Recent Publications in the Field of Social Security* General EIRE. DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GovERNMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH. Report, 1944-1945. Dublin: The Stationery Office, 1946. 299 pp. (P. No. 7772.) 3s. 6d. Includes sections on public health, public assistance, national health insurance, and widows' and orphans' pensions. JUNIOR, A. F. CESARINO. "El Derecho Social en la Nueva Constitución Brasileña." Previsión Social, Santiago de Chile, Vol. 14, Apr.-June 1947, pp. 155-165. A brief analysis of the social provisions of the Brazilian Constitution of September 18, 1946. MOURA, GASTAO QUARTIN PINTO DE. "Aspectos Atuariais da Previdencia Social." Revista do I. R. B. (Instituto de Resseguros de Brasil), Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 8, June 1947, cols. 155-178. The work of the actuary and the bases of actuarial science, considered in relation to social security. Includes comment on the question of reserve funds. NEW ZEALAND. SOCIAL SECURITY DEPARTMENT. Report for the Twelve Months Ended 31st March 1947. Wellington: E. V. Paul, Govt. Printer, 1947. 13 pp. 6d. "Recent Trends in Employe Pension and Welfare Programs." Journal of Commerce and Commercial, New York, Vol. 212, June 16, 1947. Second section. $1. Contains article by William L. Mitchell on A Decade of Social Security-What's Ahead? SLETTO, RAYMOND F. "Index Numbers for Social Security Program Analysis." American Sociological Review, Washington, Vol. 12, No. 4, Aug. 1947, pp. 424-429. $1. The four indexes presented are “in • The inclusion of prices of publications in this list is intended as a service to the reader, but any orders must be directed to publishers or booksellers and not to the Social Security Administration or the Federal Security Agency. Federal publications for which prices are listed should be ordered from the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. tended to facilitate analysis of trends in social security payments and to assist in the study of regional patterns of payment." "Social Insurance Scheme in Colombia." International Labour Review, Geneva, Vol. 55, June 1947, pp. 577580. 50 cents. WOOFTER, THOMAS JACKSON. "Probabilities of Death in Closed Population Groups Illustrated by Probabilities of Death of White Fathers After Birth of Children." Reprinted from Human Biology, Baltimore, Vol. 18, Sept. 1946. 17 pp. Retirement and Old Age "La Caja de Previsión de Empleados Particulares en 1945." Previsión Social, Santiago de Chile, Vol. 14, Apr.-June 1947, pp. 166–173. A detailed statistical analysis of the 1945 operations of the Chilean private salaried employees' retirement system, which had 100,000 members at the end of that year. New THE CHURCH PENSION FUND. Twentyninth Annual Report, 1946. York: The Fund, 1947 (?). 71 pp. Data on retirement pensions for clergymen in the Protestant Episcopal Church in this country. "Insurance for Industrial Workers in Argentina; Compulsory Pension Insurance Scheme." International Labour Review, Geneva, Vol. 55, June 1947, pp. 580–582. 50 cents. SCHOCK, N. W. "Older People and Their Potentialities for Gainful Employment." Journal of Gerontology, Springfield, Ill., Vol. 2, Apr. 1947, pp. 93-101. $1.50. Recommends research to determine the performance potentialities of older people and programs for utilizing them in the national econmy. VILA ALIAGA, BERNARDINO. "Ley de Seguridad Social Boliviana; Aspectos Actuariales y Tecnicos." Previsión Social, Santiago de Chile, Vol. 14, Apr.-June 1947, pp. 125-138. A study of the Bolivian bill of 1943, which was prepared on the basis of calculations by Emil Schoenbaum. The author, the actuary of the Chilean civil-service retirement fund, gives special attention to the Bolivian proposals for government employees. WEIL, JULIUS. "Changing Trends in the Care of the Aged." Journal of Gerontology, Springfield, Ill., Vol. 2, Apr. 1947, pp. 148-155. $1.50. Discusses care of the aged with reference to their emotional as well as physical needs. Employment Security INTERNATIONAL LABOR OFFICE. COAL MINES COMMITTEE. General Report. Geneva: The Office, 1947. 83 pp. 50 cents. Deals with 1946 developments in the coal-mining industry-the European Coal Organization, the nationalization programs in Great Britain and France, and the miners' strike in the United States. INTERNATIONAL LABOR OFFICE. COAL MINES COMMITTEE. Utilization of the Resources of the Coal Mining Industry. Geneva: The Office, 1947. 159 pp. $1. A part of the ILO inquiry "into the economic, social and technical resources of the coal mining industry." Gives information on world production and on current social policy in the leading coal-producing nations. INTERNATIONAL LABOR OFFICE. INLAND TRANSPORT COMMITTEE. Employment in Inland Transport. Geneva: The Office, 1947. 