MERRIAM WANTS OUR "BUTTER" SPREAD THICKER AND FARTHER

Like John L. Lewin, Professor Charles M. Merriam is worried by the existence in this country of "millions of shrunken hellies."

In the fifth Godkin Lecture last night at Littauer, the distinguished export on planning and administration declared that "analysis of national income reveals wide discrepancies, wider than are comfortable in a democracy." He supported this statement with figures from a study of the National Resources Planning Board, of which he is Vice-chairman.

Because of the maldistribution of income, "the basis of consuming power is not broad enough to take care of the superstructure of production" that is, "we are not able to consume what we produce" or better still, "could produce.'

Guna and Butter Too

The Chicago professor sees the solution in planning. "Laissez faire is not strong enough to organize the coming generation of mankind." "We readily recognize the importance of mobilization of our nation's resources in times of war or emergency. Are we equally ready to recognize our possibilities in times of pence in the struggle against low living standards?"

There is no need to default in this struggle simply because we are at war, the Godkin lecturer continued. "The American standard of living and national defense are not inconsistent but complementary." "We can have guns and butter too with out resources and organization." Without both, there can be no democratic morale.

Professor Merriam then proclaimed a 1940 Bill of Rights: "For everyone there should be equal access to minimum security and to the adventures of civilization; for everyone there should be food, shelter, clothing; for everyone there should be a job; for everyone there should be a guaranty of security against accident and disease; for everyone there should be a guaranteed education; for everyone there should be a guaranty of protection against old age; for everyone there should be an opportunity for recreation and cultural activities.'

Democracy must, in short, ensure that "the gains of civilization shall be widely and fairly distributed." "In this titanic struggle," concluded the Godkin lecturer, "forms alone cannot survive unless filled with a substantial content of life."