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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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It's compulsory, but the powers to proceed against them if they didn't have it, or to do anything to them, were very feeble. I caused an investigation to be made - one of these spot-check, hurry-up investigations. We had factory inspectors do this. I haven't yet begun to discuss the other side of the Labor Department which dealt with the enforcement of the factory law, factory inspection, the making of codes, rules and regulations and so forth. We borrowed factory inspectors from that side of the house and put them on to making a quick inspection of workmen's compensation coverage. They could do it very easily because they were going into places anyhow.

Of course a great many employers were not factories and not mercantile establishments under the meaning of the law - all these trucking companies, carrying companies and all sorts of small things such as window cleaners, which was one of the most hazardous jobs in the world. We found lots of them that didn't carry compensation. They'd just risk it. They'd take a chance that there wouldn't be an accident.

We got support in the Associated Industries for this. These people in the Associated Industries were all law-abiding people. The law required you to carry workmen's compensation and you did. They didn't believe in any of this fly-by-night stuff, of which there was plenty in New York State. They





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