62 pp. 35 cents. Employment data for 16 countries. Also considers employment trends and recruitment of workers, vocational training, and unemployment insurance. NEW YORK STATE. WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION BOARD. Accident Hazards and Costs in the Construction Industry. (Research and Statistics Bulletin No. 2-1947.) New York: The Board, June 1947. 45 pp. One of a series of industry-wide analyses based on workmen's claims. "Post-War Manpower Problems in Europe." International Labour Review, Geneva, Vol. 55, June 1947, pp. 485-511. 50 cents. Gives an over-all picture of the manpower difficulties confronting European countries and of the measures being taken to overcome them. 48 U. S. WOMEN'S BUREAU. Industrial Injuries to Women. Washington: U. S. Govt. Print. Off., 1947. 20 pp. (Bulletin No. 212.) 10 cents. Analysis of the frequency of injuries to women in various industries. Public Welfare and Relief ALBERTA. CANADA. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE. Second Annual Report . . . for the Fiscal Year Ending 31st March, 1946. Edmonton: The Department, 1947. 52 pp. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS. Personnel Practices in Social Work. New York: The Association, Sept. 1946. 19 pp. 25 cents. States briefly the principles and standards recommended by the Association. GREAT BRITAIN. MINISTRY OF HEALTH. Persons in Receipt of Poor Relief, 1946. London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1947. 33 pp. 9d. HAGOOD, MARGARET JARMAN. Farm Operator Family Level of Living Indexes for Counties of the United States, 1940 and 1945. Washington: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Agricultural Economics, May 1947. 42 pp. Processed. HOEY, JANE M. "Social Security." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, New York, Vol. 17, Apr. 1947, pp. 426-432. $6 a year. LEIGH, AMY. "Public Welfare in British Columbia." Public Welfare, Chicago, Vol. 5, Aug. 1947, pp. 170-172. 50 cents. Discusses the advantages to British Columbia of an integrated administration of all public welfare services. MCMILLEN, WAYNE. "Unions in So cial Work." The Compass, New York, Vol. 28, July 1947, pp. 6-10. $1 a year. The American Association of Social Workers supports the right of social workers to bargain collectively through unions. "Medical Social Casework With Private Patients." Bulletin (American Association of Medical Social Workers), Vol. 20, Sept. 1947, entire issue. Shows the contribution of the medical social case worker to the total care of private patients and recommends that thought be given to the place of these workers in group practice and in insurance plans. Health and Medical Care BACKER, K. H. "Medical Organization in Denmark: General Practice." British Medical Journal Supplement, London, No. 4513, July 5, 1947, pp. 2–5. 1s. 6d. Gives an account of the general practitioner and specialist services that members of the sickness benefits clubs receive and comments on the administrative arrangements between the doctors and the clubs. BANG, OLE. "Medical Organization in Denmark: Hospitals." British Medical Journal Supplement, London, No. 4512, June 28, 1947, pp. 155-158. 1s. 6d. A survey of the hospitals in Denmark, showing number, type, financing, and administration. Includes a summary of the Hospital Act of 1946. COMMISSION ON HOSPITAL CARE. Hospital Care in the United States; a Study of the Function of the General Hospital, Its Role in the Care of All Types of Illness, and the Conduct of Activities Related to Patient Service, With Recommendations for Its Extension and Integration . . . New York: The Commonwealth Fund, 1947. 631 pp. $4.50. "A source book of basic information and suggestions." Examines the organization of general hospital service and suggests ways in which it may be made more effective, methods of extending hospital care to more people, and the means by which the need for hospital facilities can be determined. In the chapter on the financing of hospital service, the Commission recognizes that the charges for hospital care "are often beyond the ability of the average individual to pay at the time he needs the service" and recommends that a systematic means "be found for distributing hospital costs equitably over all the population." The use of general tax funds to purchase care for indigent patients, and the extension of voluntary nonprofit prepayment plans until "some other more satisfactory and comprehensive means is developed" are among other proposals made by the Commission. "Conclusiones del Primer Congreso Médico Social Panamericano." Boletin Médico Social, Santiago de Chile, Vol. 14, Jan.-Mar. 1947, pp. 75-80. The findings of the first Pan American Congress of Social Medicine, held in Havana, December 3-10, 1946; includes recommendations on social insurance. GREAT BRITAIN. EXCHEQUER AND AUDIT tals, Chicago, Vol. 21, Sept. 1947, pp. 59-61. 