The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-07-06

Many men m able to work even
in old age, like this sturdy Florida
farmer. He knows, nevertheless,
that he will have to quit in a few
years, or maybe much sooner. II he
could anticipate a regular flow of
Social Security checks he could face
the future with much less
to the federal government. Together
with the money he sends a report
of the amount of wages paid the
worker, to be duly entered in his
social security account in Balti-
more, Md. On the basis of these
wage records, the insurance bene-
fits are figured. .
Farmers Could be Protected.
Could the system be applied to
farm people? Farmers are scattered
over a very wide area. Could the
premiums be collected without the
costs of administration mounting III
duly high, considering the small
amounts paid in? And how would
farmers figure out what their pre-
NUNS ought to be-. seeing that lots
Of them don't keep any books?
The Social Security board is con.
fdent that the extension of the old
age and survivors insurance system
to farm people is now feasible. Ways
have been devised to overcome the
difficulties.
AS a basis for determining farm
ers' social insurance premiums, the
reports they are already making to
the government for income tax and
other purposes can be used. For the
farmer who is not required to file
income tax returns, would figure his
income on the basis of the estimated
market value of his services" In
doing this he could guide himself by
the wages received by his highest
paid farm hand. If he employs no
labor, the monthly wage rate for
farm labor in his locality would
serve
Farmers could pay their pre-.
miums at times most convenient for
themselves. Some might find it con.
venient to pay a lump sum annually,
and others might prefer to pay in
four annual Quarterly installments.
Low-income farmers could pay their
premiums in social insurance
stamps if they chose. They would
buy these currently and put them
in a social security stamp book
which could be turned in from time
to time as payment toward their
premiums.
Collections Through Stamps.
For farm help, the stamp method
might be best, the board thinks. The
farmer could buy social insurance
stamps from any post office o. rural
letter carrier, and insert them in
the stamp books furnished him by
his workers when he paid their
wages. Half the cost of the stamps
would be deducted from the work.
er's wages as his social security pre-
MUM. When the workers book was
full. or at the end of its period of
validity, he would bring or mail it
to any office Of the board so that
it could be added to his record.
With the stamp system the
small farmer would find it unnec-
essary to keep books or file reports
about the wages of his paid help. On
the large farm the stamp method
could be used for temporary or
casual workers not carried on the
regular pay roll. Wages paid in the
form of room and board and the
like might be included in the work.
er's total wage. and the value set
on them could be based on data
gathered and published from time
to time by the department of agri-
culture.
Farm people have every claim to
be included under the old-age and
odA - p1os1 Gill. 4lGll
claim is all the stronger because
many of them are already partly
under the system. In the wintertime,
or in other off-seasons for farm
work. many farm people work in
industry and pay premiums on So
cial insurance. In a lifetime, their
payments amount to substantial
sums. And yet very few people ever
get benefits because they don't work
in covered employment long enough
or often enough to qualify for the
monthly payments. The inclusion of
farm people under the program
would at once both rectify the in
to these workers and plug
a big gap in the social securitr
program.