Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 151, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1918 — THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY [ARTICLE]

THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY

Office of the District Commercial Superintendent. Detroit, Mich., July 5, 1918. Managers, Independent Offices: On the assumption that an attempt will be mgde to tie-up our service on Monday next, please be governed by the following: t ' At points where we are seriously affected* patrons presenting messages for transmission should be counselled in their own interest to take them to the Postal Telegraph Company, but if patrons insist the messages will of course be accepted subject to delay. Patrons whose messages are picked up on call or by telephone should be similarly advised by telephone under like conditions; the idea being to minimize the number of messages which we will ourselves tranfer to the Postal Company. In case of trouble .alii messages of course will be accepted subject to delay and will be so stamped or endorsed. Messages for joint railroad offices can be identified by absence of office hours in tariff book listing, and such messages should be accepted subject to being mailed or telephoned as follows: To the extent that railroad operators decline to handle commercial messages at their stations, through messages for such points will be telephoned or mailed from the normal relay or nearest independent office. Local messages to railroad points will be returned to the senders with a statement of the facts. In such cases you should cooperate with the traffic department in the mailing of such messages. Depending upon the extent to which we are affected, it may.be necessary to deposit in the Post Office for local delivery a portion or all messages except Government messages and other messages of an urgent character, which would normally be delivered in the regular course. This necessity, however, will only arise in case our messages have been tampered with, and is not anticipated. If messages are mailed, care should be taken to use envelopes which comply with Post Office regulations. i It may be necessary to temporarily suspend our day and night letter services, in which event you will be advised at the time. The foregoing instructions should be treated as confidential and are, of course, designed for the guidance of our employees only in case trouble develops. ~ Yours truly, E- BOENING, __ Dish Oom. Supt.