Evening star., 1943-10-24
|Vandenberg TO Ask
Study Of Security
Rights for Veterans
By 7. A. OTFARY


Senator Vandenberg, Republican,
Of Michigan will ask the Senate to-
morrow to create an advisory coun-
Gil of experts, outside of Govern
ment, to study and report on the
best way to protect the social Sc
curity rights of the 10000 900 men,
bers of the armed forces.
The Senator pointed out that per-
sons who leave private employment
to enter military service are left at
a decided disadvantage in social Sc
curity coverage as the law now
stands, but weeks of study have con-
vinced him solution of the problem
Is too technical to be settled pri-
marily in Congress
For that reason he has decided
to introduce concurrent resolution
also requiring House action-set-
ting up a council similar to the one
created in 1887 to consider whether
the original full-reserve plan for
old-age retirement and other
changes in the law were necessary.
That council consisted of groups
representing labor, industry and the
public. Senator Vandenberg said
the proposed new council would in
clude Representatives of those who
can speak directly for the veterans -
Veterans Lose Credits.
"a man entering the armed serv-
ices, who previously had been COW
cred by the Federal old age and
survivors insurance system, loses
rhis credits for the entire time he
is in the armed service" Senator
Vandenberg said. obviously it is
unfair to the men serving with the
armed forces thus to penaliZe their
ultimate civilian rights under the
social security law, and put them
at a relative disadvantage with
their postwar economy.
The question, therefore, arises
whether the time in the armed
services should not be considered to
be covered employment under the
Social Security Act, and whether
the social security tax should not
be paid by the Government, and
whether the employees share should
not also be paid by the Government
Then, you get kindred ques-
ton IN regard to unemployment
allowances, because those allowances
are based on Immediately preceding
employment, and If armed service
is not covered employment the
serviceman again is at a relative
disadvantage in the postwar era
with the worker who has continued
on civilian job. Here again, the
obligation would seem to rest on
Government to accept the cost of
carrying the load during the period
of armed service.
Service Benefits Cited.
"On the other hand, the problem
isn't quite as simple as it seems, be-
cause the man in the Army OF
Navy has certain benefits as a resul,
of armed service which will be par
TALLY comparable with Social Secur-
itv protection.
The net result is very technical
problem to develop an equitable
4ci lild4d "iIiNIi Ji iOttNIS tIlC lCeill-
mate rights of the armed forces"
The far-reaching new cradle to-
grave social security program intro
duCed last June by Senators Wagner
of New York and Murray of Mon
tana, both Democrats, undertakes to
deal directly with the problem.- It
would give wage credits to men
and women in the armed forces for
the entire period of their military
service. This would bring the veteran
and his family under all of the
social insurance benefits of that bill,
and the cost would be borne by the
Government.
The Wagner-Murray bill also
deals with unemployment benefits
for servicemen as they are mus
tered out They would get allow
ances varying from s12 to $50 a week
Of unemployment, depending on the
number of dependents. Benefits
would continue for 26 weeks. and for
a possible maximum of 50 weeks. if
that maximum is established for
other insured workers. The Gov
ernment would bear the cost of COW
erage for the veterans.
Senator Vandenberg said his pro-
posed study by council of experts
has nothing to do with demobiliza-
ton allowances.