Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1936-12-03
GETTING DOWN TO
SOCIAL SECURITY

The social security act, passed Aug
ust IL, 1895, has three major divisions
-old-age benefits, unemployment COM
pensation and public assistance. Be-
sides, it's a catch-all for every other
social brain-storm congress could
think of at the moment. The legislat-
ors seemed to think while they were
at it they might as we'll do the social
security idea up brown.
They made lots of grants to help
people in general. For instance, they
decided to grant money to states to
help finance state health services, bas-
ton, special health problems and ac-
tual need, and some more to help in
.vestigate special diseases which are
p~reventable, the idea being that "A
healthy nation is a happy one Along
this line-since, in spite Of our doctors
and advanced disqualification, we have
n of the highest infant and mater
nifty death rates in the world, money is
allotted to assist states in financing
maternal and child health services.
Most cities have them, so this is meant
especially for farm localities, and
places badly hit by the late depres-
sion.
To help children who are handi-
capped physically-crippled in some
match one-half of state sums used tc
way-the federal government offers TO
teach, educate and train these children
to have a fairer start in life be self
supporting. The same thing is done
through vocational rehabilitation to
tally or partially disabled and need to
learn a new way of earning a living
something to give them an interest and
a new lease on life. For youngsters
who have poor home environments,
who are homeless, dependent or ne
elected, and in danger of becoming de-
linquents-child welfare c~enters are
encouraged, with federal funds, espe.
cially in rural districts and others
where they're needed.
Old age benefits: AS long as that gets
rid of all the appendages, we arrive at
the major portion of the social secur-
ity act. Old age benefits are the month
ly payments we are going to get after
we reach sixty-hve. This is the only
portion Of the act entirely carried on
by the federal government. Benefits
really are like insurance annuity pay
ments-which the worker of today
gets when he is IS if he pays pre-
miums" for them. All employees pay
this tax-except state and federal en-
ployes, those of non-profit organiza-
x.u-u xo.l~uo1 o~I for-, ,rolro~c cn,-
men and household help. 1t amounts
to l per cent in 1887, and raises 1a per
cent every three years until 1949 when
it reaches 3 per cent and there it stays.
Employers equal their employees pay
ments-so the total that goes into the
government in 1949 is 6 per cent. Now
the tax is on the employees salary up
to $1,000. He may earn $4,000 per
year, but he and his employer are only
taxed on the amount up to $1,000.
However, if he works for three peo-
pie who each pay him $4,000, he pays
the tax on the first $1,000 from each
employer. In all of these cases the IN
ployer does the same-equals what the
employe pays. And he keeps the en-
ploye's payment out of his salary
check, adds his to it and turns it over
to the U. S. Treasury-Internal Rev.
enue Department.
The way you start: On Nov. q, all
over the United States you got an 'ap-
plicaticn for an Old Age Account
Number that means an account in
the Old Me- Reserve Account of the
y. S. Treasury will be assigned to you.
You can 81 IN application from your
postmoster, your employee. or your
union. Fill it out and mail it or give il
to your employer or union secretary
No pos age is necessary. Soon from
your employer, union secretary Or
through the mail, you will receive an
Continued on page five)