Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-02-13
By GRACE BASSETT
Star stan Writer

Lie metropolitan WaSnlng'
ton Board of Trade, represent
ing employers, suggested rails
ing the maximum to $36, bu
wanted a bar on pay to re-
tired persons and workers whit
quit, were fired or refused suit
able employment.
BusineSSmen's Views
Employees favored Senator
Morse's bill gearing benefits tt
a formula that could result ir
a maximum of 500 for a fixec
period of up to SO weeks.
The businessmen's case wa,
based on these principal points;
The Morse formula woulc
promise workers almost a:
much money for loafing as fol
working.
Some retireeS. amply pro.
tected by pensions and socia
security, were taking advan.
tage of former employers by
drawing compensation paid by
those employers.
Some workers, particularly ir
] a un dries, restaurants anc
shops, took jobs only Ions
enough to qualify for compen.
sation and then quit to draw
joblesS pay.
Employers who paid the tai
built the fund from which com
penSation is drawn have earned
the right to pay less. The funC
now totals about $50 million
Business interests asked tina
the rates be reduced by a frac,
ton, that interest on the tota
fund be applied to all EN-,
ployers' contributions and tina
voluntary payments be allowed
to reduce the rate Of pay b.
employers.
Cite Abuses
Frank A. Gunther and Leon,
ard j. Calhoun, of the BoarC
Of Trade. warned Senator Morse
that INSCRIPTIONS workers nov
were taking advantage of TIT
law, mostly by quitting with
no idea of seeking re-employ,
ment.
Senator Morse asked Mr.. Cal.
houn how to deal with person!
who quit one unsatisfactor!
job and can't find work.
people don't quit a jol
without another in prospect,
countered Mr.. Calhoun, main
tanning the Senator's hypo
thetical man was remote from
reality. I'VE are not talking
about robots with rights, bu
men with responsibilities"
Other testimony highlights
E. A. Pritchard, Merchant!
and Manufacturers Association
-"Terrible abuses are il
practice today. One 65-year,
old woman retired with {
monthly annuity of $127 Il
which she had contributed
nothing. She also obtained
social security of $3.50, or &
total monthly income of $243
Yet, she received $50 a weel
for 26 weeks in compensation
here is a woman who owns hel
home, received a salary Of
$4,000 a year, and certainly
was able to save some money
Hotel Viewpoint
Allen Jones, jr., Hotel Asso-
citation of Washington-"The
personnel files of our hotel
members contain many exam.
pies of abuses under present
laws, and the Morse amend
ments would amplify these
abuses and afford DRINKS
drifters and other unscrupu-
lous workers an even greater
opportunity to take advantage
of the employers"
Hugh M. Steinberger, D. C.
Trucking Association-"One OF
our members fired a driver
prone to accidents. He worked
a short time for somebody else
and then filed for unemploy-
ment compensation. Because
he had taken a second job, his
first employer, who paid the
bill, could not protest the driv-
er's claim"
Joseph L. Nellis, Central
BuSinessmens' Association, Inc
The Board of Trade bill and
an alternative suggested by
District Commissioners would
be useful" He opposed VOL
untary payments by employers
Ito the fund, however, unless
employers could get interest on
those advance payments.
Maurice G. Long, Laundry
Dry Cleaning Association of the
District-"We are small bust
ness with big payrolls. In
spite of this, 100 per cent OF
the associations member plants
pay in excess of the minimum
tax rate to the fund"
Would List Experience
John Hartnett, Washington
Restaurant Association - Gar
applicant for compensation
should have to list all work hi
has done in the previous -four
years. He should be barred
from compensation if he re-
fuses to take a job offered ir
those fields. Mere distance
from work should not be a rea.
son in itself for by he cant
take such a iob."