The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-02-06
Commissioner Smith VS.. The Standard Oil Go.
From Tie Ratlsoay Ho,id, ./anua,y ,, 1905.

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 "a
President Moffett. OF the Standard OH Com.
pany OF Indiana. The publication OF this an.
swer. II is officially given out was delayed sew.
erai weeks, "for business reasons" because Il
was 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 Motfett. were ca 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. 90 that the 1Scent rate on Gle
with the Interstate Commerce Commission was
class and not n commodity rate never being
intended 10 apply 10 oil. t3l that oil was
shipped in large quantities between Whiting
and East ST. Louis over the Chicago a. East
ern Illinois nj 6A cents per hundred pounds
which has been filed with the Interstate Com.
merce Commission az the lawful rate. and tgl
that the iS-cent rate on oil was entirely out OF
proportion 10 lawful rates on other commodi-
ties between these points OF similar char
acier. and Of greater value, such for example.
as linseed oil. the lawful rate on which was
eight cents. President MoTett 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 OF Company
was widely quoted and has undoubtedly exert
ed powerful influence upon the public mind
Naturally tho Administration which has
staked the success OF it's campaign against
the trusts" upon the result Of lie attack upon
this company. cndesvorH 10 Offset this innu.
epee. and hence the new delivorance Of Com
missioner Smith.
We need hardly 20 point out that his rebut.
Ia argument Is extremely weak, although as
strong, no doubt. an the circumstances would
warrant He answers the points made BY PsesI
dent MofTett substantially as follows: n) The
Standard oil Company had a iraffc department
aud should have known that the Klx-eon; rate
had not been filed go no answer 90 the Chi
eago Eastern Illinois rate wrs a Eec~e, rate
because II read. not from Whiting but from
Doiton. which IL described ss a VILLAGE o.
about l-5oo population just outside Of Chicago
Its only claim 10 note is tha: 1t has been for
many years the point Of origin for this aud
similar secre, rates" The Commigssoner al.
miis in describing this rate that there was
soie attached stating that the rate ooald aizo
be used from Whiting
The press has quite generally hailed this
statement ~ the Commissioner uf Corpora.
tons as conclusive refu,stlon Of what Is eyi.
dentiy recognized as the strongest rebuitaI
argument advanced by the Standard.
In fact. II Is as weak and incoueluxive as the
remainder OF hts argument The lines Of the
Chicago & Eastern Illinois do not run into