1935 House Hearings on the President's Economic Security Bill
1935 HOUSE HEARINGS ON THE PRESIDENT'S ECONOMIC SECURITY BILL
Shortly after the 74th Congress convened in January 1935, President Roosevelt sent his "Economic Security Bill" to Capitol Hill. The Administration proposal was transmitted to the Congress on January 17, 1935 and it was introduced that same day in the Senate by Senator Robert Wagner (D-NY) and in the House by Congressman Robert Doughton (D-NC) and David Lewis (D-MD). The bill was referred to Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways & Means Committee.
Hearings on the bill were held throughout January and February. The House Ways & Means Committee held hearings on the bill from January 21, 1935 through February 12, 1935. The Senate Finance Committee held hearings from January 22, 1935 through February 20, 1935.
The report on the House hearings was published by the Ways & Means Committee in 1935 under the title "Economic Security Act: Hearings Before the Committee on Ways and Means House of Representatives, Seventy-Fourth Congress First Session, on H.R. 4120 A Bill to Alleviate the hazards of Old Age, Unemployments, Illness, and Dependency, to Establish a Social Insurance Board in the Department of Labor, To Raise Revenue, and for Other Purposes." The published document ran to 1141 pages (reproduced in its entirety here).
Note: This document is in Adobe PDF format.
Table of Contents
Introduction & Opening Statement by Edwin E. Witte
Message From the President & Letter of Submittal
Report of the Committee on Economic Security & Professor Edwin Witte's Testimony - PART 1
Report of the Committee on Economic Security & Professor Edwin Witte's Testimony - PART 2
Supplement to the Report of the CES
Supplement Continued & Resumption of Professor Witte's Testimony - PART 1
Supplement Continued & Resumption of Professor Witte's Testimony - PART 2
Supplement Continued & Resumption of Professor Witte's Testimony - PART 3
Supplement Continued & Resumption of Professor Witte's Testimony - PART 4
Perkins, Hon. Frances, Secretary of Labor- Part 1
Perkins, Hon. Frances, Secretary of Labor- Part 2
STATEMENTS OF OTHER WITNESSES:
Abbott, Miss Grace, member Advisory Council on Economic Security
Abercrombie, Dr. T. F., representing the State and Territorial Health Officers Conference of North America
Adair, Dr. Fred L., representing the Advisory Committee on Child Welfare
Amter, I., New York City
Anderson, H. B., representing the Citizens Medical Reference Bureau
Baldwin, Mrs. Harris T., representing the National League of Women Voters
Benjamin, Herbert, representing the National Council for Unemployment and Social Insurance
Bennett, Dr. George E., representing the Maryland League for Crippled Children
Bierring, Dr. Walter, representing the American Medical Association
Brown., J. Douglas, director industrial relations, Princeton University
Brown, M. L., representing the Old Age Pension Bureau of Ohio
Burnham, Hon. George, a Representative in Congress from the State of California
Christman, Miss Elizabeth, representing the National Women's Trade Union League
Collins, Hon. Sam L., a Representative in Congress from the State of California
Colmer, Hon. Wm. M., a Representative in Congress from the State of Mississippi &
Baldwin, Louise G., National League of Women Voters
Burns, Dr. Eveline M., Columbia University
Cass, C. D., representing the American Transit Association, letter
Crumbine, S. J., representing the American Child Health Association, letter
Douglas, Dr. Paul H., University of Chicago
Howett, Harry H., Lansing, Mich.
Miller, James Ragland, Hartford, Conn., letter
Cumming, Hon. Hugh S., Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service - PART 1
Cumming, Hon. Hugh S., Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service - PART 2
Czerwonky, Hugo E., Washington, D. C.
Davis, Miss Susan Lawrence, Washington, D. C.
Doane, Dr. Robert R., director of research, American Business Surveys & Additional Testimony by Dr. Townsend - PART 1
Doane, Dr. Robert R., director of research, American Business Surveys & Additional Testimony by Dr. Townsend - PART 2 &
Gourley, Lawrence L., representing the American Osteopathic Association,brief
McClellan, Hon. John L., a Representative in Congress from the State of Arkansas
McCollum, E. V., Johns Hopkins University, letter
McCulloch, Frank W., representing the Chicago Workers' Committee on Unemployment
Ellenbogen, Hon. Henry, a Representative in Congress from the State of Pennsylvania
Emery, James A., representing the National Association of Manufacturers
Epstein, Abraham, executive secretary American Association for Social Security
Evans, George D., representing the Organization for the Abolition of Poverty
Folks, Homer, secretary State Charities Aid Association, New York
Folsom, M. B., representing the advisory committee on economic security, of Rochester, N. Y.
Ford, Clarence E., acting commissioner of social welfare, New York State
Forster, H. Walter, vice president of the pension casualty division,Towers, Perrin, Forster & Crosby, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.
