The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-03-16
AFL Security PIon
lConfinlled From Pdde Onel

tire policy of social security is to build
patchwork structure which will be
less useful and more cumbersome and
costly to administer than the results
justify.
Old Age Insurance Program
There are two principles in our pro-
gram Of social security which should
be differentiated. One is that of es-
tablishing insurance programs within
which benefits are payable as matter
of right to the designated beneficiaries.
The unemployment compensation sys-
TEN and Federal old-age benefits are
of this nature. The funds for these
programs which are derived from
special taxes should be treated as
trust specifically for the purposes for
which they were collected.
The work done by the Advisory
Council on Social Security in study
ing Titles II and VIII Of the Social
Security Act and their recommended
tions for amendments are to be COM
mended highly for thoroughness and
value. The Federation is in agreement
with the principles enunciated in that
report. 1t approves the recommended
tions on finance and urges that the
further study recommended in this re-
port be undertaken.
| Assistance to Handicapped Persons
Z The other principle, not covered in
the Advisory Councils special study,
is that of assistance to persons handi-
capped in some manner, whose private
resources are inadequate to keep them
and who are not entitled at matter
of right to benefits from one of the
Insurance or compensation programs.
These persons must be cared for
on a relief basis. Aid to them is given
on proof of need and cannot reason
ably be extended to non-needy per-
sons. To do so would raise the ex-
pense of the program unjustifiably
and would obliterate the lines between
rights established to benefits from
special funds and assistance financed
wholly by general taxation.
Extension of Old Age Pension
COverage
In the field of old-age benefits, the
Advisory Councils careful work has
laid the foundation for rational amend
ments of one part of the Social Sc
curity program to make it more eff
fective The Federation approves its
recommendation of increased benefits
in the early years to amounts large
enough to be of real use to the bene-
ficiary. 1t is desirable to write into
the system provision for aged wives
widows, and dependent children of in
sured persons. There can be no real
security without such provision.
The American Federation of Labor
J is in general agreement with the Ad
visory Committees recommendations
on coverage. 1t approves particularly
, now extension Of coverage of the ole
age insurance program to officers anC
members of crews Of vessels docu
mented under the laws of the United
States except those with foreign crews
engaged exclusively in trade between
foreign ports.
; 1t approves also extending coverage
of both old age and unemployment
benefits to non-profit institutions anC
to government instrumentalities per
forming n-governmental functions.
; 1t believes that employees of unions
: and all fraternal organizations shoulC
be covered by the act under the same
eligibility regulations applied general
ly.
Definition of Agricultural Labor
Il bD ,,l,
pose to define agricultural labor" il
: so broad fashion and to exclude from
coverage laborers engaged in process
ing, packing, transporting and selling
) farm products.
The Federation believes that sucl
; changes in coverage as are made
should be in the direction of including
more workers, narrowing the definition
so that it is sure that the exception
applies only to bona fide farmhand
employed by small farmers to do tn,
work ordinarily performed on a farm
When the farm" is so large and 81
organized as to be almost industrial il
exclude the workers from old age ant
unemployment benefits.
The Federation concurs with tn,
recommendation of the Advisory Coun
Gil that old age benefit coverage of al
farm employees should take effect a
soon as administratively possible.
they are uneconomical and because il
practice they will result in marke,
setback in our progress toward bette
t housing and toward economic security
at is our considered judgment tha
the plan is contrary to the public in
tercst in many respects, that it shoult
| be condemned as such by the Fedora
4 Government, and that all agencies o
a the Federal Government should be di
/, rected by the President to refrain
from sponsorship Of, and participation
. in, any phase Of the plan"
= The report has been unanmousl.
D adopted by the Executive Council o
: the American Federation of Labor.
t Legislative Curb Asked
t President Green also made known
: the fact that the A. +. of l.. has sug
= peStcd to the Senate Committee Ol