The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-05
WESTERN UNION MAKES REPLY
ECkERT DENIES THERE WAS GRIM
INAL NEGLIGENCE.

Cannot Admit 1t with Regard to
ANY Omcinl or Operator of the
Company-Dismissa of Men WoW4d
Accomplish No GOod-DecisiOn
Reached After a Careful Investi-
CATION of the False Quotations
Sent out on Friday.
New York, Oct. 4-President Eckert OF
the Western Union Telegraph Company
to-day telegraphed the following state
ment to President Parker of the New Or
leans Cotton Exchange, in reply to the
communication of the latter official, pub
lished this morning:
New York. Oct 4.-John M. Parker,
President of the Cotton Exchange, New
Orleans. Dear Sir-I am in receipt of your
message of yesterday afternoon, in which
you charge that the quotation service of
last Friday was no less criminal than If
ii had been the result OF wnful and cor
rupt deception and IN which you demand
that the official or officials whose neglect
of duty permitted such conditions, and the
operator or operators who sent the dis
patches without notice of change, should
be known to the world and promptly dis
missed
IN answer thereto, and with all respect
to the members and officials Of your eN.
change, and with every desire 10 give 10
them assurance of precaution against the
possibility Of a repetition of the circum-
stances CT last Friday, / beg to says
First. That we cannot admit that any
criminaliiy can be attributed to the action
or omission of any official or operator Of
the company. The explanation already
sent to you frankly and exactly states the
cause of the confusion In the reports and
that cause must be free from any imputa-
tion of the charge of intentional neglect.
or wilful Misrepresentation in any form Or
degree.
Second. II Is the purpose Of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company and its Off
cials TO insure to the New Orleans Cotton
Exchange, and all other exchanges the
most efficient and reliable telegraphic serv-
ice possible. Your long experience makes
you cognizant Of the inTicacies of that
service, and will also confirm the fact that
for more than twenty years it has been
performed with eNactness, reliability and
promptness. This result has only been
reached by the education of men especially
adapted to it..
Might Impair the Service.
Third. The instant dismissal of the
men or any OF them who We're on duty last
Friday would not accomplish any gool
purpose, but might on the contrary, by the
necessary substitution of inexperienced
men, put the correctness of the service in
peril, to the equal disadvantage Of the ex.
change and the company. In the absence,
therefore, of any possible suspicion OF dis
honesty of motive or action, and because
Of our wish and purpose 40 preserve the
high quality or the service chat has always
been rendered, with the one accidental ex-
ceplon of last Friday, we must request
you aud the members of your exchange to
believe that we have already applied such
discipline to the officials and operators in
the Commercial News Department as will
best guarantee the improbabitty of any
interruption in any way to the excellence
of the service.
Fourth. This decision has been reached
afler the most careful examination of all
concerned in the service of Friday, and
with due consideration of the Importance
of the service TO your exchange. While
appreciating the conditions which dictated
your message, We cannot but believe that
your own reconsideration of the subject
will lead you 10 coincide with us
Thomas + Eckert, President"