The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1908-02-01

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 Moffett, of the Standard Oil Com.
pany of Indiana. The publication of this an
swer, it is officially given out was delayed sew
eral weeks, "for business reasons" because it
was not deemed advisable to further excite
the public mind, which was profoundly dis
turbed by the crisis. Now that the storm
clouds have rolled by, however, the Commits
soner rushes again into the fray.
Our readers remember that the chief points
in the defence of the Standard Oil Company as
presented by President MOfctt, wore % that
the date of six cents on oil fror 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 1S.cent rate on file
with the Interstate Commerce Commission was
a class and not commodity rate never being
intended to apply to oil, CD that oil was
shipped in large quantities between Whiting
and East St Louis over the Chicago & East
ern Illinois at Gl. cents per hundred pounds,
which has been filed with the Interstate Com
merce Commission as the lawful rate, and l1)
that the 1Sccnt rate on oil was entirely out of
proportion to lawful rates on other cOmmOdi-
ties between these points of a similar char
acter, and of greater value, such. for example,
as linsecd OIL the lawful rate on which was
eight cents President Moffctt 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 on Company.
This defence OF the Standard OH Company
was widely quoted and has undoubtedly exert.
cd 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 offset this iniin-
enco and hence the new deliycrance OF Com
missioner Smith.
We need hardly To point out that his rebut-
tai argument is extremely weak. although as
strong no doubt. as the circumstances would
warrant He answers the points made by Prcsi-
dent Moffctt substantially as follows: % The
Standard Oh Company had traffic department,
and should have known that the siTcent rate
had not been filed. CIV no answer, - the chi
cage & Eastern Illinois rate was secret rate
because It read. not from whiting, but from
BOLTON. which IS described as "a village Of
about 800 population just outsid" Of Chicago
It's only claim to note IS that 1t has been for
many years the point Of origin for this and
similar secret rates" The Commissioner ad
mits in describing this rate that ther" was
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
tons as a conclusive refutatIon Of what Is cyi
IDENTITY recognized as the strongest rcbuttal
argument advanced by the Standard
In fact It IS as weak and inconclusiye as the
reniaiLder Or his argument The lines o. the
Ca!ca,o q Eastern Illinois do not run into