Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-01-31

rtory had been guilty. Considering the fact
that these shippers included the packers and ele-
vator men OF Chicago the action of the grand
jury in calling upon President Moffett to fur
nish evidence of their wrong doing may be In
terpreted as a demand for an elaboration of the
obvious but the fact that rate book contain
ing these freight rates for other shippers was
offered in evidence during the trial and ruled
out by Judge Lands, was kept out of sight
President Moffett would not, of course, accept
the invitation Of the grand jury although he
might have been pardoned if he had referred
them to varions official Investigations by the
Interstate Commerce Commission and other de-
partments of the Government.
We come back, therefore, 10 the conclusion of
the whole matter which is that the Standard
Oil Company of Indiana was fined an amount
equal to seven or eight times the value of Its
entire property, because its traffic department
did not verify the statement of the Alton rate
clerk, that the six-cent commodity rate on oil
had been properly filed with the Interstate Com
meree Commission There is no evidence, and
none was introduced at the trial. that any ship
ment of oil from Chicago territory had been in
tcrfered with by the eighteen-cent rate nor that
the failure of the Alton to file its six-ccnt rate
had resulted in any discrimination against any
independent shipper,~-we must take this on the
word of the Commissioner of Corporations and
Of Judge lands. Neither is it denied even by
Mr. Smith that the independent" shipper of oil,
whom he pictures as being driven out of business
by this discrimination Of the Alton, could have
shipped ali the oil he desired to ship from Whit
ing via Dolton over the lines OF the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois to East ST Louis In short,
President Moffetts defence is still good, and VIC
predict will be SO declared by the higher court
The Standard Oil Company has been charged
with all manner of crimes and misdemeanors
Beginning with the famous Rice Of Marietta,
passing down TO that apostle of popular hber-
ties, Henry Demarest Lloyd with his Wealth
Against the Commonwealth, descending by easy
stages to Miss Tarbeps offensive personalities,
we finally reach the neither depths of unfair and
baseless Misrepresentation in the report Of the
Commissioner Of Corporations. The Standard
has been charged with every form OF CONNER
cial piracy aad with most Of the crimes on the
corporation calendar. After long years Of siren
uous attack, under the leadership Of the Presi-
dent Of the United States, the corporation is at
last dragged to the bar Of justice to answer for
its msdoings The whole strength Of the Gov
eminent IS directed against it, and at last, we
are told, the Standard Oil Company is 10 pay
the penalty of its crimes and i is finally con-
yicted OF having failed to verify the statement
OF rate clerk and is forthwith fined prodig-
ioas sum, measured by the car Under the old
criminal law Tho theft Of property worth more
than shilling was punishable BY dc Ia Under
me Interpretation Of the Interstate Commerce
law b. it>gdore Roosc eh ard ,h,-. r-ai saw
Lands, technical crre~ Of trli official is
made the excuse for TIE s0..l sl.,...l o. Il vast
amount Of properly