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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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to be appropriate representative elements of society. We got no come-back, or perhaps some very trifling comment from the National Association of Manufacturers, but no serious comment. The NAM did not object to the Walsh-Healey Act, or at least said they didn't.

But then very early we got a case - Lukens Steel Company. At any rate, there was a government contract that was about to be let. We then had an Office of Procurement, which was located in the Treasury. Christian J. Peoples was head of that office. He had been an Admiral, was now retired from the Navy and was now head of this office. He had been head of this office for a long time. All government purchases were made through his office. It's not done that way now.

The Procurement Officer knew of the law, and so we had to fix the wages, hours, prohibition of child labor, no night work for women, all this kind of thing on the contract. We fixed what we thought was the prevailing rate of wages on this contract. He gave us ample notice that this contract was going to be let, notice of a couple of months. I had an investigation made as to the prevailing rate of wages in the area where this work was to be done. It was a manufacturing contract and they were going to let bids on it. The terms of the





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