OCR Text |
Show V PROGRESSIVE OPINION - f "BnefitsrSociaTSecurity Could Be Extended Farm Owners and Their Employees, Officials 7 I --J - " I i ' I All Difficulties of Administration Can Be Smoothed Out Wages today are high, and plentiful, and there is a jobs all farm ready market for produce and manufactured goods. Most people probably that the realize, however, present prosperity is a result and that a down-turn of the war, is almost certain to come with peace. There may be no depression, at least not for several years, but the present very high level of activity is not likely to be maintained. But in any case, there comes a time in everyone's We when he has to slow down. Whatever stage the business cycle is in, those who are unable to work get no income. Everyone who has to make his own living must be somewhat concerned about the future. A very large group of wage and salary earners have found a partial answer to these troublesome ques-tions. They are the workers in pri-vate industry and commerce, those in "covered" employment, to whom the old-ag- e and survivors insurance program of the Social Security act applies. These workers are building up rights to monthly insurance payments when they grow old and retire, and for their fami-lies, when death comes to the bread-winner. Others, not so fortunate, look upon the group that has social insur-ance protection somewhat enviously. The Social Security board receives many letters from the professional people, small busi- - demands for maintenance of fer-tility repairs, buying machinery and 'livestock, and so on all re-quire cash, and there is often little left at the year's end to build up a retirement fund. Often, when the farm operator has to quit work, his family is in difficult straits, and may have to depend on public aid or charity. The tenant farmer and the farm laborer generally are in worse cir-cumstances than the man who owns his land, once they have to quit working. With little or no savings, the tenant and the farm hand who cannot earn anything are soon hard up indeed. They and their families suffer humiliation and want. War Changes Things. The war, of course, has made a great difference in the farmers' situ-ation. The incomes of many are double, in some cases treble, what they were before. But the war and perhaps our present prosperity is temporary. Farm people were left out of the social insurance program not be-cause they were thought to be al-ready secure. The reason for ex-cluding them was that in 1935 the program was new and the adminis-trative hurdles looked very high. But now the Social Security board is convinced that old-ag- e and sur-vivors insurance can be adminis-tered for farm people simply, at low cost, and without being unduly troublesome to them. What would it mean to farm operators and farm hands to have this insurance? It would mean the same protection it means already to those who are under the system. A couple of examples will illustrate the protection old-ag- e and survivors insurance offers. Back in 1936, when Harry J. was nearly 60, he got himself a job with a construction company. After eight years, he wanted to stop working and retire to his small place in the U ' 1 Many men are able t Wt, In old age, like this !tllri "T farmer. He knows, Mw' that he wiU have to quit h years, or maybe much soon,. could anticipate a regular -- Social Security checks he to the future with much leS! t"' to the federal government. I with the money he ser.ds s of the amount of wages worker, to be duly entered" " security account in more, Md. On the basis , wage records, the insurscc fits are figured. Farmers Could be fobm Could the system be s; farm people? Farmers are;:: over a very wide area. C:.: premiums be collected v.: :.:: costs of administration rr.::: duly high, considering the amounts paid in? And h;i farmers figure out what miums ought to be, seeL-.- of them don't keep any ir .::! The Social Security to:.--: fident that the extension o; ::: age and survivors insurance to farm people is now tea:.';.: have been devised to overt.-:- ; difficulties. As a basis for de'errr.ir.:-.