The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-21

Mir. Herbert Knox Smith. whose zeal in the cause of economic reform has been in no wise abated by the panic which he and his kind did so much to bring on, is out with an an- swer to President Moffett of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana. The publication Of this answer, it is officially given out, was de- layed several weeks, for "busness reasons. because it was not deemed advisable to fur ther excite the public mind, which was pro- foundly disturbed by the crisis. Now that the storm clouds have rolled by. however, the Commissioner rushes again into the fray.
 Our readers remember that the chief points in the defense of the Standard oil Company, presented by President Monett. were, CD that the rate of six cents on oil from Whiting to East St. Louis had been issued to the Standard oil Company as the lawful rate by employees of the Alton, CD that the 1S-cent rate file with the Interstate Commerce Commission class and not commodity rate, never being intended to apply to oil, (3) that oil was shipped in large quantities be- tween Whiting and East St. Louis over the Chicago and Eastern Illinois at six and one fourth cents per hundred pounds, which has been filed with the Interstate Commerce Com mission as the lawful rate, and (4) that the 18-cent rate oil was entirely out of pro- portion to lawful rates on other commodities between these points of a similar character, and of groater value, such. for example, linseed oil the lawful rate on which was eight cents. President Moffett also stated that thousands of tons of freight had been sent by other shippers between these points under substantially the same conditions as governed the shipments of the Standard Oil Company
 This defence of the Standard Oil Company was widely quoted and has undoubtedly ex- erted a powerful influence upon the public mind. Naturally the Administration, which has staked the success of its campaign against the trusts upon the result of its attack upon this company, endeavors to off, set this Influence, and hence the new deliver- ance of Commissioner Smith
 We need hardly to point out that his rebut- tai argument is extremely weak, although as strong, no doubt, the circumstances would warrant. He answers the points made by President Moffett substantially as follows: CD The Standard oil Company had traffic department, and should have known that the 6-cent rate had not been filed, (2) no answer. (s) the Chicago and Eastern Illinois rate was & secret rate because it read, not from Whit ing but from Dolton, which is described as "a village of about 1,50o population just out side of Chicago. It's only claim to note Is that it has been for many years the point of origin for this and similar secret rates" The Commissioner admits in describing this rate that there was a note attached stating that the rate could also be used from Whiting.
 The press has quite generally hailed this statement of the Commissioner of Corpora tions as a conclusive refutation of what Is evidently recognized as the strongest rebut- tai argument advanced by the Standard.
 In fact 1t is as weak and inconclusve as the remainder of his argument. The lines of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois do not run into Chicago. They terminate at Dolton,