Home
Search transcripts:    Advanced Search
Notable New     Yorkers
Select     Notable New Yorker

Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
Photo Gallery
Transcript

Part:         Session:         Page of 915

wrote a memorandum, an obiter dictum, which was a very critical comment upon the procedure of the AAA, pointing out that this was no way to handle the delegated legislative authority, that the person regulated by the AAA was not guaranteed a fair hearing, a fair trial, or a fair consideration of his problems, and this constituted in itself a defect which could only be corrected by proper procedure. They then went on to say what proper procedure was, though not in great detail. The fixing of the terms and conditions which had been granted to the administrator by the Congress was not to be done arbitrarily, or fancifully, but on the basis of facts which were presented on open trial, collected by proper authorities, and known to all persons affected. People affected would be noticed, hearings would be held and no changes would be made without the notification of the interested and affected public for a reasonable period of time before the ruling took effect.

I remember when Charlie Wyzanski came bearing this Supreme Court decision down to me, with his face beaming. He said, “Miss Perkins, you were right, you were right. Now you can be glad you stuck to your guns on these things. You were absolutely right. How did you know so much about the theory of administrative law?”





© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help