The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-06-02
SOCIAL SECURITY

1t is particularly important that experience
with social security laws and their administra-
ton be carefully followed and evauated so that we
may find next steps. The present legislation is a
pioneer endeavor to deal with new field We have
not yet clearly defined the fundamental principles
of social insurance and differentiated between
them and principles growing out of commercial
insurance. Nor have we sharply distinguished
between the administration of right and the ad-
ministraton of relief-whether public welfare or
charity At present more than half the states
are paying unemployment benefits and collections
are being made for old-age benefits. Even with
this limited experience it is obvious that we need
to reconsider some fundamental principles of the
Federal law as well as some of the administrative
procedure.
One of the first obvious conclusions is the need
for locating responsibility The collection and GUS
tody of funds lies with the Treasury Department.
The Treasury has shown fine desire to get every
dollar possible and it's administrative decisions are
directed by this end instead of sympathetic un-
derstanding Of the purposes of the basic law. AS
result of this division in administration wage
earners have in their possession only social Sc
curity number to prove any connection with an
old-age benefit from which money is taken from
their pay envelopes or checks Employers are NOM
inally required to give employees statement as to
deductions but provision is made to facilitate
enforcement of the requirement.
A second division in administrative authority
lies in making the chief administrative agency in
unemployment compensation an agency over which
final authority is lodged in the Department of La
bor The Federal Government and the State pro-
vide the funds for employment Offices while the
Federal Government provides the funds for the
administration of unemployment compensation
through this office. The difficulties in securing
a unified administration obvious even if all
personal relations were perfect
A basic difficulty in the administration of
unemployment compensation lies in the widely
varying standards in the forty mine laws now in
effect in the United States and in our failure to
adopt simple, readily Understandable provisions
on which there could be no difference of opinion
between those administering the law and those
benefting through it. The need for experimental
ton in new field was given as a reason for diff
ferences in principles and standards, but it is diff
fcult to any value in the passion for differences
that has resulted. On the contrary, economic
activity disregards state boundaries and organ
ICES on national scale. AS a result unemploy-
ment is national problem. 1t is logical then that
Wage-earners forced to cross state lines in search
), of employment in following their jobs, should
IoI Hlpdl Ilell cidllS 10 SOCIAL security by Such
mgrations and should be able to carry with them
evidence to such claims. While these should be
uniform in provision through national require
ments on standards, there should be decentraliza-
ton of administration for prompt and efficient
payment of claims to benefits. An unemployed
worker who goes to his nearest employment office
ought to be able to get dependable decisions from
the officials he meets and prompt payment of
benefits. The machinery of the administration
ought to be planned with this result in mind: How
can the official in the verify the claim of an
unemployed worker in the most expeditions fash
ION and pay him promptly what is owing to him