Evening star., 1935-08-21
FINAL APPROVAL
OF SECURITY BILLS
|SPOSS|BLE TODAY
D. c. Unemployment Insur-
ance Agreement Reached
by Conferees.
AGED AND BLIND PENSION
PLANS ADOPTED IN HOUSE
Senate Amendments Accepted
Without Conference-D. c.
Tax Load Is Lessened.
BY ], A. O'LEARY.

Approval by the Senate and House
probably late today or tomorrow of
the agreement reached by conferees
last night on the unemployment in
surance bill will complete passage of
the District social security program.
Final action was taken yesterday on
the bills to provide pensions for aged
and the blind. when the House ac-
cepted Senate amendments without
going to conference.
The unemployment bill, worked out
at a 2-hour conference last night. is
essentially the Senate measure, except
that on the issue of District con-
tribution q compromise was reached,
under which the city government
would make a much smaller payment
to the fund than was originally pro-
posed in the House. It contains most
of the amendments asked for by Dis
trict officials and organizations.
AS it passed the House the bill
would have required taxpayers gen.
orally to pay into the unemployment
fund annually an amount equal to !
per cent of the pay rolls of the en-
ployers. 1t was estimated this city
tax would have amounted to at least
81, ,250,00O. The Senate struck out en-
tirely the municipal contribution. rec
ognizing that this made the District
plan more drastic than any adopted
in the States.
Three-Year Period Is Limit.
The conferees compromised last
night by agreeing on q District pay
ment Of 100000 the first year. sl25,-
900 the second year and $175,000 the
third year. This bill limits the Dis
trict contribution to q three-year
period, so new legislation will be re-
quired in 1888 If a city contribution
after that year is deemed advisable
It was felt by the conferees that three
years of actual experience with the
law will indicate whether city tax
payment Is necessary to augment the
employers pay roll tax.
| Other essential features Of the un.
employment plan IS agreed on In con.
ference are: -
1t will apply to all employers Of on,
or more employees. except that domestic
servants in private homes are ex'
cluded. All Government employees alst
are excluded, except per-diem worker,
in the District Government who dt
not come under the civil service retire.
ment law.
3 Per Cent Maximum.
The pay roll tax to be paid by the
employer will be imposed gradually,
per cent in 1886. 2 per cent in 1881
and 3 per cent THEREAFTER.
The plan will be administered by 9
local agency, composed of the Com.
missioners and one representative eacf
Of the employers and employees. TIL,
House bill would have given contro
to the National Social Security Board
Benefit payments to employees wheI
they are laid off may continue for: II
weeks year. depending on length o
employment. The amount also vii
depend on wages and whether person
is married or single and how many de-
pendents he has, but the bill fixed Z
maximum benefit Of SIS week.
While Congress was putting th'
finishing touches on the unemploy
ment bill, the Commissioners toda!
were sending forward request for I
last-minute appropriation Of s125,00'
to carry the local old-sge and blint
pension bills from now until January