bank. And you know what? My wife will be 65 very soon and she'll get half as much as I get even though she has never worked outside our home."

This has been just one of the experiences in our local office as a result of the retirement-test provision in the new Social Security law which became effective January 1 of this year.

It has occurred to us that we might be able to pass on to other local office employees some helpful thoughts based on our efforts to tell the public about Old-Age and Survivors Insurance.

Our office in East Los Angeles was the first in California to put in a special exhibit to let the public know about Old-Age and Survivors Insurance. With the help of the Los Angeles district office of the Social Security Administration we had an effective display and literature to be distributed to interested persons.

We quickly discovered that the public was eager to read about OASI. Many young applicants took the literature not only for their own information but also to give the older members of their families.

Not one piece of literature was ever found discarded in the lobby or on the sidewalk. We learned that people who seek jobs are hungry for information on Old-Age and Survivors Insurance!

Increase Effective for September

The increase in payments provided in the 1954 amendments to the law were effective for September 1954. This article will not attempt to outline the new revisions to the law, but literature on the subject is available in any district office of the Bureau of Old Age and Survivors Insurance. It would be worth-while reading for every local office employee. Do you know for example, that veteransthose who have never worked in industry-are credited with $160 for each month of active military service from September 1940 through June 1955? If the veteran dies insured, his widow and children may, regardless of age, receive monthly OASI checks; the benefits in some cases could be based on the military service alone.

even

Do you know that under the new law, widows, widowed mothers, children, or parents of any person who died after 1939 and prior to September 1, 1950 and who had at least six calendar quarters of coverage may be entitled to benefits now, even though they were not previously eligible?

Do you know that in the course of a year 10 million more workers are covered under the amendments to the Social Security Act effective January 1, 1955? And that 9 out of 10 workers-including many government, farm, and household employees-are now in jobs covered by the program?

Do you know that most self-employed people are covered?

Do you know that you yourself, as a State employee, may be covered? (Of course you do!) And that even though you already have a State retirement plan, you can add OASI benefits to it if a majority in your State employee system so elect?

Do you know that many children, widows, parents, and even some men (dependent widowers) who have never worked may be entitled under the survivor provisions of OASI?

You will find that it pays to be well informed on OASI. It's a necessary part of counseling, information counter work, unemployment insurance work, and straight placement work. OASI, Unemployment Insurance, and Public Assistance are all part of the same setup; one benefits the retired insured worker, his dependents, or his survivors; one benefits the jobless insured worker; and one benefits certain groups of needy persons-the aged, the blind, the disabled, and children.

Hardly a day goes by in our office that we do not get questions about OASI. Questions which come to us cannot be answered properly without leaflets or booklets to give to the public and to read ourselves!

Some people say "I'm not retired, I don't want to file for Social Security, I want a job." They mean that they are not at present working but are actively seeking work. Under the new law, they may earn up to $1,200 annually (unlimited after 72d birthday) and still be eligible to collect OASI benefits. Yes—eligible to receive payments for all months of the year!

If a worker earns over $1,200 (both covered and noncovered work are counted now) he may not be eligible to receive payments in all months of the year unless he is 72 years of age.

There is another interesting point the public may not know. A widow who was not eligible for benefits at the time her husband died, because she had no child of his in her care, may start getting benefits when she reaches age 65.

But we can't cover it all here. Call your local OASI district office and ask them to make up some of their excellent displays and supplies of literature for your office. You'll probably find them helpful, informative, and delighted to cooperate, just as we did when we asked the Los Angeles District Office to arrange our exhibit.

The public will thank you, too, for if it weren't for OASI there would be many senior citizens, even those really unable to work, looking for jobs because of financial pressure.

Certainly everyone in the local office should know OASI ("Social Security").

In the August Issue . . .

20 Years of

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

In the United States

U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1955

HE International Labor Organization opened

Tits 38th annual conference at the Palace of

Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 1. Delegates representing government, workers, and employers from most of the ILO's 70 member countries were in attendance.

Among the problems considered by the general conference were measures for the vocational rehabilitation of millions of disabled persons throughout the world.

Introduced for consideration was a draft Recom

mendation outlining a series of measures to develop and restore the working ability of disabled persons both to meet the individual employment needs of the disabled and to use the manpower resources of each country to the best advantage.

For the purpose of the Recommendation, the term "disabled person" means an individual whose prospects of securing and retaining suitable employment are seriously reduced as a result of physical or mental impairment.

The proposed Recommendation noted that there are many and varied problems concerning those who suffer disability and that it is essential that such persons should be restored to the fullest possible physical, mental, social, vocational, and economic usefulness of which they are capable. It urged that vocational rehabilitation services should be made available to all disabled persons whatever the origin and nature of their disability and whatever their age so long as they can be prepared for, and have reasonable prospects of, securing and retaining suitable employment.

The idea behind the Recommendation is that the world's disabled—whether disabled through wars, accidents, illness, or birth-need not necessarily be a burden to society and to themselves and may, through being employed, not only become selfsupporting but perform a useful role in the economy.

The draft instrument outlined principles and methods of vocational guidance, vocational training, and placement of disabled persons, administrative organization, methods of enabling disabled persons to make full use of rehabilitation services, cooperation between medical and vocational rehabilitation services, and methods of widening employment opportunities for disabled persons. It urged the use of vocational rehabilitation services to overcome, in training or employment, discrimination against persons with disabilities not

related to their working capacity. It also recommended that disabled persons should receive equal pay for work equal to that of nondisabled workers.

The Recommendation suggested that wherever appropriate in the national circumstances, and consistent with national policy, three measures should be taken to promote employment of disabled persons: (1) Reserving certain designated occupations for the disabled; (2) insuring that seriously disabled persons are given preference for employment in certain occupations considered of cooperatives of disabled persons and facilitating suitable for them; and (3) encouraging the creation their operation.

It also recommended the organization of employment under sheltered conditions for those disabled persons who cannot be made fit for ordinary competitive employment.

The draft contained special provisions for disabled children and young persons so that they might overcome occupational and psychological handicaps and receive vocational preparation best suited to their age, abilities, aptitudes, and interests.

Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell presented a message from President Eisenhower to the meeting of the conference of the ILO in Geneva.

Before leaving Washington, Secretary Mitchell commented on the worthwhile work of the ILO. I believe that the ILO has a unique place in the world today. Because of its tripartite nature it brings to the surface many issues involving the working conditions and living standards of working men and women throughout the world which otherwise would remain buried. Through its technical assistance programs, of which there are now 300 in various parts of the world, the ILO can contribute greatly to the development of strong, free, and independent countries. It can make the new young countries of the world strong enough to withstand the pressures of tyranny and aggression. I think it is a great force for peace.

Specifically this year the conference is going to study and make recommendations concerning vocational rehabilitation of the disabled, the problems of migrant workers throughout the world, vocational training in agriculture, welfare facilities, and penal sanctions for breach of contract. Although few of these matters have any direct bearing on the United States, it is to our definite selfinterest to work to strengthen the underdeveloped countries of the world. And one of the best ways to do this, in my opinion, is through the ILO.