Evening star., 1946-03-17

the claimant filed second, third or
a fourth claim. Often these claims were
based on overlapping periods of employ
ment. Because Of the complicated sys-
tenn OF charging off weeks for which
benefits had been paid, chart had to
be constructed for each claimant.
On June Is, 1888, the District act
was amended, eliminating from the COW
erage all employers covered by the Rail-
road Retirement Act. The act was
amended again on April %, 1910. This
time newsboys delivering newspapers
and shopping news were eliminated
from the coverage.
The board had been operating for over
four years and the act had been amended
four times and still the benefit provisions
had not been changed. At last on July
2, 1910, the act was again amended.
This time the benefit provisions of the
act were completely streamlined. A
was very simple to administer. For a
short time difficulties arose when the
transition from one act to the other was
put in effect, but this was shortlived
The July 2, 1910, amendments contained
numerous other changes such as the
liberalization of benefits, $18 becoming
the maximum weekly benefit amount,
the granting authority to the board to
refund monies enormously collected by
it and the reduction of the contribution
rate from per cent to 27 per cent.
Funds Greatly Increased.
BY this time. with the help of the
new benefit formula, administration
commenced to be easier for the board.
Contributions were placed on a quar-
terly basis and the employers forms
were greatly simplified. The board was
able to make these changes as less in
formation was necessary to pay bene-
fits. The boards relationship with the
public became much better. Claim
ants were getting their checks prompt
ly. so they were happy, and employers
had to file only one-third the reports
and on much simpler forms than previ-
ously used
AS the months passed by, the fund
grew and grew. The amount of con-
tributions was way out of proportion
to the small amount of benefits paid
out. The small cut in the contribution
rate did little to stem the tide of the
fast-growing fund. A study was COM
menced as to the advisability of amend
ing the act so that many deserving
employers could enjoy the benefit of a
reduced rate, by means of basing con-
tribution rates on benefit experience.
On October II, 1910, the act was
amended once more. This time the
provision exempting service in the en-
ploy Of the United States Government
or of an instrumentality of the United
States was rephrased. The result was
to limit this exemption and as result
many organizations not previously COW
cred came within the scope of the act.
Experience Rating Set Up.
The act was amended again ON June
4. 1943. These amendments included
the most sweeping changes made at
any one time. Experience rating was
passed at last, the maximum weekly
benefit was raised to $40 and the benefit
rights of individuals in the military
service were frozen. At this time the
basic definition of coverage was changed
so that there would be less conflict be-
tween the District and neighboring
jurisdictions on doubtful cases. The
board was given authority to enter into
reciprocal arrangements, concerning
coverage, with other States. A few new
minor exemptions were added to bring
the coverage of the act in line with the
Social Security Act. A number Of new
provisions were included to assist the
board in collecting delinquent taxes.
The chief of these was provision for
substitute service on nonresident en-
ployers and the proviso that the board
shall have a lien on all the property Of
a delinquent employer. The board was
also made body corporate at this time.
Experience rating was put into effect
as of July /, 1943. A new section was
established to handle this matter and
all employer accounts were analyzed
and rates were promptly assigned to all
employers for the second half of 1943.
Experience rating or merit rating, as
it is sometimes called, has strong sta
bilizing effect on employment and has
saved many employers large sums Of
money. During the last two and one
half years employers have saved more
than $17,000,000 because of their re-
duced rates. This sum is very sizable
when it is compared with the amount of
the unemployment trust fund. 1t is
more than one-third Of that fund.-
In tie fall of 1914 the board started
cooperating with the Veterans Admin
istration in administering some Of the
provisions of the CT Bill of Rights. At
first this did not involve great deal OF
work but since hostilities ceased the CT
claims department was cut to the bone
during the slack war years, so new per-
sonnel had to be hired and trained in
this highly specialized work. For a
while it looked as if the armed serv-
ices would release prospective claim
ants faster than the board could employ
and train new personnel. However,
sufficient personnel is now on hand to
process the greatest claim load that the
District was ever experienced.
More than $9,9 900 900 has been paid in
benefits in the District during the eight
years that the act required benefits to be
paid. Last year only 1868 9o7.24 was paid
in benefits. The board has collected $48,-
246, 708.92 in contributions, $l.776. 200 40
OF that sum being collected for the year
l945. AS of the first Of the year the
balance in the unemployment trust