Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1908-01-30

Mr. Herbert Knox Smith whose zeal in tic
cause of economic reform has been in no wisc
abated by the panic which he and hts kind dis,
so much to bring ON, is out with an answer 10
President Motfctt. OF the Standard Oil Conlpang
OF Indiana The publication OF this answer, it is
oiflciay gwen out, was delayed several weeks
Tor business reasons, because ii w;c not
deemed advisable 10 further excite the public
mind, which was profoundly disturbed By the
crlsls Now that the storm clouds have rolled
by, however, the Commissioner rushes again
into the fray.
Our readers remember that HE cllici points in
the defence OF the Standard Oil Company as
presented by President Motfctt. were. % shat
the rate OF SIX cents on oil from Whiting to
East ST Louis has been issued to The Standard
Oil Company, the lawful rate BIZ employees OF
the Alton, (2) that the lS-cent rate cn file with
the Interstate Commerce Commission was a
class and not commodity rate. never being in
tended to apply TO oil go that oil was shipped in
large quantities between Whiting and .asi St
Louis over the Chicago and Eastern Illinois at
six and one-iourth cents per hundred pounds.
which has been filed with the Interstate Com
nerce Commission the lawful rate and 81
that the 1S-cent rate on oil entirely ont of
proportion to lawful rates other commodities
between these points OF similar character and
OF greater value, such, Tor example, a. li,,sc.d
oil, the lawful rate which was eight cents
President Motfett also stated that thousands of
tons Of freigli, had been sent BY other shippers
between these points under substantial, the
same conditions as governed the shipments oil
the Standard Oil Company.
This defence OF the Standard Oil Company
was widely quoted and has undoubtedly cxerted
powerful influence upon the public mind N;l-
urally the Administration, which has staked tltc
success OF Its campaign against The trusts" ,.p-
on the result of its attack upon this company,
endeavors to offset this influence, and hcrce the
new delverance OF Commissioner Smith
We need hardly to point ont that his rebuttal
argument IS extremely weak although as strong.
no doubt, as tile circumstances would warra,!.
He answers the points made BY President Moi
felt substantially as follows: (1) The Standard
Oil Company had traffic department, and
should have known that the sx-cent rate had
not been filed, (2) no answer, 80 the Chicago
and Eastern Illinois rate was !; secret rate be-
cause it read, not from Whiting but from Dol
ton, which is described as a village OF about
1900 population just outside OF Chicago. Its
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 this
statement of the Commissioner of Corporations
as conclusive refutation of what is evidently
recognized as the strongest rebuttal argument
advanced by the Standard.
In fact. it is as weak and inconclusive as the
remainder of his argument The lines of the
Chicago and Eastern Illinois do not run into