Home
Search transcripts:    Advanced Search
Notable New     Yorkers
Select     Notable New Yorker

Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
Photo Gallery
Transcript

Part:         Session:         Page of 915

then try to make a bargain on a temporary basis that the company will do something or other presently, get the ship sailing and get out of San Francisco.”

After three or four days of this Curran emerged more and more as their leader, but, as my conciliators told me, although he was acknowledged as the leader he never seemed to them to be the real leader. Fitzgerald said on the telephone, “I got an idea that somewhere back in this crew, although I can't spot them, there are some people who have some fancy ideas. They don't want to be the leader of this strike. They've picked Curran who's got a good record. Now he's on the spot. He's carrying the ball and he can't drop it. But I don't think this was Curran's own idea. I think this was somebody else's idea. He's a big, strong, good-looking man with a good record.”

We understood each other over the telephone. Fitzgerald couldn't spot the people, but he thought there was some fancy work down below in the crew.

I remember all this plainly, because we got this settlement over the telephone finally. I had to talk to Curran and give him my personal word over the telephone as to what should be done. The final conversation with him took place at a dinner party which the members





© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help