Mr. Rubenstein.

I was an assistant buyer, I want you to know, and I liked it, it was interesting. I was in politics for a good many years.

Mr. Griffin.

Can you tell us about that?

Mr. Rubenstein.

Sure. It was during my Deborah Boys Club days. I met a man by the name of Morris Feiwell, who took a liking to me, and he encouraged me to finish school, like a sponsor, you know, and when I graduated he says, "You come on downtown and talk to me. What do you want to be?" I says, "I don't know." He says, "Do you like to study continuously?" And frankly, I didn't. He said, "Well, don't study law. I was going to put you through law school but if you don't like to study continuously after you learn a profession, don't study law." And through him I met many big political men in Chicago, because Mr. Feiwell was associated to our ex-Governor Henry Horner. Henry Horner was probate judge of Cook County, and a probate judge in Cook County is the biggest judge in the area because he took care of 5 million people probating wills.
The judge took a liking to me because we done certain things, running errands for him, distributing literature for the campaigns--then I met different people, I met Ben Lindheimer. Ben Lindheimer was a big man in Chicago, owned Arlington Park and Washington Park racetracks later on.
He finally became chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission and also president of the Board of Local Improvements in Chicago. So, I got a job as a sidewalk inspector. That is when I decided to go back to school, because the job as a sidewalk inspector was a political job, sponsored by Ben Lindheimer.

Mr. Griffin.

That would have been in the 1930's sometime.

Mr. Rubenstein.

Yes; 1932 or 1933, right. So, I figured why should I waste my time. I can take care of my job and go to school, and I did that. I tried to get my prelegal training there. Then in 1932 the judge ran for governor. Ben Lindheimer became president of the--not president, chairman of the Commerce Commission, Illinois Commerce Commission. He took me with him. I became a warehouse investigator. I was there for 8 years.

Mr. Griffin.

Warehouse investigator for the Illinois Commerce Commission?

Mr. Rubenstein.

Right.

Mr. Griffin.

For 8 years?

Mr. Rubenstein.

Right.

Mr. Griffin.

What period of time did this cover?

Mr. Rubenstein.

I would say from 1932 to 1941. When the administration changed I was let go.

Mr. Griffin.

Were your duties in Chicago or elsewhere?

Mr. Rubenstein.

In Chicago; no, the entire State. I had to cover quite a bit of the State of Illinois inspecting warehouses that were licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission, and storage houses.

Mr. Griffin.

What would your duties as an inspector involve?

Mr. Rubenstein.

Just to see everything was orderly, clean, fire extinguishers, clean, clean aisles, nothing to clutter up, so as to prevent fires, fire doors, to prevent internal combustion, different things like that.

Mr. Griffin.

Now, during this period that you were with the Illinois Commerce Commission, were you politically active?

Mr. Rubenstein.

Yes. Since I had no civil service connections, I was politically active.

Mr. Griffin.

Before that period, were you politically active?

Mr. Rubenstein.

Yes; in the local area.

Mr. Griffin.

Was this Democratic or Republican politics?

Mr. Rubenstein.

Democratic.

Mr. Griffin.

Now--

Mr. Rubenstein.

The whole family was Democratic.

Mr. Griffin.

Would you tell us about how you happened to meet I take it Mr. Feiwell was the way you got- made your political connections?

Mr. Rubenstein.

Indirectly, not directly, indirectly.

Mr. Griffin.

First of all, tell us how you happened to know Mr. Feiwell.

Mr. Rubenstein.

He used to come down to the club and give us talks.