The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-11-13
Old-Age Security Pro-
gram For Workers
Goes Into Operation On Nov.
16-.-Pay Deductions Will
Start January LIST

nounced Friday its long-awaited
plans for placing in operation the
old-age security porgram which will
affect 26,0O0,000 workers.
With the aid of $4,000 post oftices'
the board put into action in all parts
of the country the plan that will set
up the millions of new accounts, COM
parable to annuity insurance, design
ed. according to the official state
ment. to permit workers to retire
at age SIS with a monthly income for
life, the amount of income being
based on their previous wage rec
ords."
Distribution Starts Nov. 10
According to the boards announce
ment, the preliminary plan is as fol-
lows:
Beginning Nov. 16, post otfices
throughout the country will d1strlp-
ute to employers form known as
employers application for identin-
cation number" This form will ask
of the employer seven simple Ques-
tions. answers to- which will enable
the post office to know how many
employees application forms to de-
liver to each employer.
Then, beginning Nov. "a, post Of
fees will start distributing to work
ers, through their employers, forms
known as application for social Sc
curity account number" These en-
ployees' application forms will be
distributed wholesale to all work
places and post offices. This second
form, again, it is explained, is a SIM
nile affair, asking few questions, such
as name and address OF worker, name
and address of employer, date and
place of birth, fathers and mothers
name.
The board carefully avoided the
idea that workers would be number
ed" obviously in view of the cam
paign. and instead referred to the ac-
count numbers, by which benefciar-
les henceforth will have their policies
recorded, following accepted insur-
ance practice.
The gigantic size of the new under
taking surpasses anything ever be-
fore attempted by the Government,
going beyond wartime insurance for
Americas big armies. Ultimately
the Social Security Board is expected
to have the biggest Office building in
the capital. 1t is pointed out, too,
that the program is just the begin
ming, dealing only with old-age in
surance, and not the second phase
of unemployment insurance.
''In these accounts" said the press
release, "all of the 26,000,00O per-
sons estimated to be eligible will,
starting Jan. l, 1887, begin storing
up cash values payable to the worker
at IS or to his family if he passes
before reaching the age of IS. These
cash values will, at all times, be sub
stantially larger than the workers
own contributions under the Social
Security Act"
The statement points out that "all
persons working for salary or wages,
excepting those engaged in agricul-
ture. domestic service in private
homes, government service, and in a
few other excluded occupations, are
eligible" Many of those not now
covered, it is stated, probably will be
included later.
INSPECTION of the application
forms does not reveal any prying into
intimate details of life, such as had
been charged by Harrison Spangler,
Chicago Republican leader, and 9TH
ers, who said that religious affilia-
lions and marital status, would be
demanded. On the contrary, little
information is asked, the most "intl-
udlG 0Gtallo OOAA6 SAAO
names.
When these forms are made out
It is said, they will be returned to
the Government, via the employer or
post Office.
On the return of this information
to the post Office" the announce
ment concludes, "a social security
account will be set up for each person
eligible, and he or she will be furn-
ished a card-comparable to an in
surance Identification card-certify-
ing that an account has been set up
and bearing the number OF the en-
ployee's social security account so as
to make it easy for the worker to find
out at any time just how his or her
account stands"
n