Evening Star Newspaper, October 2, 1936, Page 26

APPALLING TASK INSOCIAL SECURITY Work of 3-Man Board Mov- ing as Fast as Boy Going for Castor Oil. The far-reaching eflects of the mew social security program, now a leading topic in the national po- titical fleld, are discussed here in the thirteenth of a series of arti- cles based on a first-hand survey of the operation of the system in several States, as well as of the central administration in Wash- ington. BY BLAIR MOODY. The job of making this social se- eurity act “click”—of translating the words of a broadly-conceived law into » huge, precise, smooth-running ma- chine to serve 50 million citizens—is moving forward with all the speed of ® small boy going after a dose of castor oil. The three-man Security Board, charged with an immense responsi- bility, is moving surely—and slowly. It can scarcely be blamed, for it faces the greatest administrative task ever undertaken by this Government, per- haps by any government. It is a task appalling in size and confusing in complexity. It is a job Jjammed with puzzling problems and nice questions, the answers to many of which have not yet been found. One phase of the program involves a registering operation more than twice as large as the war-time Army draft. Its mere mechanics contemplate acres of records and tons of files—40 to 50 million separate personal files, most of which will grow steadily. From the standpoint of being ready to function “in high” when it should be ready, the board is way behind. ©On January 1, the day the old-age annuity program becomes effective, 1,000 claims a day will start pouring into the board’s offices. On that date 26 million workers, in every State and every industry but agriculture, will start paying pay roll taxes and acquir- ing a vested interest in the trust fund ‘which those taxes will build up. And nobody will know who those workers are or where they are or very much else about them. Fussing and Fumbling. For, during the months when the board should have been making ad- ministrative decisions, completing its procedure and registering its “first 26 million,” it has been fussing and fum- bling. It has waited for this and for that. Most of all, it has waited for election day. This is not entirely the board's fault. It would be difficult to find three keener minds on the subject of social security than John G. Winant, former Governor of New Hampshire; Arthur J. Altmeyer, one of the main- springs of Wisconsin'’s progressive pro- gram, and Vincent A. Miles, a lawyer and a smart one. But an order from the White House is an order from the White House. And this order was to let Lhe business of “registering” employes and &ssign- ing them “benefit account numbers” g0 until the middle of November. It was felt that to start a Nation-wide movement to get name, age, job facts. and other information about such a vast number of voters just before election might be misinterpreted. It might, in fact, be a double-edged political boomerang. On the one hand, the administration could be charged with trying to “scare” work- ers into voting for the President on penalty of losing the benefits of the act; on the other, it could be accused of a vast project of “regimentation.” ‘The fact that the program has been handled non-politically would cer- tainly be forgotten in the welter ot oratory, which would hurt the pro- gram and hurt the President. Now members of the board say the stalling of the last few months— of course, they don't admit it was that—will not do any harm, because, after all, no monthly annuities are to be paid until 1942. The claims that will rush in at 30.000 a moath in 1937 will be only small lump-sum death and retirement claims. They point out that, until the taxed pay rolls are available, registration could not be other than voluntary and that it would be too much to expect all the prospective beneficiaries to “go to their nearest post offices” unless they had to. Companies’ Difficulties. But even when they do.get under way, the whole affair promises to be one huge headache, not ony for the boys in Washington, but for the book- keepers of private companies, who have to struggle with such quirks as the fact that their tax returns under one sec- tion of the act must be based on *“wages paid” and in another on “wages payable.” There are more than 3,000,000 em- ployers who must make returns for the tax under the act and whose em- ployes are eligible for annuities when they retire at 65 or later. Every hot dog operator, garageman, barber and bootlegger who hires more than one person is a taxable “employer.” The Job of collecting from them belongs to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. The job of keeping a record of all the money their employes make from Jan- uary 1 until they are 65 belongs to the Security Board. It promises to be quite a job. How, for example, about the plasterer who TIRED FEET? ( mRY THISNEW “CREAMED" RUBBING ALCOHOL i SPRY soothes tired, aching feet. | Can’t spill. Liquefies as you rub it in. Doesn’t “‘dry out” the skin. Use for sore muscles, cuts, bruises. 