The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-19
MUNICIPAL MATTERS.
THE PuRE CONTROVERSY.
An Interview with the Mavor, and the
Correspondence en the subject.

A reporter Of the DEMOCRAT interviewed the
Mayor yesterday on the subject of the commu-
nicatlon Of "yindex" published In the DEMO
GRAFT yesterday morning. and asked him what
he had to say In the matter,
After some desultory conversation the Mayor
said:
In reply to the scurrlIous and vndIetive ar
tinle in the morning, paper under the name Of
"vindex, have only to submit the following
plain statement of facts, which believe will
fully disabusa the public mind Of any false i'm
preston which the article alluded to may have
About three days since received a eonflden-
tial communication asking my attention to an
to the action Of police, officers on reports of
fires. | Immediately addressed a communiea-
ii IN to the chief of police, who sent me the fol-
lowing rs q copy of the order:
Copy Of order Issued to all stations this date at
1:t0 a. MI
Commanding officers are hereby ordered to
instruct their forge that from and after this
according to the actual facts. such as the orr
gin, location. extent and amount OF damage.
but under no cireums tannes will the police
force be allowed to m he any comments on re-
ports Of fires which can give color to prejudice
IN favor Of the Babooek against the regular
ments arrived 8rst, or which did the best
service Such facts beIpng to ether Departments
CESAR HUGHES, Secretary.
w ,a after hs
lei He'll. John Henderson en-" and = A. Barter who
Of the order but /" which he w words or nee
versa had beensomitted. / Immediately sun
moned the chief of pol lee. his secretary, the
telegraph operator, and the book eontai ming
the telegram, to explain the omission. This e8
animation was in toe presence OF the commit
hat Iob lay WIT hon 1o1
as to instruct the officers to report as to the
merits Of each Of their departments. the com
BY VndeH Is being " at ali apparea And 1e@
1t to those gentlemen to say whether their alb
horrence s not greater IN the perusal Of the arti
Gle alluded TO than In the result of the interview
was giving the ma .r some thought, and
had not decided fully vh''her 1t was proper
when, on the following morning, | WIS waited
upon by MIR. Marks, President Of the FIremen's
Charitable, Association, and Chief oOonnor,
who simply protested against making police
officers the Judges of the efficiency OF either de-
/ did then. and do still, approve and in this
officers of police should not be made a party to
the disputes or rtvalries of either Of these
branches OF the public service. satisfied as am
that any other course would involve them In
difficulties sufficient to impair their efficiency
with the comments of "vindex" as to other
matters have no concern Having no affinity
with cit her the fire department or the Babcock.
| can afford to leave his insinuations to the di-
gestion of discriminating public.
The Mayor then informed our reporter that
he had addressed notes to the members of the
committee of the Board of Underwriters.
During the day he received the following re-
plies:
New ORLEANS. April H. 1873.
Hon. f. Pilsbury Mayor of the city of New
Orleans:
Ded, Sir-In reply to yours OF this date. call
ing my attention to an article in the mornings
paper, and asking u concur In the statement
therein, and whether the circumstances are
corr ectly set forth. must say that If you refer
to the article in the morning Times signed
'VindeX," do not concur therein. and that the
circumstances set forth are not In accordance
with my impression Of the interview held be-
tween you and the tive members Of the Board of
Underwriters; and must state further that
think the article was entirely uncalled for. and,
as member of said committee dsclaim any
concurrence In the statements set forth therein.
l am. sir. yours. very respectfully,
VIM. A. BELL.