Evening star., 1938-06-26

A. carried on. In order to give white collar
workers something to do--snd without CIV
ing due thought to the effect on industry
the w. P. A. sent an army of statistics COL
lectors throughout the country. They asked
all kinds of questions of business men
questions that had been hastily thrown to-
gether in QUESTIONABLE form with a view
chiefly to providing work for the collectors,
rather than to provide the Government
with needed information.
The Central Statistical Board under
took to review all the applications for
statistical, survey and research projects
under the w. P. A. with view to elm
mating wasteful and useless ones More
than $500 of such applications involving
projects costing s4oo,ooO.OOO were reviewed
by the board and more than half of these
were disapproved. Many of these were
doorbell-ringing surveys, against which in
dustry and the board joined in taking q
firm stand.
Social Security Details.
The death of N. r. "A. and the decline Of
the work relief program afforded business
only temporary relief from the round of
question-answering by Government agen-
cies. Social security was born, and with 1t
came new requirements for information
and multiplicity of new forms to be
made out by employers throughout the
land. The Central Statistical Board lent its
counsel in simplifying the information
blanks, but even the eventually approved
"irreducible minimum" staggered business
firms when they learned the full extent of
personnel data demanded.
They found themselves confronted with
Treasury form $40, the annual unemploy-
ment report; form SS-1A, a quarterly re-
port in which employers must list total
taxable wages paid amounts paid individ-
ual employees, with their social security
numbers; separations from the service and
total deducted from pay rolls for social
security taxes; form SS-lB, a continuation
form supplementary to Ss-1A; form sS-1C.
correction sheet; form SS-4, employers'
application for identification number:
form SS-5. certificate showing assignment
OF employees social security numbers and
Treasury form s43, for refund claims.
These forms meant the setting up of
entirely new and quite intricate record
systems in virtually every business house
IN the country. Some of the larger firms
have had to take on new employees and
create new departments just to handle the
extra bookkeeping entailed in complying
with social security requests for data. Most
industries have created q new card record
Of employees earnings, In which are listed
all data on individual employees wages
commissions, bonuses, hours worked and
amount Of social security tax deducted.
They also must keep . complete history
card Of each employe, with details as to
dependents, personnel record, trade qualifi-
cations. nationality, place and time of birth,
eligibility for State compensation, etc. A
separate record is required for social Sc
curity deductions and other fiscal informa-
ton.
Federal and State Taxes.
In addition to the forms for social Sc
curity and State unemployment compensa-
ton, controllers Of business firms must
wrestle with Federal and State income tax
forms, State tax forms Of many kinds and
municipal tax forms, all requiring intensive
work by a corps of accountants and clerks.
One Of the larger and more important
Of Federal questionnaiFes Is the Depart
ment Of Commerce's census Of manufac-
lures, required by act Of Congress. The
department some months ago sent out
143 forms covering 341 di:erent industries,
but the amount Of information asked Is 70
great that only few have been returned