Evening star., 1939-03-01
Unity Job Services,
LET Her Run Them,
Miss Perkins Pleads
Put Social Security Unit
Under Labor Department
Jurisdiction, She Asks
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

recommending at least a partial
merger of the United States Employ
ment Service and the Unemploy-
ment Compensation Division of the
Social Security Board. Secretary of
Labor Perkins today pleaded with
Senate committee to vest the uni
fed operation in the Labor Depart
ment.
At present the employment serv-
ice is part of Miss Perkins depart
ment, but is closely allied with the
Social Security Board in operation
of the unemployment compensation
program Recent criticism of lack
of full cooperation between the
two bureaus led the Senate Unem-
ployment Committee, before which
Miss Perkins appeared today. to
sponsor bill merging the two under
the board rather than in the de-
partment.
This is for Congress to decide
Secretary Perkins declared today.
but I might point out that the
scope of the employment service is
larger If you should decide to
place the Unemployment Compen-
sation Service in the Department
of Labor, 1 can assure you that its
high standards and full objectives
shall be fully guarded.
Separation Held Painful.
1T would be a very painful process
to separate the employment service
from the department. the Secre-
tary added, explaining its close in
tegration with the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Children's Bureau, Con-
ciliation Service and other parts of
the department.
Conceding there are places "Where
there is anything but full co-opera-
ton between the Employment Serv-
ice and the Compensation Division"
the Secretary contended this is not
a predominant condition and that
changes in personnel might help in
some of these instances.
AS an immediate step to correct
defects of the present arrangement,
Miss Perkins advised the committee
the two agencies should be placed
under lone budget, one fiscal con-
troll and one overhead officer"
In explanation, she pointed out
that the present lack of cooperation
arises in great degree from the fact
the Social Security Board makes
allotments directly to States for ex-
panded activities of the employment
offices. Application of such extra
funds then becomes subject to State
and board control, with the depart
ment having no voice.
Complica tion Is Weakness.
This condition, she continued,
adds to the complication of both
services. Such complication has
been a weakness of the unem-
ployment compensation program
throughout.
In developing her contention that
the Employment Service should not
be removed from the department,
Miss Perkins reminded the commit
tee that it has been there for 20
odd years and that it has variety
of functions quite apart from but
of comparable Importance to that
of the Unemployment Compensation
Division.
Among such functions, she listed
the analysis of private employment
opportunities, placement service for
many not covered by the unemploy-
ment compensation program, selec-
ton of all workers for the public
works program and special job serv-
ices to veterans
At present, she estimated, some
100000 persons are registered with
the Employment Service.
Warning that it would be inad-
visable to disturb any existing func-
tions of the service, Miss Perkins
reminded the committee that "un-
employment is still the most press
ing problem facing the country" and
that the bringing of jobs and work.
ers together as is performed by the
service is most important task