Evening star., 1949-01-02

age assistance program toward which
fit now is increased by half if his
1wife is IS. Since wives generally
are younger than their husbands,
it is proposed to make the payment
for the wife if she is over 60.
Increased benefits, of course,
would mean increased contribu-
tions by the worker and the en-
ployer. Each now pays / per cent,
with a maximum of $50 a year.
1t is proposed to increase this to
l z per cent. This would mean a
l., deduction of s36 year from the pay
Of the worker making 5000 a month
and an equal contribution from the
employer. If the ceiling is raised
to $4,000 year, it would mean COL
leeting $72 year from the worker
making that amount, and an equal
sum from his employer.
Over 2 Million Draw
There are now 100000 persons
drawing benefits under old-age and
: survivors insurance. About 1000, 900
are men and women over IS, the
rest widowed mothers and children.
The total monthly expenditure is
running at about $48,000,000.
Increasing the benefits and ex-
tending the coverage would run this
monthly total higher. But in time,
1t would reduce the old-age as
sistance expenditure now amount
ing to about s100OO0,OOO a month.
AS the system works now, rela-
lively fewer persons receive old-age
and survivors insurance benefits in
agricultural States than in States
where industry predominates. Con-
versely, the number receiving old
age assistance is relatively larger in
the agricultural States and the re-
sources of those States generally are
smaller
There are now 100000 persons
who have fully insured status and
an additional 100000 who do not
have enough wage credits for re-
tirement benefits but. if they should
die, their widows and children would
receive payments.
There are 37,OO0,0OO jobs covered
by the system and about 100000
jobs not covered. 1t is proposed to
extend the insurance system to
cover practically all of these jobs.
These would include self-employed
workers in business and the profess
sions, including farmers, farm work.
ers, household workers.. employees of
nonpfodt organiza tipns, with the ex-
ception of the clergy, and members
OF religious orders; members of the
armed services, Federal employees
not now covered by civil service
retirement, and, by agreements with
the States, State and local gov
ernment employees.
1t is proposed to study how civil
service retirement and the system of
the Railroad Retirement Board can
be co-ordinated with the social Sc
curity system.
Want Jobless Covered
! 1t was believed originally that
administrative problems surround
ing the coverage of most of the
groups now excluded would be in
surmountable. Now, however, it is
pointed out that farmers and other
self-employed could make their in
surance payments with their income
tax returns and that collections to
cover even an itinerant farm worker
could be accomplished by a tax
stamp system
Unemployment insurance is even
more restricted than old-age- and
survivors insurance. Employees of
concerns with fewer than eight per-
sons are not covered by the Federal
unemployment compensation law,
although they are in many of the
States.
The President recommended that
this be corrected and also that un-
employment insurance be provided
for Federal workers. He also urged
more adequate benefits.
Mr.. Altmeyer has recommended
in the past that the Federal un-
employment tax be used also for
administrative expenses of a tenn
porary disability insurance system
handled by the same State agencies
administering unemployment insur-
ance.
Disability System Sought
The Stettinius Advisory Council
recommended a system of perma-
nent and total disability insurance
as part of the old-age and survivors
insurance program, and with the
same benefit formula. 1t estimated
the cost at between 100000, 900 and
$500, 600, 900 year and expressed
the belief no special increase in
contributions would be necessary.
Mr.. Ewing has advocated a more
liberal disability program which is
estimated to cost l per cent of the
payroll for temporary disability
payments and between / and 2 per
cent for permanent disability pay
ments.
How close home these problems
come may be realized by the fact
there are now in Washington 1854
retired wage-earners over IS who
are drawing an average of $22.28 a
month from their old-age insurance.
Counting all recipients - retired
workers, their dependents and
widows and children of insured
workers-the total number of bene-
f1ciaries in Washington in June was
1910. They received a total of
S162.l84 a month. or an average