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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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committees I appointed, but there were a number. The first year we got several code committees set up. Of course, we always had two problems that were very difficult.

One was how to adopt a code to cover two sets of buildings that had so far not been covered by the law, but which the Board had the power to regulate under the law by the codes. One of these were buildings not more than one story high - that means two floors, with only one means of exit. Under the law they were exempt from the strict application of the law, but were under regulation by the Industrial Board which might make rules and regulations to make them places of safety for people to work in. It had been a difficult question because there were so many of those in the upstate areas. All kinds of situations prevailed. Sometimes the occupancy was light, sometimes heavy. Some of them were quite reasonably safe, some of them were unsafe. Nobody ever wanted to regulate them because there was always such a wide dispersion of ownership and so many people who could complain.

We set out on this business. I had a code committee set up and we finally issued a regulation on that kind of building. It was very hard work to do it and took a lot of fighting and a lot of scheming right in the committee, on our own Board and in our own advisory committees. But we got something.





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