Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-10-05
tTHEWEsTERn UNION.
REFUSES DEMAND OF NEW Or
LEANS COTTON EXCHANGE.
by TELEGRAPH, to YirgfhIan- Pilot,


Leans COTTON EXCHANGE.
BY telegram to yirgfhIan- Pilot,
New York, Oct 4-President Eclsert,
Of the Western Union Telegraph Com
Pany, to-day autographed the following
STA teinent to President Parker, of the
NeW Orieans Cotton Exchange. in re-
ply 20 the communication OF the latter
oiiiciaiHpublished. this morning:
New York, Oct. 4, 1899.
"JohEs Parker, President Cotton Elk
New Orleans:
eaggP lAlr-I am in receipt of your
HP' gu: yesterday afternoon in
Elte SenaAehargc that the quotation
DISC of alast Friday was no less
8 hpn IL it had been the result
ot,iu.lS iand corrupt deception" and
' mgr thsfvous demand that the "onlci
vi ), aonEl!SSl9ls whose neglect of duty per-
illitieds such conditions, and the opera
tor OF operators who sent the dispatches
without. notice of change should be
knoWn.to the world and promptly dis
N answer thereto, and with all res
poet to the members and officials OF
your exchange, and with every desire
10 give to them assurance of precaution
against the possibility OF repetition of
me circumstances of last Friday, beg
to say:
First-That we cannot admit that
any criminality can be attributed TO
the ACTON or omission of any official
or operator of the company. The eX-
pianallon already sent to you frankly
anu exactly states the cause of the con-
fusion In the reports, and that cause
must be free from any imputatlon OF
the charge OF intentional neglect or
Wi'iul misrepresentation in any form
or degree.
"second-It is Tie purpose Of the
western Union Telegraph Company and
,ts officials to ensure to the New Or
leans Cotton Exchange, and all other
exchanges, the most efficient and re-
liable telegraphIc service possible Your
long experience makes you cognizant OF
the intricacies of that service, and will
also confirm the fact that for more than
twenty years 1t has been performed
with eXactness, reliability and prompts
ness. This result has only been reach
ed by the education of men especially
adapted to It,
Third.--The instant dismissal Of the
men or any of them who were on duty
last Friday would not accomplish any
good purpose, but might, on the con
trary, by the necessary substitution OF
inexperienced men, put the correctness
OF the service in peril, to the equal
disadvantage OF the Exchange and the
company. In the absence, therefore, of
any Possible suspicion of honesty OF
motive or action, and because OF our
wish and purpose To preserve the high
quality of the service that has always
been rendered. with tho one accidental
exception of last Friday. we must re-
quest you and the members OF YOUR
Exchange to believe that we have al
ready applied such discipline to the Of
ficials and operators in the Commercial
News Department as will best guarani
lee the improbability of any inter
ruption In any way 10 the excellence of
the service.
'Fourth.-This decision has been
reached after the most careful exami-
nation of all concerned In the service
OF Friday, and with due consdera ton
of the Importance of the service to
your exchange. While approaching the
conditions which dictated your meg
sage, we cannot but believe that your
own reconsideration of the subject Will
Iced YOU to coincide with us.
fSiSned "TI1OS. II. ECKERT,
president"