Evening star., 1940-02-01
D. T.. Residents
Begin Receiving
Age Benefits
Widow of Linemun,
With Four Minors,
Among Beneficiories

Vi'IOuS OS"S~S
Washington, along with communi-
ties all over the Nation, today began
paying the first old-age benefits
provided in the Federal Social Sc
curity Act as another important
phase of this vast welfare program
got under way.
Just how many residents in this
area will be among the first recip-
tents of these benefits could not be
determined today at the Washing
ton regional Office Of the Social
Security Board.
The number of claims on file num-
bers several hundred, according to
Victor Sadd, regional office man
ager, but he emphasized that it is
impossible to determine at present
the exact number of those who will
collect monthly checks or other
benefit payments. New claims ar
rive every day and all must be
adjudicated before payments-if the
claimant is eligible-may start.
At any rate, the Importance of
the benefit-paying phase of the
act already is being forcibly dem
onstrated in the case of one Wash
ington family-a 37-year- -old widow
and four children, whose happy
family life was struck by the tragic
death of the Young father on New
Year Day.
Death Ends Income.
The father, James Nelson Garri-
son, a lineman for the Potomac
Electric Power Co., died instantly
upon touching 4.000-volt wire
while working above Bradley boule-
ward, near Bethesda, Md. The trag-
edy left his family with no savings
and no immediate income.
Although only 81, Mr.. Garrison
had been with the electric company
for l6 years. But the important
part, for the welfare of his family,
was that for the last three years
his wages have been taxed to pro-
vide for old-age pension under the
Social Security Act.
Under amendments made in the
act last August, monthly payments
were started two years earlier than
was originally provided and, in ad-
dition to monthly payments to in
sured workers who become eligible
after reaching the age of IS, the
revised act also provided:
/. Monthly benefits to wives who
are IS and minor children Chose
under 18 of annuitants;
2. Monthly benefits for widows of
IS, for orphans, for widows, ire
Spective Of age, with minor children
and, in some cases, for dependent
parents Of Insured workers who died.
However, the new provisions for
survivors benefits did not go into
effect until January l, 1910. For
wage earners who died before jan
uary l, lump sum payment based
on the deceased workers wage
credits Is paid to his heirs or his
estate.
Mrs. Garrison will receive a
monthly benefit herself, because she
has dependent children. Her per-s
sonal benefit amounts to threaN
fourths of the basic monthly beneT
her husband would have receivGd.
In addition, each dependent enild
under 16 Cor 18, if attending schooD
received a benefit equal to one-half
of the fathers basic monthly bene-
fits.
So, in this case, Mrs. Garrison
will receive a total of $79 a month
to take care of her family of four
boys-Paul Wesley, aged 6 months;
David, 4: Jim, Z, student at Wood
ridge School, and Preston. Is, who
goes to Taft Junior High School.
Mrs. Garrison also has 21-year-old
son, Robert P. McCrossen, by
former marriage. He is not eligible
for benefits because he is not
minor A limit of $85 is placed on
these benefits.
This money is a lifesaver," Mrs.
Garrison said yesterday at her home
at 1921 Chestnut street NE. "I
OUll hl1OW WlldU VIC WOulu lldVC
done without it,"
Later, Mrs. Garrison also will re-
ceive Workmen's compensation,
which she said would amount to
about $25 week for seven years.
She already has received a lump
sum payment from the relief as
sociation of the power company
But her husband carried no other
insurance, she said, "and it was
hard to save anything with four
children to feed and clothe.'
16 in Local Field Office.
The local field Office of the So
cial Security Board has a crew of
16 workers, including Manager Sadd,
an assistant manager, an admins
trative assistant and a field as
sistant, to handle all claims for old
age benefits arising in the District
and in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun,
Prince Williams, Fauquier, Kappa
hammock and Culpeper Counties in
Virginia, and Prince Georges, Mont
gomery, Charles, Valvert and St
Marys Counties in Maryland.
In each case Mr.. Sadd is endeav-
oring to have claimants visit his
Office to discuss their claims so that
benefit payments may be started as
soon as possible after eligibility has
been established.
He estimated it would be some
months, at, least, before an accu-
rate check can be made on the
number of persons in this region
actually eligible now. In the coun-
try, as a whole, 3,700 workers and
dependents are the first benef1ci-
aries, but it is estimated that $4,000
persons will be on the rolls before
the year is out.