70% absolute alcohol. Large jar, 29¢— double size, 49¢. fi AT YOUR RETAILER'S > e e el smn 101.: FOR SPECIAL TRIAL JAR? sl to SPRY, inc., § . 37th St N. V. B s week, then goes to work for other fellows on the e next? Which is the employer? reports the tax? And where will “records” come from in the thousands of small businesses which keep few books, or no books? But this is only one side of the problem. After the board finds the facts, if it does, it must classify them and record them. While there will be “only” 26,000,000 workers on the aver- age drawing pay at one time, there will eventually be from 40,000,000 to 50,000,000 workers going in and out of industry. If they ever take an “eligi- ple” job, their records must be pre- served until their retirement age, even if they never work again. You see, they might. And 50,000,000 benefit records, at 100 cards to an inch, would make & pile eight miles high! The Veterans' Bureau estimated that 47 acres would be needed to house records alone, though this has been cut by a system of filing in Washington microscopic photographic copies of the regional records which are kept “in the field.” Moving Complications. But what if a worker moves from one region to another? Complication! And how, when there are a few thou- sand John Browns in the country, can they be differentiated? On this score fiingerprinting, the only posi- tive method of identification, was re- jected on the grounds of being politi- cally dangerous, and a system of “tell- ing ’em apart” by the mother’s maiden name was instituted. Above all, how is a beneficiary going to prove his age? In the rural United States there have been few birth records kept out- side of the family Bible until recent years, Modern systems, even in large cities, are of comparatively recent origin. Many American citizens were born in Europe, and have no record of their birth. And there will be in many cases & temptation to “fake” ages. A man now over 60, if he registers as 58, can qualify for his pension, but if he tells the truth, he will not have worked five years before 65, and, therefore, will receive a compartively infinitesi- mal Jump sum. On the other hand, the factory worker in his forties or early fifties, fearing the tendency to lay off the aging production man, RESORTS. ATLANTIC CITY, N. J. HOTEL DENNIS ATLANTIC CITY October rendezvous of a select cli- entele supremely accommodated at the ocean’s edge. Appealing Fall rates. WALTER J. BUZBY, INC. ATLANTIC CITY. N. Fle: THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. might be tempted to boost his age so become eligible for his trying to keep the records straight, or straightening them. Insurance Problems. In the old-age assistance and un- employment insurance divisions the personnel problem is worse because it is in the hands of the States. In most Statcs there are few persons qualified to administer this sort of & program. In many, appointments are political. ‘There are now administering pro- grams to relleve the aged and blind, chauffeurs, bartenders, fruit mer- chants and salesmen. Unemployment insurance in some States is in politi- cal hands. How to get it out is & question. California, New York, Wis- consin and one or two other States have thought and acted along “secur- ity” lines for years. They have the trained personnel. The trouble is they have almost all of it. But the worst headache of all is of business—and to insure 1431 I Street :::ndbythohfl’m-fidunw “We are about ready to start as- ready to start handling claims when they can be authenticated,” says Alt- meyer. “But our worst problem is get the message out to the coun to get the small emp! stand what to do; to (Copyright, 1936, by the North American Newspaper Alliance, ane.) Gas Masks Free in Crisis. Gas masks will be free in any emer- now being manufactured for the gov- ernment will be issued without cost to the users in cases of a crisis. Many persons have been under the impres- sion that & charge would be made. —— British airliners on long routes are to fuel in midair. Buy a Home at Your Own Price Four exceptionally fine home properties have come into ownership of a local real estate firm in its regular course prompt disposal they have been placed in our hands to be sold at Auction All four homes are in desirable neighborhoods. are in splendid condition—offering a good “buy”— either for personal residence or investment. All 3218 Morrison Street N.W., at 3:00 p.m. 3710 S Street, at 3:30 p.m. 2939 28th Street, ot 4:00 p.m. 1819 Irving Street, at 4:30 p.m. Thos. J. Owen & Son Auctioneers and Appraisers Natl. 3090 Little Hats Are Smarter Than Ever And a Total Success Topping Fur-Collar Coats!" *6.50 Little Hats of Imported Velours Little Hats of