The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1908-01-31
Commissioner Smith VS.. The Standard Oil Co.
From NE Railsgay Ho,lA -Lanna,y 2. zoos

Mr.. Herbert Knox Smith, who,,zeal IN the
cause Of economic reform has bel In no wise
abated by the panic which he an IL kind did
80 much 10 bring on Is out wlth4 answer TO
President Moffett, Of the standtl OH Com.
pany OF Indiana. The publloaddiof this an
swer, II Is officially given out wthelayed sew.
eral weeks for business reasoSf because II
was not deemed advisable TO her excite
the public mind, which was p4oundly dis.
turbed by the crisis Now ~ the storm
clouds have rolled by howeyG lhe Commits.
sioner PUSHES again into tho 90
Our readers remember that ID chief points
in the defence Of the STANDARD yCompany. as
presented by President MohouVere ti) that
the date OF six cents on oil 20 Whiting TO
East 81. Louis has been issued ule Standard
OIL Company as tho lawful 10 by employees
Of the Alton. t2) that the 1870 rate on file
with thelnterstato Commerce h1misslon was
n class and not commodity - never being
intended TO apply 10 oil. a hat oil was
shipped In large quantities NYeen whiting
and East st. Louis over the aHcago a. East
ern Illinois at ca cents per iadred pounds.
which has been filed with thIpterstate Com.
merce Commission as the aVl rate, and 90
that the ls.cent rate on oil VI Entirely out Of
proportion 20 lawful rates o0iher commodi.
ties between these points "a similar char
actor and OF greater value. ~ for example,
as llnseod oil. the lawful 70 Son which was
eight cents. President Mons aso stated that
thousands OF tons OF freghtih been sent by
other shippers between tse points under
substantially the same condlpts as governed
the shipments OF the Standd OIL Company.
This defence OF the stanbpl OIL Company
was widely quoted and has aqoubtedly exert
ed powerful influence unc pc public mind.
Naturally the Admlnlstnhn, which has
staked the success Of us anpaign against
the "trusts' upon the rosuiq lts attack upon
this company. ondeayors 3 fhset this inAu.
ence. and hence the new SEVERANCE OF Com
missioner Smith.
We need hardly to poi1op that his rebut-
tai argument Is extremely wax, although as
strong, no doubt as the rqmstances would
warrant He answers thoPpta made by Prcsl.
dent Moffett substantialIyi9 follows; N The
Standard on Company hmi faihc department
aud should have known aaf The sixcent rate
had not been filed. (2l noinswer, t3l the Chi.
cage & Eastern Illinois ~ was a secret rate
because It read, not frun whiting. but from
Dolton which Is deserted as n village OF
about 1900 population lu outside OF Chicago,
It's only claim 10 note Silat II has been for
many years the point oIl'In for this and
similar secret rates" ne Commissioner ad-
mlts In describing this fie that there was a
note attached stating thi the rate could also
be used from Whiunr
The press has quite generally hailed this
statement OF the Connlss'oner OF Corpora.
tons as a conclusive recitation Of what is oyi.
IDENTIFY recognized as be strongest rebuual
argument advanced BY be Standard
In fact. 1t Is as weak nd inconeluslve as the
remainder Of his argument The lines Of the
Chicago & Eastern nlnols do not run into