Correspondence: 1928, Oct 1 - 1929, Feb 5., 1928-1929

Workmen's compensation became an increasing concern of the Asso-ciation. John Andrews queried Felix Frankfurter and others about the possibility of compensation for railroad workers. Frankfurter's reply (10/30/28) did not favor a federal program, but suggested individual state legislation. Andrews was always keenly interested in national politics and supported Al Smith against Herbert Hoover. In November, after Smith's defeat, he wrote Solon De Leon that he was terribly disappointed, "Our vaunted religious liberty is but a bubble that has been pricked." Turning his attention to New York State, he wrote the then Governor-elect, Franklin D. Roosevelt, suggesting that he include occupational disease compensation and regulation of fee-charging private employment agencies in his 1929 message to the legislature. Governor Roosevelt replied that he thought the AALL's proposal of blanket coverage for occupational diseases was reasonable, and that he did not anticipate much objection to the proposals. Andrews wrote to Felix Frankfurter again, this time to inquire whether Frankfurter had written a minimum wage bill that would meet the constitutional objections. Frankfurter replied (12/20/28) that he felt that he and B. V. Cohen had, but that correspondence was too cumbersome a medium for discussion; Mr. Cohen would come to confer with Mr. Andrews. The program for 1929 was planned to include the social cost of accidents, sickness and old age insurance, unemployment, labor law administration and workmen's compensation for the new industrial South. A form letter (1/23/29) urged that members write in support of the vocational rehabilitation bill, the Jones Property Reserve Bill and the Wagner Bill (in earlier years known as the Kenyon-Nolan Bill) for adequate public employment bureaus. Margaret James Hobbs wrote (2/4/29) that she was discouraged in her work for the passage of the vocational rehabilitation bill, and expressed hope that Andrews would come to Washington to organize support for it.