New-York tribune., 1907-08-05
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
WHIT IS TRUTH
Court and Standard Oil at Odds
1bout Matters of Fact.
To the Editor of The Tribune


Sir-If the statement of Mr.. James n Moffetl
in behalf of the Standard Oil Company is 70 be
believed, the Standard has strong moral de-
fence for its acceptance of the Scent rate, for
which Judge Lands has imposed his enormous
fine whatever it's technical offence may have
been. Mr.. Moffett says:
The Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad also runs
between Whiting and East st. Louis me STAN
ard Oil Company shipped about one-third of all the
oil that went from Whiting o East st. Louis over
the Eastern Illinois. the other tWo-thlrdS so''s
over the Alton and the Burlington on the trl'ii ol
the case defendant offered to show by witnesses
who We're on the stand that not %not t olltS u'ie h,t
Period of time covered by the indictment put CON
tinuousIy from 1885, the Eastern Illinois mao d
lawful published and filed rate between Writing
and East St Louis oil of s cents a huhurtH
pounds. and that the Standard Oh coInpa1is In11;
shipped at such rate over the Eastern Illinois
more than two thousand OF OIL eacn year
during said period.
If c cents vas indeed the lawful open rate 10
all shippers over line, the Standard may
reasonably ask the public to believe that in
acceptjng that rate over another line II acted
with good motives and was seeking no improper
advantage. Put is the statement true 'uuSc
Iandis in ne opinion. AYERS exactly contrary
state of facts in effect that the Chicago a fas'
ern Illinois rae To the public was IS cents ana
that the 6-cent rate there enjoyed by the stand
ara was. if not actually Illegal, the result "
secret juggery. He says:
In september 1925. the Eastern Illinois coinpan> 8.
in connection with the Cleveland Cinciiihau, IN. III
cnco & ST Ioris ad other railway companies
issued and HIed with the Interstate Commerce
Commission joint tariff No 1876 inns was d ca @
tariff and fixed rate OF - cents Il hu.I"'
pounds oil from Chicago to tast -. @ @louIs.
ON October 2. 1898. the Eastern Illinois company
issued and filed with the Interstate commerce.
Commission its commodity tariff No s'V@, Ming =
rate of 81 cents hundred pounds on o" lIo,'' ,
Dalton H. 20 East S. Louis. aud providing 'lt
out of this switching charge or not 10 eN'
ceod s. a car would be absorbed on shipments IRON
Whiting Ind. July /. 1893. sixty days pr''r Z"
the beginning of the period covered ny the ~ ~lld..
mcnt in this case the Eastern Illinois company
issued its iont tariff No 17,69 This general class
tariff provided that between Chicago srpuI pdI d
stations including Whiting, Ind and f-iSt -
Louis ILL., the rates in effect rom IN
cago should apply except coal. coke. grain and
grain products lumber and articles taking INC
same rates or arbitraries higher, livestock ana
hay Oil not included in the cornInodi,, Is
thus excepted from these class rates Among th''
tariffs specifically named in coInection WIN N
this schedule was TO be -Hotive were ''t'i 80
1856 above mentioned, which fixed Idte u 70
cents a hundred pounds on oil from ChIcdso u
East ST Louis and tariff No "a, hereinhetore re
ferrad TO 10 which the Illinois road was a
party which is described A tariff on classes
and commodities between Chicago and East ST
Louis and which also showed the rate on OIL 70 pe
Is
This tariff No f7.7os distributed by the East
ern Illinois company ell OF its freight agents ana
| filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission
| It's effect was exhibit 10 the general ShlppiIs
! public q of Is cents on oil from Nnluns -
| East s.. Louis It not. however lncludel
among tho schedules offered in evidence by the de
fendaat FOR the purpose Of establishing et-Cent
| oil.
| on July : 1902 Zone day after this tariff became
encctive) the Eastern Illinois company. apparently
recognizing that the effect or TINS '9rIn ;4,,Ie %S
| uulfy tho 65.-cent rate shown by its scheuuIe
O73 effective in October. 1885. issued What II u
| nominated Amendment No. l to Tariff NO. $50.
tbo, being the Eastern Illinois class tariff or sep
! tenlber 1895 which had fixed rate Of II cents
| hundred pounds on oil from Chicago TO East St-
Louis. and which embraced Wlthln tue Seiiel =
class tariff Il $50, above referred to- This dnend
! ment purported TO cancel the 6ii-cent Whiting
East St Louis oil rate, shown on taTlH so". hleu
| with the commission in October, 1888, ana named
! a commodity oil OF 6ii cents hundrto
mounds from Chicago and Dalton Junction. III tt
East St Louis. However. this amendment No
| vas NOT filed with the Interstate Commerce Com
| pration OF the period covered by The lndlctHehl
and nearly three years after It's issue In view oi
these facts the Eastern Illinois situation cannon
serve the purpose in this case of excusinG or 10
/ any extent palatn8 the defendants acceptance o'
! the unlawful Chicago & Alton scent rate.
Which is to be believed? II Judge Lands 5
statement of fact is correct Mr. MOffetts excuse
| Is hypocritical attempt TO deceive the public
which only adds to the Standards offence.
! believe most citizens desire to be fair In thelt
/ Judgment of this corporation and discover the
| truth about it. but what can they do in the face
or such absolute contradictions concerning basic
facts and II they have reason to think that the
company iugges with the truth in its solemn
appeaIs TO public confidence, how can they fail
| to conclude that its secret methods are lhtcn-
! tionally and persistenty criminal?
TRUTH SEEKER.
New York. August 4, 1907