30 cents. QUEVEDO, ARTURO. "Health Insurance: Its Place in a Comprehensive Social Security Program." American Economic Security, Washington, Vol. 4, June-July 1947, pp. 14-17. 15 cents. (Also available as a pamphlet from the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security.) Argues that programs and proposals for compulsory health insurance should be "replaced by a comprehensive and well-planned public health and social assistance program designed to achieve the basic objective of providing a minimum of health protection." RESEARCH COUNCIL FOR ECONOMIC SE CURITY. Disability: Who Makes up the Great Army of Disabled? Chicago: The Council, 1947. 11 pp. (Publication No. 31.) An analysis of the extent and cost of disabling illness. RICHMOND, CLARA. "The Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York." Public Health Nursing, New York, Vol. 39, Aug. 1947, pp. 393-397. 45 cents. Describes the nursing services pro vided. "12th Pan-American Sanitary Conference; Resolution on Health and Social Insurance." International Labour Review, Geneva, Vol. 55, June 1947, pp. 583-584. 50 cents. U. S. WOMEN'S BUREAU. Maternity Benefits Under Union Contract Health Insurance Plans. Washington: U. S. Govt. Print. Off., 1947. 19 pp. (Bulletin No. 214.) 10 cents. "Analyzes the experience of women under eight plans and tries to evaluate the benefits they received in relation to the costs they incurred.” WALGREN, ARVID. "Some Aspects of the Medical Profession in Sweden." Journal of Pediatrics, St. Louis, Mo., Vol. 30, Mar. 1947, pp. 361-368. Describes the education of physicians and the role of the three typesthe health officers, private practitioners, and those connected with the public hospitals-in the general medical care picture. U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1947 Volume 10 November 1947 -John G. Winant, 1889–1947 The death of John G. Winant on November 3, 1947, brought to an end a long and distinguished career. As first Chairman of the Social Security Board, from August 23, 1935, to September 30, 1936, his devotion to the ideals of the social security program and his earnest efforts to further its development were an inspiring example of public service. The same high concept of public duty dictated his resignation from the Board during the 1936 Presidential campaign, when the Social Security Act was under attack by the political party he represented on the Social Security Board. He felt that only as a private citizen could he be free to take an active part in defending the act, which he characterized as "the most constructive piece of social legislation that has been enacted in the United States in our lifetime." Throughout his years of public activity, Mr. Winant proved himself "a citizen of the great republic of humanity at large"-a phrase of George Washington's that he often quoted. He believed that economic security was essential to a just and lasting peace and, no less, that there could be no social security without international security and peace. After service overseas in the Army Air Corps during the First World War, when he rose from private to captain and was cited for gallantry under fire, Mr. Winant was three times elected Governor of New Hampshire. During his governorship he initiated a program of social legislation that included old-age assistance, minimum wages, and emergency relief measures. In April 1935 he became Assistant Director of the International Labor Office, resigning that post to become Chairman of the Social Security Board. After his resignation from the Board he again served first as Assistant Director and then Director of the International Labor Office. As Ambassador to Britain from 1941 until his resignation in 1946 and also as American representative on the European Advisory Council, Mr. Winant worked with unflagging and selfless devotion to further the ultimate victory of the Allied cause and to lay the foundations for a just and lasting peace. Both as official representative of his country and as a trusted friend of Britain and the British people, he made an inestimable contribution during the long war years in advancing understanding and maintaining the firm bonds between the two de mocracies. Number 11 On the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, to which he was appointed first United States representative, he continued to labor for international social justice as, after the First World War, he had worked to bring about a greater measure of social security in this country. Perhaps the best expression of his lifelong creed is contained in what he wrote to President Roosevelt when he resigned as Chairman of the Social Security Board: "Having seen the tragedy of war, I have been