I again recommend action be taken by the Congress to approve the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power project.  This is about the fifth time I have recommended it.

We must adopt a program for the planned use of the petroleum reserves under the sea, which are—­and must remain—­vested in the Federal Government.  We must extend our programs of soil conservation.  We must place our forests on a sustained yield basis, and encourage the development of new sources of vital minerals.

In all this we must make sure that the benefits of these public undertakings are directly available to the people.  Public power should be carried to consuming areas by public transmission lines where necessary to provide electricity at the lowest possible rates.  Irrigation waters should serve family farms and not land speculators.

The Government has still other opportunities—­to help raise the standard of living of our citizens.  These opportunities lie in the fields of social security, health, education, housing, and civil rights.

The present coverage of the social security laws is altogether inadequate; the benefit payments are too low.  One-third of our workers are not covered.  Those who receive old-age and survivors insurance benefits receive an average payment of only $25 a month.  Many others who cannot work because they are physically disabled are left to the mercy of charity.  We should expand our social security program, both as to the size of the benefits and the extent of coverage, against the economic hazards due to unemployment, old age, sickness, and disability.

We must spare no effort to raise the general level of health in this country.  In a nation as rich as ours, it is a shocking fact that tens of millions lack adequate medical care.  We are short of doctors, hospitals, nurses.  We must remedy these shortages.  Moreover, we need—­and we must have without further delay—­a system of prepaid medical insurance which will enable every American to afford good medical care.

It is equally shocking that millions of our children are not receiving a good education.  Millions of them are in overcrowded, obsolete buildings.  We are short of teachers, because teachers’ salaries are too low to attract new teachers, or to hold the ones we have.  All these school problems will become much more acute as a result of the tremendous increase in the enrollment in our elementary schools in the next few years.  I cannot repeat too strongly my desire for prompt Federal financial aid to the States to help them operate and maintain their school systems.

The governmental agency which now administers the programs of health, education, and social security should be given full departmental status.

The housing shortage continues to be acute.  As an immediate step, the Congress should enact the provisions for low-rent public housing, slum clearance, farm housing, and housing research which I have repeatedly recommended.  The number of low-rent public housing units provided for in the legislation should be increased to 1 million units in the next 7 years.  Even this number of units will not begin to meet our need for new housing.