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25-1 6 -A CITY O F N E W YO R K DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH W E S T C H E S T E R —PELH AM H EALTH DISTRICT B O R O U G H O F THE B R O N X HEALTH CENTER M «J 1 3 t h , 1940 M a r r in e r S . E c c l e s , E s q » » C h airm an ., F e d e r a l B e s e r v e B o a r d , S3 L i b e r t y S t r e e t , New Y o r k , New Y o r k . My d ea r M r. E c c le s , Y o u a r e t h e o n ly p e r s o n o f i n f l u e n c e who h a s h a d t h e v i s i o n a n d c o u r a g e t o a d v o c a t e G o v e rn m e n ta l s p e n d in g t o s u s t a i n em p lo y m en t u n t i l some o t h e r s o lu t i o n c a n h e w o r k e d o u t . T h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f y o u r t a l k a t t h e E co n o m ic C lu b d in n e r w as a g r e a t s o u r c e o f c o m fo r t t o u s , a lt h o u g h i t a p p a r e n t ly d i d n 't q u a l i f y a s "n e w s t h a t ' s f i t t o p r i n t " , s i n c e I d i d n 't o b s e r v e i t i n t h e " T i m e s " , w h ic h h a s b e e n m o st u n f r i e n d l y t o our c a u s e . Jfijr a s s o c i a t e s an d I a r e d e e p l y an d e a r n e s t l y g r a t e f u l t o y o u . Y ou c a n g a u g e t h e e x t e n t o f o u r g r a t i t u d e b y t h e d e s p e r a t i o n o f o u r n e e d f o r som eon e o f i n f l u e n c e t o c h a m p io n o u r c a u s e , a s o u t l i n e d i n t h e e n c lo s e d c o p y o f l e t t e r t o F r e d a K ir c h w e y * M r s * R o o s e v e lt i s w i l l i n g t o do e v e r y t h i n g p o s s i b l e , b u t sh e c a n n o t d is c u s s l e g i s l a t i o n , o f c o u r s e * Two o f t h e c ir c u m s t a n c e s s t a t e d i n M r s . X i r c h w e y 's l e t t e r h a v e s i n c e a l t e r e d * wm. A l l e n W h it e h a s c h a n g e d h i s m in d * I h a d a l e t t e r fr o m h im y e s t e r d a y a c k n o w le d g in g r e c e i p t o f m a t e r i a l s e n t a t h i s r e q u e s t , s t a t i n g h e i s m o st s y m p a t h e t ic an d o u r c a u s e i s c e r t a i n l y a j u s t o n e . A n d , c o n c lu d e s M r . W h i t e , W I f i t com es my w a y I s h a l l b e g l a d t o w r i t e s o m e th in g i n t h e G a z e t t e " . A l s o , I am no l o n g e r e m p lo y e d on W P A * 'Sben I r e p o r t e d t o w o rk y e s t e r d a y a f t e r a s h o r t i l l n e s s I fo u n d t h a t my jo b h a d b ee n t a k e n fr o m m e* A h i g h o f f i c i a l on V p A t o l d me t o d a y t h e r e w as n o n e e d t o c a m p a ig n f o r a h i g h e r bud g e t , a s a l l o f u s w o u ld s o o n h a v e s t e a d y em p lo y m en t a t g o o d w a g e s m a n u fa c tu r in g m u n it io n s . P u b l i c r e l a t i o n s h a s b ee n my f i e l d f o r many y e a r s . T / il l y o u n o t g r a c i o u s l y g r a n t me j u s t a s h o r t i n t e r v i e w ? W h ile t h i s i s t h e v e r y w o r s t Im p a s s e I ' v e e v e r s t r u c k i n my l i f e , y o u c e r t a i n l y c a n 't j u s t l e t i t g o a t th a t.* We a r e r e a l i s t i c and p r a c t i c a l , c a n s u p p ly y o u w i t h f a c t s g a i n e d b y a c t u a l e x p e r ie n c e an d r e s e a r c h fr o m a n a n g le o f t h e p r o b le m o f un e m p lo y m en t w i t h w h ic h we u n f o r t u n a t e l y a r e a l l t o o f a m i l i a r * We im p lo r e y o u t o h e lp u s , M r . E c c l e s . F a it h fu lly MS B May 16, 1940 Miss Madeleine Grey, Committee For Equal work-Opportunity, 49 toest 91st Street, New York City. My dear Miss Grey: This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter of May 13 with the enclosed clippings and copies of correspondence. If my discussion before The Economic Club of New York was of any comfort to you, I am, of course, gratified. As I occupy a position which is not in the political field, I am not free to undertake public sponsorship of campaigning for specific measures that are the direct responsibility of various Govern ment agencies. I have for a long time, however,.done all I could in advocacy of certain general principles, and while I am sure yew would be,able to supply, me with interesting facts gained from actual experience and research, there is nothing further that I could undertake to do that would be of assistance in the situation you describe. Sincerely yours, M. S. Eccles, Chairman. ET:b
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