New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-24
THE W. u. NOT CRIPPLED.
Rumor of Consolidation nth the
Postal ReUiUed.

President Clowry of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company yesterday authorized the STATE
ment that the cutting Of Western Union pores
and wires by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany has not interfered In any way Win Ine
service of the telegraph company
"I don't know what effect that statement VIII
have on subsequent actions in court" he said.
but it is true that not minutes delay was
caused and we are not refusing messages to any
point We will take messages and guarantee
their delivery.
'"The Western Union Telegraph Company mas
contracts with every railway of any importance
In this country excepting the pennsylvania
There are over three thousand contracts win
main companies and nearly seven thousand Win
branches. In addition to this We have Important
highways all covered There Is not a town or
any Importance along the lines where the cut
ting was done that has not our wires ieaclhs III
from highway trunk lines. We can reach any
town we have been reaching. and we won't re-
fuse to take a massage or have any delay IN de-
livering st..
"Sonos months ago when we received notice
from the Pennsylvania of the expiration Of this
contract and its refusal to renew it, we removed
at once our telegraph offices from the Penn
sylvanias stations. that is from their oulloIhss-
Where the business warranted It, we estaohshed
a station of our own up In the towns. with resu-
lar STATS Where there very small
amount of business put wire into some
hotel or office of some kind. and arranged TOT
messages on a commission basis. Where the
towns were so small that there had been prac-
ticaly no business done. simply stopped
business there.
ANY report that have refused to take
messages to any of our offices in Pennsylvania
or anywhere else IS not true. 1t is not true
that delays were caused by the transmission or
messages by roundabout routes. We have neep
prepared for this kind of thing, ana ~Hre
roundabout message has to be sent, 10 is put
through without delay, the whole thing having
been figured out beforehand. Every one OF Ane
lines cut down by the Pennsylvania Railroad
people is paraIleled by a highway line You
should see our highway line map. AS matter
of fact the destroyed lines were already prac-
ticaIy dead wires"
aeyyben the American Telephone and Telegraph
Company increased its stock recently 1t was
said that It was going to take in this telegraph
company Have any arrangements been made
with that company far which help you OUT IN
this emergency President Clowry was asked
THE telephone company is not mixed up in
this fight at all" he replied I'VE have some
very advantageous arrangements with the tele-
phone company-that is, have mutual ar
rangements by which we have wires on their
rent out privileges of that kind to electric COM
pan!es too. We find those arrangements con-
venient now. I have no doubt. but we can nan
die everything that is coming with our own
equipment.
you are going to carry your appeal UP TO the
United States Supreme Court?
Yes we are going to appeal, and we THINK we
will win. There have been two decisions or the
very same case. one for and one against us
In New Jersey the United States judge VINO mad
the case gave the decision. over IN Penn-
sylvania the Pittsburg judge decided for the
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad Company. It was car
ried to the Philadelphia court, and the Penn
sylvania won there too We expect to WIN Wheh
we get up to the higher court
The apparent unc0ncern with which the West
ern Union is taking the warlike onslaught OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company has caused a
revival in Wall Street of the report that the
Western Union may some day take over the
Postal Telegraph Company, which has sue
ceeded to the Western Unions contract with the
Pennsylvania Railroad. With the Western
Union and the Postal Telegraph united, IL is
pointed out the telegraph service available for
the PENNSYLVANIA would be limited to the mile
age covered by it's fifteen year contract with the
Postal; for additional service II would De oonged
to construct lines Of its own.