Evening journal., 1908-01-18

Chicago They terminate at Dolton, from which
point entrance Is made over the Belt Line.
Whiting, where the oil freight originates. is not
on the lines Of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois,
which receives lis Whiting freight from the Belt
Line at Dolton. The former practice. now dis
continued, in filing tariffs was TO make them
read from point on the line OF the filing road,
and it was also general TO state on the same
sheet, that the tariff would apply TO other points,
e. g.. Whiting. The Chicago and Eastern Illinois
followed this practice in filing its rate from
Dolton, and making note on the sheet that it
applied to Whiting. This was in 1906 when this
method Of fling tariffs was in common use.
Now let us see in what way the intending
shipper Of oil could be mised and deceived by
the fact that the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
had not filed a rate reading from Whiting.
Commissioner Smith contends that "coneealment
is the only motive for such circuitous arrange
ment" l. e.. that this method OF filing the rate
was intended TO mslead intending competitors
OF the Standard Oil Company Suppose such a
prospective oil rehner had applied to the Inter
state Commerce Commission for the rate from
Chicago TO East 81 Louis over the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois, he would have been informed
that the only rate filed with the commission by
this company was on cents from Dolton, and
he would have been further informed, II indeed
he did not know this already that this rate ap-
piled throughout Chicago territory So that
whether he wished to locate his plant at Whit
ing. or anywhere else about Chicago, under an
arrangement Of long standing, and which applies
to all the industrial towns in the neighborhood
Of Chicago he could have his freight delivered
over the Belt Line 10 the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois at Dolton and transported to East 81.
Louis at a rate Of 6M cents. Where then is
the concealment which the Commissioner OF Cor
porations makes so much Of? Any rate-from
Dolton on the Eastern Illinois or Chappell on
the Alton, or Harvey on the Illinois Central, or
Blue Island on the Rock Island, applies through
out Chicago territory TO shipments from Whit
ing, as to shipments from any other point in
the district So far from the Eastern Illinois
filing its rate from Dolton in order to deceive
the shipper, il is the Commissioner Of Corpora
tons who either betrays his gross ignorance OF
transportation customs In Chicago territory or
relics on the public ignorance of these customs
10 deceive the public too apt TO accept unques-
toningly every statement made by a Govern
ment official as necessarily true, although as in
the present instance careful examination shows
these statements to be false
The final point made BY President MoTett that
other commodities Of a character similar 10 oil
were carried at much lower rates than I8 cents
the Commissioner Of Corporations discusses only
with the remark that "ihe 'reasonableness' oi
this rate is not in question The question is
whether this rate constituted discrimination
as against other shippers OF oil" and he also
makes much Of the failure Of President Mohet
TO produce before the grand jury evidence of the
alleged illegal acts of which the Standard Oil
official said that other large shippers in the ter