Evening star., 1938-07-03
FACT>FINDING BODY


countries of birth It will analyze
causes Of death, seeking the incidence
OF occupational mortality.
THE boards Old-Age Insurance Bu-
reau, which is directly in charge
OF the program Of inquiry, also plans
AN analysis Of the contribution of
benefit payments to consumer pur-
chasing power, and consersely. the re-
lationship Of taxes to purchasing
power and prices"
Enthusiastic. officials of the Old Age
insurance Bureau claim that their
gathering OF facts and figures "Opens
new era in the collection of socio-
logical data" incidentally, they pre-
dict that achievement of their pro-
gram will aid other Government de-
partments now engaged in fact-find-
ing in similar fields.
The boards statistics. say these offi-
cials Of the bureau. will be cheaper
and easier to produce. They will also
be more reliable.
While other fact-finding agencies
must canvass by interview or letter, the
board need only consult its files for
Its information. Recorded on busi-
ness machine punch cards, this in
formation can be sorted and tabulated
into any desired combinations.
In the case of data received through
receipt OF claims for old-age or death
benefits, employers have a financial
inducement to render immediate notice
of the death or retirement of their en-
ployes.
Furthermore, board experts point
out, the facts they produce will be
based on 10 per cent sampling of the
records and in some cases they will
consult the entire files of 1900. 900
cards. Other fact-finding agencies
base their findings on an average of
per cent sampling OF the field of
study.
The Social Security Board also re-
ceives data from the smallest busi-
nesses while such agencies as the Gen.
sus Bureau do not solicit information
from concerns earning less than IS, 900
annually.
Ofiicial of the Old-Age Insurance
Bureau also claim for their statistics
the exploration of previously unknown
factual territory. Having a perma-
nent and running record of each of
$4,000, 900 employees and 5000, 900 en-
ployers, the bureau is enabled to COM
pile statistics by the experience of the
individual.
CUCH questions as what changes oc-
cur in workers income level
after 40 can be answered by actually
tracing the curve Of wages in individ-
ual records. The usual method Is by
comparison of the average income Of a
group of workers of one age period
with the average income of a group of
workers Of another age period.
There are factors limiting the value
OF the statistics available to the Social
Security Boards Old-Age Insurance
Bureau. These factors are inherent in
the Social Security Act.
The boards files lack information
on some 100000 workers not COW
cred by the act-agricultural labor.
domestics, State and Federal Govern
ment employees, and persons employed
by non-profit organizations.
The boards files also cannot dis
tinguish between the employe earning
$4,000 q year and employe earning
100000. Under the act, employers do
not pay taxes on any amount over
$4,000 paid tc an employe in the course
Of year.
Other factors. such as errors and in
accuracy in reporting, fraud and em-
ployer delinquency in paying pay
roll taxes. further limit the value of
the statistics now being gathered by
the Social Security Board. The stat
isticians Of the Old-Age Pension Bu-
reau also consider quarterly payment
of pay roll taxes not Is fine 4 time in
terval between payments as they might
desire.