Evening star., 1939-03-05
$50 Monthly Federal
Pensions Urged for
Disabled Veterans
Transfer From Stote
Governments Asked by
Y. T. W. Leader
By ], A, O'LEARY.

BY J. A. O'LEARY.
A Federal pension of $50 a month
for permanently disabled World
War veterans unable to earn living
was urged before the Senate Un-
employment Committee yesterday
by Millard w. Rice of the Vet
erans of Foreign Wars.
He argued that II responsibility
for disabled and needy veterans
was thus transferred from State
and local governments to the Vet
erans' Administration. the States
would be in better position to pro-
vide more adequately for other
needy persons through various
phases Of the social security pro-
gram.
When the committee resumes to-
morrow morning. it is expected tc
hear officials Of p. w. A. and w. P
A on the proposal to merge these
two and other emergency agencies
into a new Department Of Public
Works. During the last week the
committee concentrated on broad
ening unemployment compensation
and other phases of social security
to torn the first line of defense
against unemployment, to be aug.
mented by public works.
Byrnes Predicts Passage.
Senator Byrnes, Democrat, oi
South Carolina. committee chair.
man and author of this plan TO,
permanent solution of the unem-
ployment problem, predicted last
plight passage Of the pending bill
would make possible a material re.
duction in the work relief program
now carried on by w. P. A.
At yesterdays hearing. Mr.. Rice
also told the committee that if Con-
gresS would make the care of win
doWs and orphans of all deceased
World War veterans a Federal re-
sponsibility by granting them pen
sions. the States could more easily
and more adequately provide for
the dependent children of other
CltlEenS.
LAS World War veterans grow
older" said the witness, "the num-
Der who will have to rely upon old
age assistance will increase very
fast and for perhaps the next 80
years. thus further cutting down
on the ability Of many States in
their efforts to try to match the
amount available through
the Social Security Board"
Number to Increase.
Likewise. he pointed out the
number of dependent children of
deceased veterans will increase
during the next 20 or 80
years, and become recipients of aid
to dependent children under the
social security program unless Con-
gress provides Federal pensions for
them through the Veterans Ad-
In support of his contention that
the Federal Government and not
the States should be responsible
Tor veterans and their dependents,
Mr.. Rise said the veterans have
tended to migrate from their former
homes and have concentrated in
such States as Florida, Mississippi,
Arizona. New Mexico, Colorado
Washington, New Jersey
and the District of Columbia, as
shown by the distribution of ad-
justed service certificates and ad-
justed service bonds"
1T is unfair that such States
should have to be imposed with the
burden of providing for these vet
erans and their dependents who
become destitute, when the burden
should be assumed solely by the
Federal Government, as it has been
as to the veterans and their de-
pendents of all previous wars in
which the United States has been
Mr.. Rice added.
Transfer Opposed.
The spokesman for the Veterans
of Foreign Wars opposed transfer
OF the United States Employment
Service to the Social Security Board.
Another witness yesterday was
Miss Edna Lcnigan, director of the
Washington Self-Help Exchange,
who told how that agency. started
IL months age, has enabled hun
dleds of unemployed persons to pro-
vide themselves with food, clothing
and other necessities by operating
workshops in which articles are
made for their mutual use and bene-
fit. She suggested the. same princi-
pie could be applied in other COM
munities.
Abraham Epstein of the American
Association for Social Security told
the committee he approved of the
general plan it outlined in, its re-
port to the Senate last month for
permanent solution of the unem-
Payment problem, but that he does
not believe the pending bill lives up
TO the standards set forth in the
report.
$50 Average Not Reached.
Mr.. Epstein said that, with the ex-
ceptlon of California, the States
have not achieved nearly the $50
average old-age assistance payment
under the Federal-State matching
system. He suggested the Federal
grant, up to the SIS maximum, be
based on the average old-age as
slstance payment in each State, in
stead OF matching the State payment
TO each individual. He also sug-
eested changes in the unemployment
compensation features of the bill.
IN connection with the care OF
veterans. Mr.. Rice explained a World
war veteran may obtain $50 a month
1or permanent and total disability
now, but that the definition Of total
in the existing law is ton