consistently interested in the ways of peace. Having seen some of the cruelties of the depression, I have wanted to help with others in lessening the hardships, the suffering, and the humiliations forced upon American citizens because of our previous failure as a nation to provide effective social machinery for meeting the problems of dependency and unemployment. The Social Security Act is America's answer to this great human need... No work I have ever undertaken seemed more worth while to me than my brief service on the Social Security Board. May I thank you for the opportunity of this service and join you in defending it." October 25. week to week. The divergent trends in initial and continued claims during most of October reflected the temporary nature of much of the new unemployment giving rise to claims during the month. For example, workers laid off as the result of shortages of materials in some industries filed initial claims but were reemployed before they found it necessary to file many continued claims. The decreases in compensable claims were pronounced in most of the industrial States. The rise in Michigan was due largely to the temporary lay-offs in the automobile industry. Preliminary claims data for November for a number of these States indicate September in Review As employment and production continued on a high level during September, particularly in the construction and food-processing industries, the downward movement in claims and benefit activities of State unemployment insurance systems also continued. The decline in continued claims from the week ended September 6 through the week ended October 4, 1947, was more pronounced than in the corresponding period in 1946, indicating that the improvement in em ployment has been more than seasonal in some industries. Initial claims dropped to a new monthly low for the year. The average weekly number of beneficiaries decreased for the third consecutive month, and the amount expended for benefits-$59.6 millionrepresented the smallest amount for any month of 1947. MORE THAN 1.9 million persons were receiving old-age and survivors insurance benefits at the end of September, at a monthly rate of $36.7 million. The 49,500 monthly benefits awarded exceeded the August total by 7.5 percent. During the quarter ended June 30 an estimated 39.8 million workers were employed in covered industries; this figure was slightly more than 4 percent higher than in the corresponding quarter of 1946 and 5 percent above the wartime peak reached in the third quarter of 1943. Total taxable wages, estimated at $20.9 billion, were 17 percent above the $17.8 billion paid in the second quarter of 1946, and average taxable wages rose from an estimated $469 to $528. During the same period the number of employers reporting taxable wages rose from 2.5 million to 2.7 million. GENERAL ASSISTANCE case loads went down slightly in September, as in the preceding 6 months, but in the other three programs the number of recipients continued to increase moderately. Increases in average monthly payments in all four programs brought total disbursements for the country as a whole to $125.9 million, or $932,000 more than in August. During the fiscal year 1946-47 the total amount expended for assistance for all four programs combined was equivalent to a national average of $9.68 per inhabitant, the highest average in the history of the public assistance programs. In terms of purchasing power, however, $9.68 represented one-fifth less than the $7.87 per inhabitant spent in 1940. Inter-American Conference on Social Security The Inter-American Conference on Social Security held its second session at Rio de Janeiro from November 10 to 22, under the auspices (Continued on page 46) Employment Security and the Future By Arthur J. Altmeyer* Shortly before making the address from which this article is drawn, the Commissioner for Social Security had spent several months in Geneva, on leave from the Social Security Administration, as Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the United Nations International Refugee Organization. Against the background of that experience, which gave him a heightened awareness of the meaning of social security in countries struggling to establish a democratic form of government amid the political and economic insecurity of postwar Europe, Mr. Altmeyer outlines recent developments in this country in achieving the objectives of a broad program of employment security as an integral part of social security. TO ONE JUST BACK from overseas the contrast between the United States and Europe is striking, particularly when one is transported in a few hours from a continent of hungry, unhappy people living amid widespread devastation and demoralization to a country with an abundance of the good things of