Antelope Suedes Little Hats of Fine Fur Felts Little Hats of Rich Velvet We stress the importance of the little hat because it's so terribly smart at the moment . . . Paris makes headlines of it . . . so do the fashion pages of women'’s fashion magazines . leff's! . . and so does Jel- Little hats with high crowns . . . little perky pill boxes and tricornes and smart toques . . . little Scotch caps and off-the-face models! Flattered and enriched by veils, bows, feathers and rhinestones. Black (ever lovely rich Autumn colors. headsizes. smart) and all the All Other Hats from $5 to $25 Millinery Salon—Street Floor. —pre-eminent in Fall’s VANITY FARE 8. New and beguili that make the most of the new high- over-the-instep profile—the important little details such as hand-piped seams and large cut-out eyelets. 73 ng footwear fashions trend — the d‘orsay e, Tailleur pump trimmed with calf. Built up leather walking heel. High front, cut-out eyelet in brown, grey ond green. oxford. Also Half suede, half calf, joined with a gold button. A Peacock KAUFMAN'S COMEDY IS PLAYED BY F. B. I.| 5%k, INGING up the curtain on the local amateur season, the F. B. L The- ater Group presented George 8. Kauf- man’s comedy-drama. in reverse, “Mer- rily We Roll Along,” last evening in Roosevelt High School Auditorium. ‘The Broadway suceess of just a little while ago boasts 47 parts, but the F. B. L did not find it neces- sary to go beyond its ranks in filling them. The “G-men” and their fem- inine co-workers are friendly to the ‘muse. ‘Tracing in retrospect the crumbling of youthful ambition and idealism into the dust of dissolution is the raison d'etre of the plece as it backs up through three acts, nine scenes. It represents a difficult test for an ama- teur group to pass, but the company last night made a creditable try. The lead roles were well handled, with the principal difficulty being: the inabifity How to handle the subject of top speed is a matter bothering the automobile industry this year. While fully agreeing with the nation-wide drive for greater highway safety, engineers know that top speed is a measure of engine ease at cruising speed— also that top speed is a yardstick the whole public uses to measure power. Only Buick seems nicely set under present situation, as thiscarestablisheditselfasplenty fast last year and all the de- signers have to say is “More powerful than ever.” As a matter of fact,well authenticated rumors about the 1937 Buick have it that these cars are really WHITEHEAD {utomatic Gas Water Heater Sec Your Plumber or the GAS CO. Monel Metal Store Cor. 11th and Eye Sts. N.W. Those Who Wear FALSE TEETH No lonj ter longer does any wearer of false FASTEET! Jack Frost Can't Nip You Polo shirt top — 4 long sleeves — ski FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1936. reciprocated, offered & well-done effort, Lee prominence and became effectively hysterical in the first scene. Other bits worthy of reporting were those of Will Kline, jr., and Margaret Lynch Ward in the roles of Niles’ brother and Althea’s mother, and the contributions of Milton FPreedman, Mary Kramer and Garland Pyles. | —C.AM. GPECIAL S.A.E. 10-20-30-40-50-70 HIGH HEAT-RESISTING QUALITIES | REATER NATURAL DILINESS LASTS LONGER = LONGER (AR LIFE PAINTING You will be surp: ving satisfac- service for 20 years. :F,E}‘P"?S'S. BAYERSON OIL WORKS - COLUMBIA 5228 KAPLOWITZ soth ANNIVERSARY SALE It's the sale of the year at Kaplowitz . . . in which we offer the regular Kaplowitz quality wearables, at especially attractive prices. Tomorrow, the third day, you'll find hundreds of specially priced coats, suits, gowns and dresses. We are particularly featuring Celebrating a Generation of Service 13th Street Between E and F See the New K/B Lynx Collar $79.50 Beaver Trin: $65.00 Raccoon Trim $65.00 Smart Sports $29.75 COAT FASHIONS for the big moment! If you've ever shivered in a grard stand, you'll thank us for discovering CamlIRuff, for this new fabric is made from fine yarns, combined with Camel’s Hair—it will keep you warm and snug. Its long brushed surface is Fashion news, and it combines gorgeously with fur, Choice of semi-dressy casuals with lynx or raccoon, a youthful double-breasted mode! and & beaver trimmed. All as chic for city life as they are for stadium settings. in a wide variety of new Autumn models for juniors and misses — $12.95 R in These Warm-Gay Colored -New—Smartly Styled C'Qanzb/*?air Bal and Tuck Stitch Pajamas and Gowns for Lounging and Sleeping ® They wash in a jiffy ® Need no ironing * Enliven your boudoir 5150 432,00 Tuck Stitch $2.00 Tailored collar— long bottom Blush, Light Blue, Sun- kist. ' PIQUE BAL $2.00 Polo collar slm-—ck?_:z tom trousers, NIUFO — Blush sleeves—ski trousers. Flame, PIQUE BAL Gown with polo neck—Ilong sleeves—ribbed cuff—selt fobric tie. Aqua and Blush, Extra size. $2.50. .. 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