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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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The coordination was supposed to take place on the commission. On the commission was supposed to be the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, the Selective Service head, the head of the Civil Service Commission, because they were going to control the supply of labor for government, and so forth. As a matter of fact, the Civil Service Commission was more useful than many others that came on. The Department of Labor was to be on, as was the Department of Commerce, etc.

The meetings were fairly well attended by the Cabinet members. I practically always went. Bob Patterson, sitting for Stimson, practically always went. Stimson never went. Bob Patterson was the designated person. I think perhaps Stimson came for the first meeting. Forrestal came quite often. Flemming always came for the Civil Service Commission. It was pretty well attended by high level people. I forget who came for Agriculture. I don't think Wickard came. Curiously I can't remember who sat on either side of me. On either side of me were people I liked very much, and I can't remember them.

McNutt made what I thought was a mistake right at the very beginning. This is a mistake that has been made all through the government a good deal and was made in the Federal Security Agency all the time. I keep wondering why the Hoover Commission doesn't put its finger on it as a bad practise. It is the habit of inviting in all sorts of people to sit as an audience, to watch the commission meet and see





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