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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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carryings-on. Be just as calm and quiet as possible, but don't give them anything. Don't concede them anything and don't dispute anything. Just let them scream. Don't give a screamer any satisfaction.

I remember saying that to these people whom I was asking to stick it out with me that day. They laughed about it, and often have since.

It worked. The delegation stayed all day long. I had to keep coming in and out of the room. Turner was getting paler and paler, but he stayed there all the time. Nobody adjourned for lunch, Along about one o'clock this woman from the Daily Worker said, “We'll ask you for an adjournment so that these poor women can have something to eat.”

I said, “No adjournment is necessary. I shall sit here consistently. There'll be no adjournment. There's nothing to adjourn. When you get ready to tell me what your grievance is, what your problem is, in an orderly way, then I will see what we can do about it, but I'll stay right here. You may got out if you wish to, but you won't come back. The room will be locked and that will be the end of the hearing.” So they didn't go out in a body. They went out piece-meal to get a bit to eat, but we stayed right there.





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