The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-10-14
Both Charm and Precision
Displayed by Woman
Cabinet Aid.
SPENDS BUSY 8 HOURS
Forum Address Preceded by
Conferences With Re-
CoVerV Chiefs.

AfAAao AAANEo rAAAof OLAA CLoA Vi
labor, accomplished in Indianapolis
in little more than eight hours
work which she originally had set
aside three days.
Moving rapidly from conference
to conference, attending a dinner,
making a speech, meeting hundreds
of perSons-and remembering most
of their names, discussing weighty
labor problems and adjusting them
satisfactorily, Miss Perkins went
through the tedius routine with
precision and charm.
She combines strangely the COM
plete business executive and the
complete woman Of intelligence and
charm-this first member of her
sex to hold cabinet post. In her
answers TO questions on labor and
economics is embodied a broad
knowledge of her subject. She
makes seemingly knotty problems,
involving vast technical information,
seem simple, but she preserves to
the last ditch her feminine preroga-
tives
Holds Press Conference
This naively feminine side of her
character was shown first in her
brief stay here, during the con-
ference with the reporters in the
state employment bureau, 80 North
Meridian street.
Dressed simply in severe black,
relieved at the neck and sleeves
with white, Miss Perkins allowed a
Times photographer to take her
picture. The photographer wanted
her to stand against the wall for
a full-length pose.
NO, no." said Miss Perkins en-
phatically, You are to take me
standing or sitting behind a desk. "
She turned with smile to the
assembled reporters.
Exerts Feminine Rights
Il have very definite ideas about
my pictures" she explained. That
is where exert by feminine peroga-
tive"
The next minute she was plunged
into a discussion of that burning
question-unemployment.
A complete metamorphoSis of her
personality seemed to have taken
place. She sat tensely in her chair,
her arms resting on the plain oak
table before her Her dark eyes
flashed with animation. Now she
was talking about her pet subject.
we Americans are trained to
look for mechanical perfection in
everything she declared. That
is why we have some misgivings
about the success of NRA and labor
problems. The machinery for these
vast projects is not complete, but
it will be soon"
Planned to Stay Longer
Miss Perkins revealed that her
meeting with Indiana labor and re-
employment leaders, from which the
press was barred, was not really
secret
L merely wanted to ask ques-
tons" she said. Il learned some
very interesting things. Naturally
they didn't want to talk very freely.
They didn't know what sort of a
woman was. Whether 1 was a
good woman or a bad woman. They
couldn't know that I'm not so bad,
really, when one gets to know me"
Il found out, for example, that
eleven men are handling the work
of getting jobs for 100000 wage
earners in this state. 1 asked them
if they needed a larger force. I only
wish that had more time to spend
in Indianapolis. Originally, I had
planned to stay here three days, but
now I only have a few hours"
Receives Suggestions
"One man at the conference sug-
gested that the state bureau should
be made the general registration
headquarters for all jobs in the city
"a very good suggestion. Another
thought that unemployment insur-
ance should be accomplished by
cooperative plan between the
states
Governor McNutt interrupted to
say that the press conference must
end.
On the way out, Miss Perkins
called the labor men together and
asked them to meet with her before
she caught her train for Chicago
after midnight.
Always she was asking questions
about industry, labor. factories, I'M
employment Of every one she met
from the Governor on down.
Even at dinner, Governor Nc
Mutt revealed, Miss Perkins kept
pounding away with questions.
"Oh. no. she said before dress
ing for her appearance at the Mu-
rat theater, Il didn't bring an eve
ming dress-just a black dress"
But at the theater, she again be-
came completely feminine when she
objected to the purple lights on the
stage.
Cant you turn on white lights?"
she asked the electrician Il want
to look like a human being before
these people"
But her New England simplicity
asserted itself. when she vetoed en-
phatically suggestion, to decorate
the stage with flowers.
FEDERAL EWPI DYES