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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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standing out there?”

Curry telephoned right back in an hour and said, “Why, they think his father is a fine person. Go right ahead.”

The papers were always drawn up before I spoke to Curry. I never let myself blandish Curry unless I had already made up my mind, the papers were all cleared and everything was done. Then I used to “take a credit” as Miss Jay put it (Miss Frances Jurkowitz).

Those things were always acceptable to Al Smith. I talked to Al Smith about these little tricks. He thought they were smart and right. He wanted better people to get in. He wanted the best in the world. But he wanted them to be Democrats. He had great respect for civil service. These Referee jobs were not civil service. They were exempt from that. They were small, judge-like jobs. So we had our free choice. I was always careful not to appoint all Democrats, naturally. There were plenty of Republicans that I had inherited. I didn't have to worry too much about that.

Miss Jay came to work in the Department of Labor in New York as a young girl just out of school. She got into the Secretary's office. He was Irish and her real name, Frances Jurkowitz, was a tongue twister to him. He said, “I'm going to call you Miss Jay.” Then everybody called





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