Evening star., 1935-04-02
ELLENBOGEN AIMS
ATFULL ACT|ONBY
HOUSE ON HIS BILL
Presses to Bring Up D. c.
Job Insurance Measure
Next District Day.
FAVORABLE REPORT
is SEEN TOMORROW
New Legislation Is introduced
in View of Many Changes
Decided in Hearings.

Pressure for full House action at the
next District day on his unemploy-
ment compensation legislation for the
District of Columbia will be brought
by Representative Ellenbogen, Demo-
crat, of Pennsylvania, he said this
morning. A District day is scheduled
in the House next Monday.
A favorable report on his bill will
be submitted to the House District
Committee tomorrow, Mr.. Ellenbogen
said and action on the national Sc
curity program will not be awaited
before pressing for House approval OF
the local measure. He expects the
full House Committee to concur IN
approval of the bill as reported by his
subcommittee, the Pennsylvania DEM
ocrat said.
New Bill introduced.
In view of many changes decided
upon after extended hearings on the
bill and in six executive sessions OF the
subcommittee during the last two
weeks, Mr.. Ellenbogen yesterday in
troduced in the House an entirely new
bill. It was referred at once to the
District Committee and will be sub
stituted for the old bill in the sub
committee report tomorrow.
In addition to amendments already
made public during the executive ses-
sions, the new measure Will contain
numerous other changes. Most I'M
portant of these. perhaps, is revision
of the administrative set-up whereby
the Advisory Council previously called
for is abandoned. In its place will
be a District unemployment compen-
sation commission of three members,
to be representatives of employers,
employees and the District government,
and to be named by the District Com
missioners, subject to approval of the
National Social Insurance Board.
Fourth to Be Nominated.
This District commission, in turn,
will nominate a fourth District resi-
dent to serve as director for the local
compensation organization. These
changes, while leaving the final con-
troll of the plan in the hands of the
national board, will increase consid-
erably the local administrative
authority.
The new bill also cuts the period
of required employment during the
So weeks preceding application for
benefits from 20 to IT weeks. The
lump sum payment option by which
the beneficiary might accept a cash
settlement on his benefits and leave
the city in order to seek employment
elsewhere was eliminated. In its
place, provision is made whereby the
District compensation administration
might enter into reciprocal agreements
with other jurisdictions.
Responding to considerable agita-
ton IN the hearings, the subcommit-
tee has provided in the new bill that
the jobleSs who are under 81 and are
receiving benefits must attend voca-
tional schools where these are avail
able. This corresponds to the prac-
tice followed in the English system.
Deduction From Pay Banned.
The new bill also makes it a GRIM
1nal offense for employers to deduct
part of their taxes from wages of en-
ployes or for reducing these wages be-
cause of the taxation.
The merit system of establishing the
tax rate, decided upon after the hear
ings, also is included in the new bill.
This would allow the taxation of en-
ployers to be changed in 1910 so that
degree of employment stabilization
would be recognized. The rate might
be reduced to a minimum of IL per
cent or raised correspondingly in COM
parison with the normal rate of 3 per
cent.
In other major respects the bill re-
mains as originally drawn-employers
of more than three persons to pay 8
per cent on their total pay rolls, while
the District government pays per
cent of the same total, payments to
begin January l, 1886, and disburse-
nentS IN Tanuorv 1o27