New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-21
Miss Perkins Saws
Industry Must Be
Adapted TO Women
Finds Moral i'm Unusually
Large Blotter i'm Office of
State Commission; She
Cannot Reach the InkwelI

Miss Frances Perkins, newly ap-
pointed member of the State lndustri-
al Commission, chose new green
biottcr ON a mahogany desk to point
an industrial moral yesterday after
noon.
She had trouble with this blottcr
on her first day in her new office,
at 23o Fifth Avenue. The trouble
was that the blottcr was so large that
she could not reach the inkwell in
the far side of it. Her first days
work consisted, she said, of sign
ing her name to a great many Off
clal documents, and every time she
dipped her pen in that far away ink
well she had to stretch her whole
body
81 shall have p smaller blotter to-
morrow" she said, My predecessor,
evidently, had longer arms than |
have
The moral of his az piled to all WON
en- in industry.
Adapt Machinery to Women
'This is an example of the kind of
adjustment that must be made in in
dustry everywhere for women's COM
Tort said the new Commissioner
There is no reason why women should
become overfatigued in industry, if the
machinery is adapted to their stature.
even believe that it would be
possible to have seats for all
women workers, provided the seq
was designed with the machin-
cry in the beginning Naturally,
| 70 +, no,
term of office. 1t is merely the answer
TO the people who object to women i'll
industry on the ground of their phys
ical disabilities. We cannot adapt
women to machinery; if we do it kills
the women. but we can adapt machin-
cry TO women"
Miss Perkins said she had always
been firm believer in women in indus
try, and she did not believe women
would return to the inferior places in
the business world which they had
war worker, however, must step aside
temporarily for the returning soldier,
she thought.
Must Return Soldiers to Jobs
THE returned soldier has the first
right to the job" she said "Thc coun
try owes it TO the men it sent away to
life from which it called them.
81 do not see, however, that there
need be any great conflict between the
woman worker and the soldier who held
her job before the war. There ought
to be room enough for both.
IL believe there will be a boom in
industry within the next few months.
The equipment of the world is worn
out. For four years there has been
less than normal production, and now
we must catch up with those years.
We need new clothes. new furniture,
new machinery and rolling stock. The
demand for manufactured products all
over the world is going to be very
great"
Favors Womens Programme Bills
Miss Perkins said she was heartily
IN favor of the "women's programm 20
bills now before the Legislature in AL
bany imposing restrictions as to hours
and night work upon women in indus
try.
"American industry adapted itself so
quickly and easily to the needs of the
nation in the war;" she said, Eve need
not be alarmed about its ability to ad-
just itself to women. Protective bills
are necessary for the health of the
women and of the race, and they will
work no harm to industry. In the
long run they will benefit Industry, as
they will increase production by in
creasing the number Of workers."
Miss Perkins refused to discuss the
controversy in the Legislature over
her appointment, save to say that in
asmuch as she owed her position to
both Republicans and Democrats, she
felt peculiarly responsible to the ten
million people of the state for giving
to the work of the commission the
very best service that is in me-"
Devoted Years to Study
81 have devoted most of the adult
years of my life to the study of prob
lens involved in labor administration
and in industrial improvement" she
said. "The knowledge which / have
gained and the experience which have
had l now expect to devote entirely to
the service of the state.
II believe that the great work Of the
commission at this time lies along con-
structive lines.
CAS- understand the aim Of the com
mission, it is to make New York the
best industrial state as we'll as the
greatest industrial state in the coun-
try"