The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-01-30

Mr.. 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 answer to
President Mottett, of the Standard Oil Company
of Indiana The publication of this answer, il is
officially given out, was delayed several weeks
"for business reasons because it was not
deemed advisable to further excite the public
mind, which was profoundly 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 i'll
the defence OF the Standard Oil Company, as
presented by President Moffett, were, () that
the rate Of six cents on oil from Whiting TO
East St Louis has been issued to the Standard
Oil Company, as the lawful rate by employees Of
the Alton (2) that the Scent rate on file with
the Interstate Commerce Commission was a
class and not a commodity rate, never being in
tended to apply to oil, CD that oil was shipped in
large quantities between 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 Com
merce Commission as the lawful rate, and ~
that the IS-Ccnt rate on oil was entirely ont Of
proportion 10 lawful rates on other commodities
between these points of a similar character, and
Of greater vaue, such, for example, rs lnsccd
oil, the lawful rate on vhich was eight cents.
President Monctt 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 qaocd and has undoubtedly cxcrtcd
a powerful influence upon the public mind Nat
urally the Administration, which has ,taked the
success OF It. campaign against the trusts up
on the result Of its attack upon this company
endcavors 10 Offset this influence and hcrcc the
new deliycranre OF Commissioner Smith
We need hardly to point out that his rcbuttal
argument IS extremely weak, although as strong
no doubt as the circumstances would warrant
He answers the points made by President Moi
felt substantially as follows: CD The Standard
Oil COMPANY had traffic department, and
should have tuown that the six-ccnt rate had
not been filed, 90 no answer, CD the Chicago
and Eastern Illinois rate was secret rate be
cause ii read not from Whiting, but from Dol
ton, which Is described as "a village Of about
1900 population just outside OF Chicago it,
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 de.
scrbing this rate that there was note attached
stating that the rate could also be used from
Whiting
The press has quite generally hailed thi,
statement OF the Commissioner Of Corporations
rs a conclusive refutaton Of what is evident,
recognized the strongest rebuttal argument
advanced By the Standard
In fact. 1t i as weak and inconclusivc as the
remandsr 81 his argument The lines Of the
Chicago and Eastern Illinois do not run into