The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-04-10
First Survey Shows How National
Old Age Pension Plan Is Working
Checks Are Being Mailed
TO Beneficiaries in
-. IL States :
By WILLIS THORNTON
NES Service Staff Correspondent mt

More than 100000 men anC
women in II states today are reg
ularly drawing down old age pen
sion checks under the joint plan
of federal and state support
which went into effect three
months ago.
A survey of this Old-age pen
sion situation today under the
Social Security act shows the fol-
lowing facts
The 100000 who are actually
drawing federal-State checks are
only the advance guard of a vast
army, and only a third of those
who have already applied. Any
figures must be approximate, as
thousands of applications and
aceeptanceS are going through
state boards daily.
A detailed canvass Of l3 typ
zeal states Of the IT TO which the
first federal checks went out in
February and March shows gen.
eral approval of the old age PEN
sion plan so far as it goes, but
q general feeling that 1t doesn't
20 far enough.
IL shows that. of the flood of
applicants, many do not under
stand the law.
Ii shows definite Improvement
is being made in states which for
merly had old age pension Sys-
TENS of their own, aS 30 OF them
did.
27 STATES IN LINE
Ii shows that 81 states have
now brought their old age pen
sion laws into line so rs to share
in federal benefits, but that 10
of these have been approved so
recently that the flow of federal
funds to them has not begun.
IL shows that most states are
beginning their pensions at. 90
Immediately, and not beginning
with 70 and reducing that to 65
by 1910, as the law permits.
Ii shows considerable variation
among states as to how they are
to raise their share of the money,
and as to who is eligible for pen
SionS. .sJt>. -
OF course the figure of l00,-
900 does not include the total
of people drawing old age
in the United States.
Ohio, for instance, has $4,000
the state pension today.
Ohio's law has just been adjust
ed TO meet federal requirements,
and approved. When federal
funds start coming in, these &c.
300 and many mOre-like Colo
'ado's 10000, Massachusetts, 25,-
D00--will be Immediately added
10 the total number of beneficial
ries coming under the federal law.
The grand total will certainly be
vel labOve 100000 by mid-sum-
mer.
~ STATES GET MONEY
Alabama. Delaware, District Of
Columbia, Idaho. Iowa, Maine,
Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi,
Missouri. Nebraska, New Hamp-
shire. Rhode Island, Vermont.
Washington. Wisconsin and
Wyoming are the states which
were already receiving federal
money to supplement their APP
proved odd age pension plans IS
of March 80.
The other approved states,
which will begin to receive the
federal contribution soon, prob-
ably this month, are. Arkansas,
Connecticut, Massachusetts,, Min
nesota, New Mexico, North Da-
kOta, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
aud Utah, 49,.
Other states are struggling to
get bills through their legislatures
before they adjourn this winter.
Rudget-balancing Kansas failed
to get its plan approved because
it was optional with counties,
which were also to raise the mon
ey, thus Keeping the state budget
clear.
Kansas may have to call a spe-
cial session of its state legislature
TO provide the necessary changes
and taxes. -... ......
NEW YORK IN JAM
New Works Legislative action
has jammed, and meanwhile the
complaint lis made that New York