- : ers social insurance prer. ..: reports they are already the government for inc:. .: . other purposes can be i:;.i F farmer who is not rec .::: income tax returns, wo.:!::.: income on the basis of the :: "market value of his strv:::i doing this he could the wages received by t:; paid farm hand. If he en: labor, the monthly w:;e :;:; farm labor in his lce:. serve. Farmers could pay ; miums at times most co::.:: ;:: themselves. Some " venient to pay a lur -- and others might pnn; four annual quarterly farmers co:'.:p: premiums in social stamps if they chose. buy these currently ai d ;:: : in a social security s'.s"; which could be turned ir, k:t". to time as payment wm premiums. Collections Throujb Sa For farm help, the siar. be best, the board fcr.ii farmer could buy social from any post letter carrier, and inse'i stamp books furniil'.a his workers when be F wages. Half the cost of ties-- would be deducted fro".: '" '; social sec::-;- er's wages as his mium. When the worker's fuU, or at the end of its In validity, he would bnrs - to any office of the bo"' it could be added to b:s r. With the stamp r.ra essary "small" farmer would to keep books or w about the wages of his large farm the s!3,-'- .'.,t country. He hadn't felt he could do so, however, because he wasn't sure he could earn a living from farm-ing his few acres. Upon inquiry he found that his monthly retirement payment would be about $27, since he had earned ah average of $100 a month. His wife, who was also past 65, would get half that much; so that would make the family income over $40 every month, sufficient for their needs. Widow Got $79 a Month. Mr. C. was a newspaper linotype machine operator and had always earned high wages. He hoped to give all five children a good education. The two elder ones were attending the university. Suddenly Mr. C. got pneumonia and died within a week. The widow was left with three children still at school and no in-come save what Mary and Jean could earn by leaving school and taking jobs. She went to the Social Security field office, thinking that perhaps there would be a small lurrip sum going to her, probably be no more than a couple of hundred dollars. She was amazed to learn that she was entitled to monthly payments for herself and the three younger children! She received Young and strong, this Maryland farmer shouldn't need retirement benefit payments for many years unless sickness or an accident should incapacitate him. But the time will come when he will be too old to work. During his good years, he should have a chance to accu-mulate a retirement fund through Social Security. His family too, should be protected under the sur-vivor's benefit provisions. Under present provisions, however, the farm family is excluded from the system. ness men, gas station operators, restaurant keepers, operators of cleaning and pressing shops, of beauty parlors, and so on, wanting to know why they can't get old-ag- e protection. They pay premiums for their employees' insurance, but themselves cannot build up rights to benefits. "Why this discrimina-- . tion?" they ask. "We have no more security than our employees." tufa rtMflry Few From Farmers. Very seldom among these letters from the is there one from a farmer. Yet farmers have fully as much reason to seek social insurance protection as others of the The notion that farmers are an independent and group is no longer true. It is a hangover from earlier times, when most farms were Today farmers are much more vulnerable. They have to buy more and sell more; operating costs are higher, and falling prices often mean serious losses. Then too, sections differ as to agricultural prosperity. North and south, west and middle-we- are widely unlike, while in each there are plenty of spots that present a quite different picture from the rest In 1939, the last year before the war boom," nearly one-ha- of the farm operators in the country had a gross annual money income yield (allowing for food consumed by the ferrn family) of less than $600; two-thir- had less than $1,000, and 89 per cent had under $2 500 It is difficult for farm owners to save much out of these small cash incomes. Even a farmer with an average net income of $2,000 a year finds It hard to put much aside for old age or misfortune. The constant A midwestern farmer smiles with satisfaction as he reads the figures on a check received for his produce. Agricultural income is now two to three times the 1939 level, but this happy situation won't last, econo-mists warn. Unless ,this middle-age- d man is fortunate, however, his savings will dwindle away, and he will face old age without security. about $79 a month under the old-ag- e and