Social Security History

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Radio Address

America's Town Meeting of the Air
WOULD A $100-A-MONTH PENSION FOR ALL RETIRED PERSONS PROVIDE REAL SECURITY?

Radio Broadcast: December 20, 1949

The NBC Radio Network program America's Town Meeting of the Air was an early form of electronic "townhall" democracy--perhaps the very first such electronic forum. In May of 1935 the program began what would become a 21-year run. (In later years the program would be broadcast on the ABC network.) The format of the broadcasts pitted two prominent experts in a debate of some aspect of public policy. The program was unique for its time in that it also featured questions from both the live audience and from the listening audience around the country.

In this broadcast from December 1949, Secretary of Labor Maurice Tobin is defending and explaining the recommendation of the recently concluded 1948-49 Social Security Advisory Council that retirement benefits need to be substantially increased. The recommendations of this important Council were soon to be implemented into law in the 1950 Social Security Amendments. This debate is important because coming on the eve of the 1950 legislation, it forshadowed some of the debate that would ensue in Washington the following Spring as the Advisory Council's recommendations were placed before the Congress. In the end, Secretary Tobin's view--and that of the Advisory Council--would prevail as the 1950 Amendments increased average Social Security benefits by 90% in the next two years.

Supporting Mr. Tobin's viewpoint is Robert Nathan, an economist and attorney and former staffer to the 1934 Committee on Economic Security. Opposing the idea of increased Social Security benefits is Mr. Albert Linton, President of Provident Life Insurance Company and a member of the 1948-49 Advisory Council; and Congressman Carl T. Curtis (R-NB). (Following the 1952 elections, Congressman Curtis would assend to the Chairmanship of the House Ways & Means Committee and during 1953 he would conduct a series of hearings in which he sought unsuccessfully to enlist support for his idea of replacing the Social Security system with a modifed Townsend-type plan.)

flyer announcing Town Meeting

Recordings from the National Archives. Control Number: NWDNM(s)-NYU-ATMA-497