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Notable New     Yorkers
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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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of New York the garment trades don't amount to a row of pins. Just remember that. They haven't any influence.” At that time they hadn't even organized outside. They had some organization in Chicago, but that was just one city. Politically they didn't amount to anything. Although they had a big organization in Chicago it wasn't enough to be of any consequence politically, whereas in New York City, because of the large Jewish population and because this Amalgamated Garment Workers was basically and originally a Jewish organization, and its officers were largely Jewish, it had great influence in the Jewish community, which meant that it had political influence in the Jewish community. We were accustomed to that in New York. We were accustomed to their having strikes and its all being written up in the paper, their going to Albany, seeing the Governor, the Governor intervening and appointing an arbitrator. They were used to that kind of legalistic proceeding.

At any rate, Hillman was buzzing around in a rather pompous style in the early days of the convention, talking to selected persons, making a great point of seeing Henry Wallace and some others who were Vice Presidential candidates for breakfast, or for lunch, or going to the headquarters.





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