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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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Taylor came prepared to be reasonable and friendly, merely because he knew somebody who knew me - that curious social introduction, a kind of social guarantee that you were all right, you weren't trying to ruin anything. It's very strange the way that works. If they know somebody, well they will be friends.

Taylor finally became very intelligent on it. With Taylor's help I got Johnson to talk seriously with Frank Persons and me. Frank Persons was to be the head of the Public Employment Service. We discussed how we would get jobs for veterans, how we would improve the service, and so forth. Finally Johnson came around and said okay.

That must have happened in '33 or very early '34. From that time on, although he had glowered at me in he beginning, Johnson was as good as his word. He said to all the veterans' assemblies. “This Public Employment Service is all right.” We promised that there would be a veteran's representative in every office of the employment service and that we would consult with him about the selection of veterans. They would have to be civil service, but we wouldn't choose anybody who was known to be ant-veteran to be a veterans' representative. Anyhow, Johnson became convinced that we would do it right, said so, and ceased fighting us on that.





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