Evening star., 1933-03-30

The Nation feels 1t especially appro-
pirate that Secretary Frances Perkins of
the Department of Labor should engage,
figuratively, in Spring house cleaning,
after a survey of her duties as
woman cabinet member Drastic treat
ment of immigration spies and other
expensive inspections receives unquali-
fed approval, and her appearance be-
fore members of Congress to explain un-
employment relief is declared to have
revealed practical ability in public
service
Woman that she is" remarks the
Morgantown Dominion News, she has
celebrated the beginning of Spring as
all women celebrate it. She got out her
brooms and is enjoying a thorough
house cleaning" That paper says as to
the details of her task: First to feel
the swish of the broom were SIS immi-
grafton inspectors. who were swept out
entirely, and 16 others who were stored
away for possible future use. Her new
establishment. Miss Perkins has made
known. is not to her liking, and she in
tends to take 1t apart and remake 1t.
Once it is put together again. the De-
partment of Labor will have undergone
a complete shake-up in the employment
service, a scientific survey of the sta
tistical complications so that the man
on the street can understand and
further revision of the immigration
service. Secretary Perkins will toss
overheard all the 'ballyhoo' which has
accompanied the departments campaign
against alien labor racketeering. Along
with it will go the secret service force"
The Dominion News feels that cher deft
handling of certain gentlemen of Con-
gresS during the hearing on the Roose-
welt relief plan has tickled the public
fancy" and that she came out with
flags flying"
'It is the beginning Of departmental
house cleaning" declares the Louisville
Courier Journal, land the first woman
cabinet member demonstrates that she
can WELD a broom effectively Refer
ring to "a widely heralded foray on
Hollywood by immigration agents. the
Courier journal makes the comment:
This kind of alien hunt is now off. 1t
does not fit in with the Roosevelt ad-
ministration's efficiency and economy
plans. According to Secretary Perkins,
it was costly and largely ballyhoo and
forthwith she has abolished the alien
secret service organization which car
ried on the futile Hollywood and Chi
cago Investigations. How costly the
organization was is shown by the fact
that it used up all but $4,000 of
100000 appropriation made eight
months 60. 1t paid out $107, STA in sal
aries to 55 agents. Its itemized ex-
penses amounted to So, ,695 and nearly
$4,000 was spent under the vague item
of confidential expenses
"She is attacking form Of racket
eering' in government" is the view OF
the Columbia Is c. State, which calls
it IAN inheritance or hangover from
wartime practices" The Birmingham
Age Herald feels that IF we are to de-
about from the way in which they spent
the Governments money, we would say
that they lived on the fat of the land
without doing anything that cannot be
dealt with adequately in some other
fashion" The Age-Herald is convinced
that Miss Perkins bids fair to be one
of the most competent officials of the
Roosevelt regime" and adds: She let 1t
be known that she intends to do some
thing about procedure touching immi-
grafton. In this respect. as in other
fields under her supervision, Miss Per-
kins wishes to curb the bureaucratic
tendencies which have brought about
much injustice and damage. Certainly
it cannot be said that our immigration
authorities have gone about their work
with much intelligence and understand
ing. The time has come to make such
matters respond to the good sense and
sympathy of the new Secretary of La
bor"
1T took Secretary Perkins just about
two weeks to get to the bottom Of her
departments affairs" observes the DIS
Moines Tribune, which advises Its
just our sneaking suspicion that hence
forth the Labor Department is going to
be run in q busineSslike manner" The
Springfield (Mass) Republican COM
ments on her position: THE tradition.