Harry Truman

The role of the Federal Government, as I see it, is primarily to stimulate cooperation for safety and to encourage the use of the best methods and standards.

I am sure that action will result from this conference--the same kind of action we have been getting from highway safety and fire prevention conferences.

The plain fact is that our Nation cannot afford the needless loss of skilled workers if we are to produce for prosperity in this country and for peace abroad.

I propose that our first goal be to cut that in half by the end of the next 3 years.

When businessmen understand how expensive it is to lose production time as a result of accidents, they will be prepared to make the small investment in equipment, in training, and in supervision that a safety program requires.

When workingmen and women understand the loss of wages and the human suffering that result from work injuries, they will be prepared to cooperate in developing such programs and in observing safety rules.

You are meeting in the interest of one of the highest purposes of mankind--to save human lives.

I am very glad to welcome you here today to this conference on industrial safety.

I hope you will perfect this program in the next few days.

In the old days, we used to concentrate on curing the sick.

Prefabricated housing is still an industry in its infancy.

One of the biggest problems facing us today is that of housing.

The spirit of democracy is to find new ways of doing things for the common good.

Here at home our citizens face less terrible problems.

In this country democracy is not a slogan--nor is it a propaganda smoke screen.

We have since grown to understand that unemployment is a national as well as a local problem, but we still have far to go in perfecting the democratic instruments by which we can maintain high employment and insure a progressively growing…

It is a mistake to act as if the cities were inferior administrative subdivisions.

Another very serious matter facing our cities is the fundamental problem of finances.

I believe that the end of this long and unnecessary struggle is in sight, and that this year will see the enactment of satisfactory housing legislation.

I feel very much at home before this Conference of Mayors.

It has been obvious ever since the end of the war that we have needed bold and large-scale action on housing.

It is a terrible and shocking thing that the real estate lobby--which pretends to speak for those whose business is providing houses--has become the real enemy of the American home.

A solution is required not only in the interest of the cities, but also in the interest of the State and Federal governments.

If we let them have their way, they would not only have pushed the whole cost of living up another 10 or 20 percent, but they would have broken up the homes of thousands of low-income families.

We are going to agree on a lot more things than we disagree on.