Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-02

to act on the local social security
program 1t will have before 1t q strong
| appeal from the District Commits
sioners to change those features of
the House unemployment insurance
bill which go far beyond the system
in the national act and in the laws
of the States that have acted up
to this time.
Chairman King may arrange q
meeting for tomorrow, but it is more
likely to be later in the week after
the conferees have reached a final
agreement on the terms of the ma
tional security measure.
Changes Are Itemized.
In their letters to the Senate COM
mittee, the Commissioners itemized
the changes they advocate in the
House unemployment bill, which in
clude: To strike out the contribution
from taxpayers generally of an amount
equal to per cent Of the pay roll Of
the employers affected by the act,
which would amount to $1,500,000 a
year; to make the period of benefit
payments Is weeks instead of 26
weeks: impose the employers pay roll
tax gradually at l per cent the first
year, per cent the second year and
3 per cent thereafter, as In the ma
tional bill, instead of starting imme-
diately at 8 per cent; require the Fed
eral Government, as well as the Dis
trict government, to contribute to
! cpuer fhnco ri op,pIouaS xxh0
do not come under the civil service
retirement law; place control Of the
unemployment plan under local, in
stead of a Federal, board; restore au-
thority for the board to reduce as low
as ~ per cent the tax Of an en-
ployer with good record for keeping
men steadily employed to have benefit
payments start after two years. in
stead Of one year, and several less
important changes.
| A subcommittee composed of Sena-
tors Copeland Of New York and Capper
of Kansas has been working on the
bill in preparation for the District
Committee meeting.
| Not Place to Experiment.
| After pointing out that the national
security program Is in itself a highly
experimental venture" the Commits
sioners emphasized that Washington is
not satisfactory place to conduct an
unemployment insurance plan that
goes even further than the national
standards. The District, they said, is
not an industrial center, and in those
local concerns affected by the bill
employment is Comparatively stable"
The purpose of the House in calling
for contribution from District tax
payers generally Of $1,500,000 a year
was to allow 26 weeks of insurance
payments. The Commissioners re-
minded the Senate that II the States
adhere to the standard Of Is weeks
suggested in the national bill, the
longer period allowed in the District
would cause workers to come to this
city seeking employment to get the
advantage Of this longer period.
In urging that the Federal Gov
eminent contribute as an employer for
its workers not under the retirement
law, the letter points out that there
are now on the District relief rolls
many persons who formerly were
casual laborers in the Federal Govern
ment. The Commissioners also denied
that the enlargement Of the unemploy-
ment fund by District tax contribu-
ton would reduce in future the relief
load, because a large number of those
on relief are domestic and others who
would not come under the unemploy-
, ment insurance plan normally.
More Liberal Benefits.
I'm its present form, H. r. 7167 Is
more liberal in its benefits to en-
ployes and correspondingly more
harsh toward employers than is the
national legislation. We believe this
to be inadvisable for three reasons:
IL. The National legislation itself
Is highly experimental venture in
American sociology and economics
Some Of its provisions are revolution
airy in their effects upon industrial
and business life. The success fol
which we hope in the venture must
come slowly, by process over the
years as we gradually work into the
new order. 1t seems to us to be ii
advised to risk the breakdown Of 9
vital reform by making its initia
terms too severe on the one hand and
too liberal on the other. Is is for this
reason that the national act imposes
the tax in a graduation of l. 2 and
per cent in three succeeding years
We believe it very unWise to depart
from that sound principle. If every
State could do what it proposed In
H. r. 7167, ie., impose the per cent
tax at once, this wise provision OF the
social security act would be nulliheo
and destroyed.
80. It seems sound policy for the
whole country to move forward TO-
gether, on a unified system, rather
than to create, by Ill asserted legisla-
ton, spotting conditions Of employ
ment, some localities having one sys-
TEN and some another. 1t would
seem to use best that all jurisdictions
should follow carefully the Federal
plan.
Conditions Far From Typical.
"3. The argument for the diver
gency from the national act is that
an experiment station is wanted In
which to try out these ideas which
differ from the national plan. We
do not believe that the District would
afford satisfactory material for such
an experiment. Employment condi-
tons here are far from typical OF
the country as whole. We have nc
industries here, except minor ones
Employers in the District who will
come under the act are, in the main
public utilities, hotels, department
stores, small local concerns such as
laundries, ice cream manufacturers
etc. Employment in these concerns
in Washington is comparatively
|: kCongress@ in Brief