The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-01-31

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 20 bring on. Is out with an answer TO
President M0-ett. OF the Standard OIL Com
pzry OF Indiana The publication Of this an
swer. II Is officially given out. was delayed sew
erAl weeks. for business reasons" because II
~4s not deemed advisable 10 further excite
the public mind which was profoundly dis
turbed By the crisis. Now that the storm
clouds have rolled BY. however. the Commits
sioner PUSHES again into the fray.
Our readers remember that the chief points
In the defence OF the Standard Oil Company. as
presented BY President Aofett. were CD that
the date 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. (zl that the 1s-cent rate on file
with the Interstzte Commerce Commission was
class and not commodity rate. never being
intended 20 apply 70 oil. CD that oil was
shipped in large quantities between Whiting
and East St Louis over the Chicago & East
eru Illinois at Ga cents per hundred pounds
which has been fled with the Interstate Com
rrerce Commission as the lawful rate. and (i)
that the 1s-cent rate on oil was entirely out OF
proportion 70 lawful rates on other commodi-
ties between these points Of a similar char
zcter and Of greater value such. for example,
as iiuseed oil. the lawful rate on which was
eight cents President MOrett also stated that
thousands of tons OF freight ha6 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 exert
ed = powerful influence upon the public mind.
Naturally the Administration, which has
staket the success Of its campaign against
the trusts upon the result Of its attack upon
this company. endeavors 20 Offset this inhu-
ence. and hence the new deliverance Of Com
missioner Smith
We need hardly 70 point out that his rebut-
tai argument is extremely weak although as
stroug. 10 doubt as the circumstances would
warrant He answe-s the points made by Presi'
dent Mo1ett substantially as follows CD The
Standard OIL Company had traffic department
and should have known that the sixcent rate
lad not been filed. p no answer, 49, the Chi
czg0 Eastern Illinois rate was secret rate
because il read. not from Whiting. but from
Dolt0u. which is described as a village Of
about 500 population Just outside Of Chicago
It's o-ly claim 10 note is that it has been FOL
many years the point Of origin for this and
similar secret rates. The Commissioner ad
rnifs in describing this rate that there was I
note attached stating that the rate could als'
Be used from Whiting
The press has quite generally hailed thi
statement OF the Commissioner OF Corpora
lions as conclusive refutation Of what is evi
6e-tly recognized as the strongest rebutta
argument advanced by the Standard
In facs Il is as weak and ineonclusive as IN
ra--.f-fe- nF his argument The lines OF tn
CHICAGO Eastern Illinois do not run int