Freeman, Dr. Allen W., representing the school of hygiene and public health, Johns Hopkins University
Green, William, president American Federation of Labor
Griffin, Rt. Rev. Monsignor Maurice F., representing the Catholic Hospital Association
Grulee, Dr. Clifford G., representing the Advisory Committee on Child Welfare
Hall, 0. J., Jr., representing the local action committee for workers, American Federation of Labor
Halsell, H. H., Lubbock, Tex. & Statement by Armstrong, C. M., Schenectady, N. Y.
Harbison, A. L., Tulsa, Okla.
Hathway, C. A., representing the Communist Party in the United States
Hansen, Alvin, Chief Economic Analyst, Department of State
Hastings, Hon. Daniel O., a United States Senator from the State of Delaware
Haynes, George E., representing the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America &
Lewis, Hon. David J.., a Representative in Congress from the State of Maryland--Canadian Annuity Act
Hopkins, Harry L., Federal Relief Administrator
Houston, Charles H., representing the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Hudson, Glen J., Oakland, Calif. & Continuation of Remarks by Frances Townsend - PART 1
Hudson, Glen J., Oakland, Calif. & Continuation of Remarks by Frances Townsend - PART 2
Hudson, Glen J., Oakland, Calif. & Continuation of Remarks by Frances Townsend - PART 3
Huggins, George A., representing the Church Pensions Conference
Hutzler, Albert D., representing the National Retail Dry Goods Association
Jolly, Robert, representing the American Hospital Association
Kepecs, Jacob, representing the Child Welfare League of America
Kerr, J. P., representing the Association of Drainage and Levee Districts of Illinois
Kittle, Mrs. William, representing the National Consumers League
Knoppel, R. J., vice president, International Society for Crippled Children
Lamb, Mrs. Beatrice Pitney, representing the National League of Women Voters &
Donnelly, James L., representing the Illinois Manufacturers Association
Langworthy, Mrs. B. F., representing the National Conference of Parents and Teachers
Lasser, David, representing the Workers' Unemployed Union
Latimer, Murray, chairman Railroad Retirement Board
Lee, John J., representing Department of Public Instruction, Lansing, Mich.
Leiserson, William M:, chairman National Mediation Board
Lenroot, Miss Katherine, chief Children's Bureau, U. S. Department of Labor - PART 1
Lenroot, Miss Katherine, chief Children's Bureau, U. S. Department of Labor - PART 2
Little, Dr. R. M., representing the State Educational Department, New York &
Clark, R. R., supervisor of rehabilitation, State of Illinois, telegram
Reed, Charles B., representing the Illinois State Medical Society & Hicker, H. D., chief of the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation of California, telegram
Lyon, Dr. George M., Huntington, W. Va.
Marsh, Benjamin C., representing the Peoples Lobby
Mason, E. W., representing the Progressive Study Club
Mayer, C. C., representing the End Poverty in Civilization Society
McGervey, William P.
McGuire, Miss Louise, representing the National Association of Classroom Teachers
Moore, O. Otto, Denver, Colo.
Moulton, Dr. Harold G., representing the Brookings Institute
Mott, Hon. James W., a Representative in Congress from the State of Oregon
Morgenthau, Hon. Henry, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury & Altmeyer, A., J., Second Assistant Secretary, Department of Labor - PART 1
Murphy, J. Prentice, representing the Children's Bureau of Philadelphia
Nordlin, George, representing the Advisory Council on Economic Security
Parran, Dr. Thomas, State health commissioner of New York
Patman, Hon. Wright, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas
Peterson, Miss Olivia, representing the Minnesota Department of Health
Pettengill, Hon. Samuel B., a Representative in Congress from the State of Indiana & Breckinridge, Miss S. P., letter
Reeder, Sherwood L., representing the United States Conference of Mayors
Reyburn, Samuel W., representing the National Retail Dry Goods Association
Roche, Miss Josephine, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Smith, Hon. Howard W., a Representative in Congress from the State of Virginia
Smith, Dr. Lillian R., representing the Michigan Department of Health
Studebaker, John W., Commissioner of Education, Department of the Interior &
Woodruff, Hon. Roy O., a Representative in Congress from the State of Michigan, brief
Sweeney, Joseph, president Child Welfare Board of Cuyahoga County,Ohio
Townsend, Dr. F. E., Long Beach, Calif. (see also Hudson, Glen)
Tunstall, Mrs. Alfred Moore, director Alabama State Welfare Department
Van Kleeck, Miss Mary, representing the Russell Sage Foundation
Walker, Dr. Alfred, chairman board of health, Jefferson County Medical Society
Waller, C. E., Assistant Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service
Weinstock, Louis, representing the national committee on unemployment insurance, American Federation of Labor
Whitehead, Ralph, representing the American Federation of Actors
Williamson, W. R., representing the Travelers Insurance Co. &
Kelley, C. G., Cleveland, Ohio, letter
Wilson, Bert, representing the Church of the Disciples of Christ