life. But despite the destruction all about one in Europe, it is inspiring to realize that all countries that are attempting to establish a democratic form of government are united in their desire to build or expand their social security programs. They are all convinced that a unified, comprehensive social security program is essential to the democratic way of life. To give economic and social security to people when they are unemployed or ill or old, when the wage earner of the family dies, or when other accident or catastrophe strikes a family, is one of the major cornerstones of the United Nations and the new life that is being rebuilt in Europe. My European experience made me aware, as no amount of study and training could, of the international aspects of social security. Though that program develops in different ways in the different countries, as it should if it is to make its maximum contribution to the security of the people, and though it takes different legislative forms in response to the constitutional structure and the mores *Commissioner for Social Security. This article is drawn from an address made at the Twelfth Annual Meeting of the Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies, Hot Springs, Arkansas, September 30, 1947. of the country, everywhere I found the social security program moving toward complete coverage of the population against the inevitable risks of living-unemployment, old age, and illness. In our own way we, too, are moving toward greater coordination of the social security programs. While our progress in covering the risk of illness is slow, two States already have a program of temporary disability insurance coordinated with their unemployment insurance program. Interrelations of the Social Security Programs Many of the States are actively interested in expanding their unemployment insurance programs to cover temporary disability and I say, "More power to you." The closeness of the unemployment and temporary disability insurance programs was recognized by Congress when it permitted employee contributions collected for unemployment insurance purposes to be used for temporary disability insurance and when it permitted the funds accumulated in the railroad account of the unemployment trust fund to be used for a similar purpose. But coordination of unemployment insurance and temporary disability insurance must include also coordination with a permanent disability insurance program. The eventual establishment of permanent disability insurance as part of the old-age and survivors insurance program, which the Social Security Administration has consistently recommended, demands coordination of both temporary dis ability and permanent disability insurance. Both programs require the use of medical certification and rehabilitation programs, which are part of the basic responsibility of the Federal Security Agency. Even before temporary disability programs were enacted, the employment security program was strongly linked with other aspects of the social security program. Both old-age and survivors insurance and unemployment insurance cover largely the same employments, and the movement toward greater uniformity of coverage should continue. Both programs have close administrative relationships in the exchange of information on newly subject employers, proper industrial classification of employers, and preparation of benchmark data for estimates of employment and wages. A few States have successfully used old-age and survivors insurance wage data for determining unemployment insurance benefit rights, and in obtaining wage data from employers subject to the State unemployment insurance law many States have used a report form identical with that used for old-age and survivors insurance. Such coordination simplifies the reporting burden for employers, makes the program more easily understood by workers, and strengthens the entire social security program, Federal and State. Employment security has close relationships with public assistance also. Since both are Federal-State programs administered by the Social Security Administration, they have been subject to a single set of personnel merit-system standards and in many ways to a single set of fiscal standards. Such devices simplify Federal-State relations and make for ease and economy of administration. Moreover, all the social insurance programs have common concepts and administrative and financial interrelationships that need continual review, revision, and coordination in the light of changing economic and social conditions. The costs of one programold-age and survivors insurance, unemployment insurance, temporary or total disability insurance-must always be weighed in relation to the costs of the other programs, for only by such coordination can the social se |