Evening star., 1933-03-22
labor HEAD Plans
SWEEPING CHANGES.
Miss Perkins Starts in Real
Program of House.
cleaning.


arst woman cabinet ofIicer ever to hold
office.
Firm of voice and with a sweeping
gesture Of her arm, Miss Frances Per-
kins OF New York. President Roosevelt's
Secretary Of Labor. informed newspaper
men yesterday afternoon that the pres
ent set-up Of the department was not
to her satisfaction and that she in
tended to reorganize it from top to
bottom.
No Criticism Voiced.
Without voicing criticism at retiring
of6cials or at those statisticians who
have carried on for years in the de-
partment'S Bureau of Statistics, Miss
Perkins asserted that the whole statiS-
tical and information service Of the
organization needed complete revision.
While labor commissioner of New
York State. Miss Perkins was at odds
with the Labor Department over its
statistical service. In this connection
she has held up the February employ
ment figures until they could be revised
SO that the man on the street can
understand it."
The new Secretary said she expected
later to appoint a standard advisory
committee on labor statistics. She ex-
planned that her method would be to
take what appropriations she had and
"in the good, old New England style
make 1t 90 as far as 1t Will' in the
statistical reorganization.
Taking up the reorganization plans
for the United States Employment Serv-
ice, she asserted this organization is
not satisfactory to me-" This service
underwent q complete reorganization
about three years ago when President
Hoover vetoed the Wagner unemploy-
ment bill providing for q radically diff
ferent form Of aiding those In search OF
jobs.
Offices In Farm Centers.
The employment service has offices in
principal industrial and farm centers.
with its principal duties to find work
not only for the unemployed generally,
but for World War veterans. The cab
met official said she was not prepared
to say at this time the extent Of her re-
organization plans.
II shall try to reorganize it" she as
serted, lin q way that will make 1t
practically useful Immediately"
Miss Perkins promised complete
revision Of the immigration service OF
the department. II shall centralize
and concentrate the immigration ac-
tivities," she explained. Il feel such
coordination will remove much OF the
confusion some people have observed
in administration of immigration laws"
The latter branch has been the first
to feel the demand Of the Secretary
for changes She said she had tossed
overheard all the "ballyhoO" which ac-
companied the retiring administration
campaign against alien racketeering.
This included the disseminating of
secret service force of II men organized
by former Secretary william N. Doak
to combat this alleged form OF
racketeering.
She said she signed an order on
March is dismissing SIS men scattered
all over this country and in Europe in
connection with this work and fur
loughed 16 others because OF the
imminent exhaustion Of the 100000
appropriation approved eight months
ago, under which they operated.
In explaining the furloughing OF the
16 men from active duty, she said she
wanted to be fair to every worker in
the department She intimated that
this group had recently been "blanketed
in" on civil service rolls as immigration
inspectors.
Miss Perkins asserted the manner IN
which the 5000, 900 fund was expended
was "alrming," and she explained she
was forced to take prompt action be-
cause she had discovered that only
$12,970 remained Of the appropriation
on March is to cover a monthly salary
set-up Of $11,168 and $4,000 travelling
expenses.
Expenses Not Itemized.
She said the expense accounts OF
these inspectors had not been 1temzed
as vet and that she had before her
only meager information. Reading
from a prepared report on the subject
the Secretary said that of the total
sum, $1O7,574 had been paid out for
salaries, $e2,695 was itemized for gen
eral expenses and s8,243 was listed as
confidential" expenses.
She disclosed that her executive or
der of March Is had included the dis
missal Of Murray w. Carson OF New
York, who volunteered his service to
the Government at 81 year two years
ago to aid in ridding the country OF
alien smugglers and aliens illegally
here.
While Carson was conducting an
Investigation in Hollywood, Calf, Doak
testified before the House Appropria-
tions Committee that he had raised the
operatives salary from 81 to $4,000.
Carson said last night he had sub
mitted his resignation to Miss Perkins
when she took Office and that he had
q letter from her dated March II ac-
cepting it.
Others to Be Let Out
Others in this branch of the service
to be eliminated by the March Is ex-
ecutiye order are:
Erwin F. Brown, identified as nephew
of Mrs. William N. Doak, stationed at
Alexandria, Va, $4,000 a year.
Abraham Dickstein, identified as
brother of Chairman Dickstein OF the
House immigration Committee, sta
toned at Baltimore, s., 400 q year.
\ After eliminating this special force
from the service, Miss Perkins said she
wrote to the director Of each irhmigra-
ton district explaining to him that the
funds were discontinued and that 1t was
"accordingly necessary for each district
to take over special investigating with
the normal personnel available.
"I expect you to redouble your efforts
to carry on enforcement" she said.
CLOSE FIGHT SEEN