The Washington times., 1936-12-21
3z5,OOO AID f D
BY SECURITY
ACT IN VA.

RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 81
Coming like a Christmas present
to approximately 325,000 work
ers in Virginia, the State unem-
ployment pensation n act,
which was adopted here last week
by a special session Of the Gen
eral Assembly, will tighten the
hearts of just that many Virgini.
ans, who have heretofore dreaded
the thought Of losing their liveli.
hood.
Had the legislation passed re-
quired that these benefits be paid
by employers of four or more per.
sons, instead of eight or more,
the number would have been in.
creased to include more than
$4,000 workers. Had it been
passed to include one or more, as
several legislators fought for, 1t
would have included more than
415,0O workers.
w. F. Robinson, Richmond
House member of the Genera
Assembly and one of the chief ad-
vocates of a broader scope for
labor, told the legislators before
the bill was adopted that most Of
the workers of the State between
the ages of As and 81 are en-
ployed by employers who regu-
larly employ less than eight per
sons. He asked what would be-
come of these persons.
The maximum benefit provided
for in the bill is so per cent of
the full-time weekly wage, but not
more than SIS, nor less than SIS
per week, or three-fourths of the
weekly wage, whichever is the
lesser.
Employers of eight or more per
sons are taxed 8 per cent Of their
pay rolls for 1896; 1.8 per cent
for 1887, and 2.7 per cent for
1898 and thereafter. Employees
themselves are not required to
contribute.
Payments when collected will
be deposited with the Treasurer
of the United States to the credit
of the unemployment trust fund
to be held for the State. Con-
tributions will be paid into a
single pool fund Benefits will
be paid through public employ
ment offices. Provisions Of the
measure adopted here would
make the State law imperative
in event the national law is de'
clared unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court.
The total pay roll taxes to be
collected on pay rolls in Virginia
during 1886 will be approximately
three million dollars. it is eStl.
mated, while collections for 1887
are expected to exceed the nine
million dollar mark.
The object of the bill, it was eX
planned, is to maintain the pur'
chasing power and keep from re
lief rolls workers who are thrown
out of employment by sudden de-
preston, chronological changes
and other causes. It is believed
that maintenance of this purchas
ing power will serve to check fu
ture depressions and, in the end
will reduce the cost to the public
of supporting unemployed per
sons and their families.
Besides passing the act here
with more than a four-fifthS ma
jority, which is required to make
j. an emergency act that becomes
effective Immediately, the legisla
tors also appropriated $45,000 tt
add to a fund of $4,000, which
was appropriated during the last
regular session last January, to
watch the Federal appropriation
of $4,000 for administration pur
poses. This expense involves chief
ly the maintenance and operation
of numerous employment offices
throughout the State.
Employers not subject to the
provisions of the act may volun
tarily accept its provisions. The
benefits, ranging from SIS to SIS
a week for a maximum of 16
weeks in any one year, will be.
come available to eligible unem
ployed workers on January l
1888. To be eligible an unem
ployed person must have worked
for an employer of eight or more
persons for at least eight weeks
in a year, and he must be out OF
work for waiting period" of two
weeks before he can get his bene
fits.
One major amendment to the
bill as originally drafted was
made. This. which makes ii
easier for the commission admin
istering the act to fix RESPONSE
bility for the tax to be paid by
employers, is:
If a contractor sublets various
parts of a construction project
to subcontractorS employing eight
or more persons, the amendment
would make the Subcontractor
liable for the tax; but where two
or more subcontractorS employ
fewer than eight persons each
but make a combined total OF
eight or more, then the con
tractor would be the employer
responsible for the tax.
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