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practically every code - stir them up, stimulate them to reopen their codes and raise their wages in each industry as much as the traffic would bear or as the circumstances warranted.

So I cooperated in getting the rally going and in getting people to speak. We had some material prepared in the Department of Labor that was appropriate and should be reported to the rally. I tried to persuade the President not to go. At first he said he wouldn't go. After having told Hugh he would, he telephoned him he wouldn't go. He just thought it wasn't a good idea and thought it was much better for him (Hugh) to make any announcements. But Hugh continued to hammer at him and I continued to hammer against it.

Finally Hugh got to Harry Hopkins. I don't remember just how Harry had come in on this. He was administering the WPA by this time and saw the President frequently. Hugh sold to Harry the idea that wages had to be raised, that it was too slow to do it by the code committees, and that it ought to be done by Presidential proclamation. He also sold Harry the idea that it would be a good idea for the President to do it politically. It would be good for the President.

Anyhow, Harry was rather quick to take hold of things