The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1908-01-21

NJ. Herbert Knox Smith. whose Eaal In the
eanae Of economis reform has been In no wiss
ahased BY the panic which he and hls Kind did
80 much 10 briue on. II ont with an answer to
President Moffett Of the Standard on Company
~ Indiana. The publication II this answer. u
Is officially given out. vas DELAYED several
weeks. for business reasons" because II was
not deemed advisable 10 further excite the pub
nc mind. which was profoundly disturbed By the
crisis. Now that the storm clouds have rolled
BY. however. the commissioner PUSHES again
into the fray
our readers remember that the chief pogats
In the defense Of the Standard OH Company, az
presented By President Moffctt. were. 81 that
the rate 81 six cents on oil from Whiting 10
East st. Louis bad been issued to the stand
ard oil Company the lawful rate by em
payes of the Alton. e. that the fs-eent rate
on file with the Interstate commerce commits
sion MAS a class and not a commodity rate.
newer being intended 10 apply TO oil. a. that
oil was shipped In iarg. quantities between
.Nhlting and East St fsuis over the Chicago
and Eastern Illinois az six aud one fourth cents
per hundred pounds. which has been filed with
the Interstate commerce commission as the
lawful rate. and ~ that the fscent rate on
oil vas entirely ont OF proportion 10 lawful
rates on other commodities between these
points OF similar character and OF greater
value. such for example as fuseed oil the
lawful rate on which was eight cents PreaI.
dent Maffett also stated that thousands OF tons
of freight had been sent BY other shippers he
tween these points under substantially the
same conditions az governed the shipments of
the Staudard OF Company
The defense OF the Standard OF Company
WAS widely quoted and has undoubtedly cK-
eried powerful influence upon the public
mind Naturally the administration, which has
Htaked the success OF ita campaign against the
trusts upon the result OF it, attack upon
This company. sndeayofs to offset this influ.
snce. and hence the new deilvesance Of Com.
missioner Smith.
We need hardly TO point out that his rebuttal
argument Is extremely weak although a.
strong. no doubt. az the circumstances would
warrant lie answers the points made by Pres.
ident Moffctt substantially as follows. % The
Standard OF Company had a traffic depart.
ment. and should have known that the six.
, cent rate had not been filed. 90 no answer -
the Chicago and Eastern Illinois rate was a
secret rate because u read. not from Whiting.
but from Dolton. which II described as n VII.
lage Of about 500 population lust outside Of
Chicago. Its only claim to note IL that # has
been for many years the point of origin for this
and similar secret rates" The commissioner
h admits in describing this rate that there was Z
note attached stating that the rate could also
n De used from whiting
II The press has quite generally hailed THU
statement OF the commissioner OF corporations
H as a conclusive rcfutation OF what r. evldenti,
II recognized ms the strongest rebutta argument
z advanced by the Standard
/ IN Fact. 10 Is as weak aud lnconcusive az the
/ Sss.aea1ssa IT zoos '0quouse-s The lh~es Of the