Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1961-10-10

Unemployment insurance was one of the key
stones in the structure of Franklin Roosevelts great
social reform of the 1930s-the New Deal.
It is designed to provide weekly income in
specified amount and for specified period of time
for workers who have become unemployed through
no fault of their own. The payments are made from
trust fund which is managed by the State and is
sustained by contributions which the law requires the
employers to make. The employees do not contribute
to this fund.- they do to the Federal Social Security
program.
Although the Federal Government supervises UNI
employment insurance in general way, most of the
important rules governing its operation laid down
by the state legislatures These include the amount
and duration of payments disqualificatons for various
causes, and the rate of contributions by employers,
including the preferential rate allowed to employers
who have stable employment and favorable expert
ence ratings"
State Control
There is constant pressure to take some or all
of these matters out of the hands of the state legs-
latures by action of Congress. would prefer to see
the states retain control but convinced that they
will do only if they face up to their responsibility
in realistic This is not suitable area for
interstate competition aimed at attracting in
dusry If the states fail to meet their responsibilities
then, of Federal control will be needed
Part of the controversy that surrounds unemploy-
nent insurance seems to result from a tendency to
confuse it with Old Age and Survivors Insurance
(socal security or with public welfare. Together
these three formed the nations greatest assault
poverty and human misery but they separate and
distinct measures and should not be confused with
each other.
Another source Of controversy is unfortunate
tendency the part of some employers and some
ployees to take unfair advantage of the General As
semblys continuing effort to arrive at point of per-
feet balance and equity This is particularly prevalent
in the of disqualification from unemployment in
benefits because of voluntary quits, miscon-
duct failure to seek Unemployment and labor dis
putes or strikes. 81 "a.
The General Assembly iberalized Maryland's UNI
employment insurance law in 1857 and then frightened
it up again in Senate Bill 19 of the 1861 session. This
bill was very stringent in its original form but
modified to extent during its travels through the
Assembly with the result that it to please
almost none of the directly affected parties.
Voters Will Decide
S.B. 10 has not yet become law and may never
become law 1t was signed by Governor Tawes but the
leaders of the labor movement in Maryland collected
enough signatures petitions to have the bill placed
on referendum 1t will come before all of the voters
in November of 1862 The immediate question before
is whether the bill should be approved or rejected
This will not be easy decision for the voter who
wants to make fair and intelligent decision.
The bill raises the weekly benefit to the unen-
ployed worker from $500 to $780, but this is gen.
orally regarded sop to make up for the tightening
of the disqualification rules.
may be true that the present law has loopholes
that permit the INSCRIPTIONS worker to abuse his
privileges BY the same token, it may be true that
Senate Bill would give the INSCRIPTIONS employer an
economic weapon that would make it easier for him to
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