The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-12-30

Standard now calmly dcsignates as
I'absence OF discrimination"
This 6 cent Alton rate was "re-
bato" in essence. II not In form, and
lboth In essence and In form 1t was q
discrimination OF the most severe and
successful type.
The Standard Oil Company OF lndi-
ana has tried to excuse its use OF the
| 6 cent rate on two grounds. 1t admits
| that the 6 cent rate over the Alton
railroad was never filed with the In
tcrstate Commerce Commission as the
llaw required. But the Standard tries
to remely this fatal defect by referring
to certain application sheet which
was on file with tho commission. This
sheet merely stated that the rates
from Chicago should apply also from
Whiting, enumerated tho tariffs re-
ferred to by 1t, and named specifically
1.-THE tariff containing the Is cent oil
rate; but 1t made no mention OF the
unified Special Billing Order con-
itaining the 6 cent rate, nor did 1t give
,any information as to any G cent rate
on oil. or course, this sort OF thing
was absolutely no notice to anyone OF
the unpublished 6 cent rate, nor was 1t
| intended to be.
But the chief ground upon which the
| Standard defends itself Is the social
ed Chicago and Eastern Illinois rate. :"
1.-The claim is that while the shipments
| of oil were going on at 6 cents over
1.-THE Alton railroad there existed at the
same time over the Chicago and East
ern Illinois Railroad a rate Of 6H
cents from Whiting to East st. Louis.
| Tho Standard claims that this 6A
cent rate was a legal rate, and that
alleged legal rate over the Chicago
could have shipped all its oil at this
allegal legal rate over the Chicago
and Eastern Illinois, 1t was Justified in
accepting like rate over the Alton,
and thus that even If these shipments
over the Alton were technically Illegal
there was no moral wrong about them.
So far from this Chicago and East
ern Illinois rate" being justification
for the Alton shipments. 1t was an ad-
ditional wrong In itself, The Chica-
|go and Eastern Illinois rate was quite
as secret as the Alton rate and was
merely one more instance of the in
genious and deliberate attempts of the
Standard to evade, or violate with inn
punity, the whole spirit of the anti
discrimination law
Thefaetss as to this "justifying" rate
are as follows: In October, 1896, the
Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
filled with tho Interstate Commerce
Commission single mimeograph
sheet stating that the rate on oil from
Dolton. H., to East st. Louis was 6A
cents per hundred pounds There is
no evidence that this sheet was ever
distributed to any shipper except the
Standard Oil Company.
This rate read from Dolton," not
from Whiting or Chicago. A note,
however, indicated that 1t might also
be used from Whiting. But no inde
pendent shipper who wanted to ship
oil from Chicago or Whiting to East
st. Louis or st. Louis would ever think
of looking for rate from Dolton. Dol
ton is a village of about 1900 popula-
tion just outside 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. Conceal
ment is the only motive for such n
circuitous arrangement. Such was the
obscure origin and character of this
justifying" rate.
Furthermore. about four years later
In May, 1899. the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois Railroad still further conceal.
ed the existence of this already OBJ
scure Dolton rate by issuing and fl
ing the same c5asnicuous Is cent
tariff. already mentioned, to which the
Alton was also a party. This Is cent
tariff was the only oil rate on the
Chicago and Eastern Illinois which
could ever come to the notice of the
ordinary shipper. Thus during this
period the only justification for the
Standards claim that there was
legal 6h cent rate over the Chicago
and Eastern Illinois, lies in this In
conspicuous mimeograph sheet Of
1895 which read from Dolton. which
was concealed further by conspicu-
,us Is cent rate. and which was never
distributed or made public. And. as a
matter of fact. no other shipper knew
,f any or 6A cent rate. Although
such knowledge would hayo been very
important In mitigation of the fine.
the Standard made no attempt TO
prove such knowledge in the trial OF
the Chicago case.
Mr.. Moffett. however. in his said
statement was unfortunate enough to
make the claim that thousands .,of
tons of freight have been shipped from
these points during the last fifteen
years under the same circumstances
as the Standard shipments"
The grand jury. on instructions from
Judge Landis. thereupjon summoned
Mr. Monett before 1t. and reported 10
Judge Landis on October 4. in part.
as follows.