survivors insurance program! Mrs. C. is one of 765,000 persons-wor- kers past 65, their aged wives widows, and children and depend- ent parents-w- ho today are receiv-ing monthly payments on account of old-ag- e and survivors insurance To date the system has paid oufnearly half a billion dollars. The mechanics of old-ag- e and sur- vivors insurance are simple. Every Pay day every worker in a covered job pays under present rates, 1 per cent of his wages as a premium on his old-ag- e and survivors insurance, ims is deducted from his his pay by employer, who pays an equa nC r,tlmeS a year the both contributions in could be used Mr casual workers not carr.e- - regular pay roll. form of room and b',':;" "e,; included m like might be ; er's total wage, and on them could be t" .. gathered and publish ; rf.. to time by the depar- t-culture. ,.vt:;" have eu Farm people under the - survivors be included insurance pe claim is all the .tror ,;. many of them are al under the system, in j or in other work, many farm P. ... industry and f, I" cial insurance. ':' ' .R-epayments amount And yet very sum,. ft . get benefits because to covered empjr-o-often enough o monthly payments. ' f,;: farm people un vJ. both r would at once justice to these a big gap m e program. '. '";i'"1 . her 1 ,1 eldcrly woma cashes New v lStbaniInt-surance check In a - sjnce Febr rSS 0Ver 65 "e eII,bto Sen?' f thC beneflts ot Social th l 7 paymcn's, even though under nVC WOrked onIy a short tIm SyStem and have contrib- uted little to the fund. wa'f'.f" TWs New couple .rS' t0 aPP'y f0r m0"thIy HZ T W"ich they "ere entitled Cia' Security system" The checks began to flow out In 1940. i KEEP GOOD GOVERNMENT! "f; Ketain S ' y' Gov. HERBERT ? B. MAW I ,' , Vote in the r Primary July 11 ; " ! Election Nov. 7 I j fr I j . I Lxovernor Herbert B. Maw Because Governor Herbert B. Maw Democratic "Candidate for Reelection has proved 1. He is a friend of the aged needy! 2. He has the interest of Utah at heart! 3. He is a friend of labor! 4. He is back of education! 5. He fully supports agriculture! 6. He is a friend of the common people! Your Vote for Governor Maw is a vote for GOOD GOVERNMENT (Paid Political Ad) by Cornelia B. Johnson Old Age Pensioners, WHY DID MAW VETO SENATE BILL NO. 220? This Bill would have increased monthly allow-ance to Old Ag". Peusioners to $45 per month plus $10 per month for medical aid. STATE SENATOR STANLEY N. CHILD now Candidate for Governor, requested and obtained UNANIMOUS PERMISSION from Both Houses to introduce this Welfare Bill, But MAW VETOED IT! The present maximum allowance of $30 per month, plus $ 10 for medical aid WOULD HAVE MATERIALLY BEEN INCREAS-ED as CHILD REQUESTED, had it not been for the Governor's veto. The Interests of Utah's old people IS A SUBJECT DEAR to STAN CHILD'S Heart -- Your Support Will Be Appreciated CHILD f SINCERE b" DEMOCRA IC ) CANDIDATE F03 'K GOVERNOR K ' . J. i c p- - - : - 1 YOUR FRIEND ir -V A PRIMARY MUST, July iJ.J (Paid Political Ad) ' m si::;!ii:;i;? .,' " V&M mimmti '::::;J:;:SS: M'W. WiM- :' .7. :;''::'';" x'Y' I ' I iiti m-- ' !! iirrMitfHi'ifctf ,ni"j Adam S. Bennion REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE for the UNITED STATES SENATE YOU KNOW THIS MAN and his devotion to Americanism. A Vote for Bennion is a Vote To Preserve Free Speech To Preserve Free Enterprise To Preserve the Constitution and the American way of life, so that our boys and girls who now fight our cause shall not have fought in vain. And so, America will offer to them the freedom you and I have enjoy-ed. Vote July 11, for the Man Who Can Win in November REGISTER JULY 1 Paid political advertisement by: Abe Barker, Taylorsville, Ut. Mr.andMrs.UtahVoters! You VOTE For Yourself When You Vote Fori I FEWER- - rx MORE-- Taxes ; i Freedom Bureaus rt Highways Commissions - Fish & Game Regulations " s J ' Industry Oppressions " v ' f Agriculture NoSslesTax ' Labor J. Bracken Lee For GOVERNOR j ON THE REPUBLICAN TICKET J'Let's Return to the American Way of Living'! INVESTIGATE HIS RECORD OF I II HEAR ACHEIVEMENT 1 Inter-M- t. Net Work-Jul- y 7-9:- 15 p.m i J. BRACKEN LEE kuta - - --July 9,-8:- 45 P.m V 1 KSL 10,-10:- 15 1 Qyj - - --July p.m REGISTER, JULY 1st VOTE JULY ELEVENTH j I (Paid Political Ad by Bon Ilobart I l per cent of your Income War Bonds will help to tTcn the planes and tanks will insure defeat of and his Axis partners. |