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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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that any advice they give will be resented by the other side if it's favorable to one side, no matter how just it may be--whereas the Secretary of Labor and the people under the Secretary of Labor can wrangle with them, which is what has to be done, and they can finally come out with something which is reluctantly accepted by both sides.

He agreed pretty well that the President shouldn't take a hand in it. But I said that I thought possibly for this period which I was sure would bring many strikes, perhpas it would be well for him to have someone of whom it wasn't so true that the public was tired of the name. Everybody was tired of my name. “Strike--Perkins intervenes,” and they're tired of that idea. They would like somebody else to intervene.

I said possibly they would like a great strong man to intervene. I remember that he laughed and said, “Well, that's about right. I think that's true. But I don't want you to resign now. Now, that's understood. I don't want you to resign now.”

I said, “Well, just as you say. But I think you're going to want it sometime, and will you promise to let me know, you see, because I don't want to be reluctant on any of these things, or appear to be lingering beyond the point where I'm needed and welcome.”





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