The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1946-05-10

exporting and importing countries
to carry the world through the
1916 harvest. It is too late now
to plant more wheat so the crop
will be whatever the weather
makes it.
The present famine has been
caused largely by the fact that
food deliveries to the starving
nations have Jagged. Average
Americans have been buying more
and eating more because of their
high incomes. Too, wheat and
other cereals have been being fed
to III bumper crop of live
stock
Americans are being encour-
aged to save as much food as
possible-particularly grain prod
ucts, fats and oils-by eating a
little less. Secretary of Agricul-
ture Anderson has vchemently OPP.
posed food rationing, and it is al
most assured that it will not be
necessary in the near future, if at
all, to resort to this method of
food conservation. Meat prob
ably will be more plentiful for
the next few months as an eff
fort is being made to decrease
grain consumption by slaughter
ing a large number of cattle. Dali
ry herds are being reduced and
poultry raising on a large scale
is being discouraged. The very
pointed indications that Europ-
cans and Asiaties will continue to
be underfed for a year or more
will insure a continued demand
for farm and dairy products.
So all Americans, both those who
produce and those who consume
our farm products, are being trg
ed by the government to do their
DIT toward feeding the hungry
peoples of the world.
Social Security Expansion
The demand for more social
benefits for people has been
building up ever since the So
cial Security program went into
eject in 1886. Congress now
has under consideration various
proposals to broaden the present
coverage in order to include mill
lions of additional workers in the
program, and it is expected that
in the future new features will
De added to the program. The
House Ways and Means Commit
tee has been holding hearings on
this general subject in order to
get the views of the various
groups effected, and it is almost
certain thaa a much broader plan
for old age and survivors bane
fist will come before the congress
within the next few years, any
way.
At the present time the aver
age male worker who Is insured
is paid a monthly benefit o.
$24.30 on retirement at IS. Tho
average woman worker is paid
upon retirement $3.50. (They
cannot earn more than $500 8
month at part-time work with
out losing this retirement pay.
The average widow of an insured
worker gets 5000 a month after
reaching 65, plus $14.20 for {
dependent child. The minimum
amount a retired worked receives
is $1,000 under the present set
up while the maximum amount
is $65.00.
These averages + expected to
increase gradually as more work
ers spend more years in Their
jobs. The Social Security Board
has proposed a new formula
which would increase the aver
age benefits by As to so percent
above the levels now expected
in future years, but because o
the stupendous amount of fund
involved (the new proposal would
cost some seven billion dollars
by the year 1000 more than the
present program). it is not ex
pected that the congress will move
too fast in making such broaa
changes. II may be that so long
as jobs are plentiful and wages
nigh no major changes will b
made. But if and when a break
comes in the national income the
proposed expanded plans probably
will be put into effect.
We are continuing our 10-year
fight to require the Federal Gov
eminent to pay its minimum con
tribution Of $50 regardless o.
whether the states were able to
meet II or not to our needy aged.
Under this system, in the poorer