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We heaved a sigh of relief and that was over. Of course, it took them about two weeks to work the ship around to New York. I sent three or four conciliators to New York, some people who could speak with authority for the Secretary of Labor. I guess Ed McGrady went over. I had previously spoken to the Mayor of New York and he to the Police Commissioner, saying that the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Commerce had given their word these men would not be arrested. I hoped that nothing would happen to disturb that agreement. I said that we didn't want any trouble or disorder, and that the men had agreed, and we believed that they would go through with this, that they would sit down as soon as the ship had cleared and their papers checked to try to work this out. I had a committee already appointed and the American Hawaiian Steamship Company had appointed a committee. We would begin to negotiate right there under the leadership of good conciliators.
No effort was made to make sure that the man didn't skip out after they landed in New York. Nobody cared whether they jumped ship or not. If they didn't want to work for the American Hawaiian Line, that was all right. They couldn't jump ship if they had a contract. Every seaman prizes and protects his papers, as they
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