"Society has created the federal old age and survivors insurance operated by the United States government through the Social Security Board. This means that those few will have something to live on who have reached the age of sixty-five and are helpless. This is a step forward, but an insufficient one, for the payments allotted are only enough to pay the rent of the poorest living quarters. They still keep us in dependence. Does society or Congress think that the starvation stipend we are privileged to receive, twenty to sixty-eight dollars and fifty cents per month, is enough, when according to the present poor man's standard of living, the minimum living cost is eighteen dollars per week per person? Many of us self-respecting old persons are still able to do some kind of work; but because of our age, we are lucky if we find any. When offered hard, menial, night, graveyard hour services, we accept them rather than live on the starvation Social Security allowances or depend on some of our children or on charity. "Old people should be guaranteed freedom from want and dependence. With every worker in this country contributing to Social Security, and only a small percentage of dependents reaching the qualifying age of sixty-five, the accumulation of unearned premiums must be enormous. This surplus should be used to increase the allowances to dependents. Instead, the government flagrantly uses the major part of this earmarked money for other purposes. "All contributions made by us and employers from our weekly wages for Social Security according to the Brookings Institute report have accumulated and used as follows:" "The Brookings report says these tremendous sums for security programs ultimately would have to come annually from new taxation, regardless of the monthly payroll taxes. The proof of this was given in a Senate speech by Sen. John L. McClennan (D., Ark.). He revealed that $38,250,000,000 belonging to the present Old Age, Unemployment, Railroad Retirement, and other such trust funds financed by direct payroll tax, had been dissipated by the government on a hundred and one other spending projects."[18] "Furthermore, the law should be changed in regard to this $50.00 per month earnings. It should be at least $75.00 per month. In other words, an aged person earning $75.00 per month should forfeit the Social Security pension for the period of his employment. "Social Security should also provide for the crippled, disabled, blind, and other handicapped individuals of all ages;--widows and orphans--should be provided with a reasonable, self-supporting pension. Furthermore, Social Security should develop into an annuity insurance for everyone. The amount of payments should be in ratio to the premiums turned in by the policy holder.