The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1946-12-26
30 Million 10
In Montana

! Helena-(UP)-The unemployment
/ Compensation Commission of Mon
tana has submitted a summary of
its first ten years of operation 10
Gov. Sam c. Ford, revealing that
the total gross income during the
period was about S36,000,000.
Barclay Craighead, chairman Of
the commission, said that S30,500,00
had been received through about
100000 quarterly tax reports from
approximately 1900 different IN
dividual-employing units The rest
came from $l,500,000 in interest
from reserves, and $4,000,000 in re-
endorsement from the Veterans Ad-
on payments made by
the commission acting as an agent
for the Federal Government.
Cash reserves of the commission
on Jan. l, l947, will be about $685.
100000, the report said.
Since benefit payments started in
Montana July l, 1889, the COM
has disbursed about $751;
100000 to 10000 individuals. OF that
sum, 100000 went to civilians (
from the regular collections made .
BY the commission, and $6,000000
vent to veterans in combined self
and unemployment read
ustment allowance payments, it was
eported
The commission said that on Oct
of this year, only about 800 civil
ians and 1000 veterans were I'M
Employed in Montana, although
Iearly $4,000 veterans and about
$1,000 civilian war industry work
rs had returned to the state. 1t ]
Explained that of the unemployed {
eterans, high percentage were {
disabled
During the last year, Montana :
'orkers have lost about $10,000,000
! wages because of labor disputes,
he commission pointed out.
Recommendations by the commits
on for the Montana legislature,
'hich conVenes next January, in
uded local participation in social
ecurity in the proposed expansion,
0inting out that the country was
10 large and its resources too var !;
d for a program affecting millions Z
people to be administered pro- -
erly in all its details from Wash II
gton. The commission said it be-
aVed that Montana should not sur u
nder control of social security to n,
deral bureaus. ~
In any program specifying bene- IL
S, the commission said it felt that -,
rmarked tax money should be set f.
ide for use in paying only those Or
nefits I'm order to make the pro- f.
am permanent and so that those
in the program would de
ow exactly what they will get in
The group said it felt that there Il,
re too many groups outside the re
ciaI security programs of both of
)ntana and the nation, and sug- HI
Sted extension of coVerage to all liz
: people rather than increasing
nimum and maximum amounts. 70
Other recommendation included Ia,
form coverage for unemployment ne
and old age and sur IA
-ors benefits; an increase in mini
m benefits to $500 a week in IF
w of higher living costs; that n
cases of prolonged unemploy- of
mt, claimants be allowed to draw an
inst earnings in the lag quar- no
Immediately rather than wait If
ii the expiration of the current
left year before claiming such n
lefits, and that the legislators T
slider providing cash sickness a
iefits to those unemployed be- v
Sc of non-industrial illness or
idents, along the same general
IS as the unemployment COM mai
alton act. Tx
he commission said it thought T r,e
in general it could finance the ing
ension and expansion of the un- mi!
'loyment compensation program
Montana without increasing taxes M M
iItr