security headed by Governor Winant with the able assistance of Mr Altmeyer Altmeyer Altmeyer Alt- Alt meyer and Mr Miles has come to Washington They are are about to undertake a great task that of spreading the gospel of taking care of the aged throughout the country of set setting ling up unemployment ment insurance and also of cooperating cooperating coop coop- crating with the states and communities communities com corn in taking care of widows and children That is going in inthe inthe inthe the years to come to be considered considered considered consid consid- ered one of the greatest steps ever taken by the American people The work of this new commission commis commis- zion lion ties dovetails dovetails ties in very in-very very cl closely closely close close- se sely ly with the human needs of ot every community and I am very confident confident confident dent that you will be beable able to make it clear clear inthis in inthis this campaign that you are cooperating in this new work lIt It is going to help every cou in the land It is goi going g make more clear what all of ot jointly face Tf I The responsibility of ot welfare has become great as industrial life UCe cre l new problems of community il l lI I ing Such support must cc Ct from all those whose ments have accentuated the ce c and the problems of ot co COI life liCe it 1 3 They owe the community a ave ve substantial sum for the nanco of community welfare s 8 vices Such gifts should be bea beaI a aI I am confident will be bc tho the sound motive of ot helping the thc within the community who ri riall ne neall neall all kinds of help and better conditions 1 Let me repeat how glad I s sto sto sto to come back to Washington tod to join in this gre great t conference am especially glad to greet y yo hard working devoted Gerard Swope my old friend And so I say eed to yc to all aU of your fellow workers he and in the communities fi fro which you come ome The U Unit States can have no higher ide than that expressed in your 31 gan To each and all of ot you you youl me say say say-be be a n good neighbor |