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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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circumstances. This was all a part of the constant talking that I had to have with Governor Roosevelt. He was very easily diverted from the idea because the appeals of the employer not to be stuck with tuberculosis were very plausible. It's only when you understand what the purpose of insurance is that you can get the reason why you cover it under the law even though it cannot be exactly traced to this particular employment. That is because the purpose of insurance is to socialize the cost of the disaster, whatever it is - an automobile disaster, a fire, or a damage to the person. The purpose of insurance is to take the burden of the cost of that disaster off one individual to whom the disaster happened and spread it over the whole of society. This is best illustrated by fire insurance which does just that and everybody accepts it. You may never have a fire, but you continue to pay your premium. This poor fellow who has a fire is not totally wiped out because part of what you've paid as premiums, and what other people have paid as premiums, goes to recompense him and give him something to rebuild his house, his barn, or whatever it was.

Because of the fact that insurance against personal damage from occupational disease or accident is a newer concept it's harder to indicate the fact that it is the





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