Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1908-02-01
Commissioner Smith VS.. The Standard
From tie Railvay Vo,ld Iauuary ?, l0o8

~
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 G. Eastern Illinois,
which receives it's Whiting freight from the
Belt Line at Dolton. The former practice, now
discontinued, in filing tariffs was to make
them read from a point on the line of the fill
ing road, and it was also general to state on
the same sheet, that the tariff would apply to
other points, G. g., Whiting The Chicago &,
Eastern Illinois followed this practice in filing
us rate from BOLTON, and making a note on
the sheet that is applied to Whiting. This was
IN 1895 when this method of filing tariffs was
in common use.
Now let US see in what way the intending
shipper Of oil could be misled and deceived bv
the TACT that the Chicago & Eastern Illinois
had not Med rate reading from Whiting.
commissioner Smith contends that Conceal
ment IS the only motive for such circuitous
arrangement i. e., that this method of filing
the rate was intended to mislead intending
competitors of the Standard Oil COMPANY.
suppose such prospective oil reiiner had an.
plled TO the Interstate Commerce Commission
Tor the rate from Chicago to East st. Louis
over the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, he would
have been informed that the only rate filed
with the commission by this COMPANY was 6H
.ehts from bolton, and he would have been
lurther informed, If indeed he did not know
lhls Already that this rate applied throughout
Chlcago territory. So that whether he wished
TO locate his plant at Whiting, or anywhere
else ABOUT Chicago under an arrangement of
long standing, and which applies to all the in.
dustFlal towns in the neighborhood of Chica-
30, he could have his freight delivered over
the Belt Line to the Chicago & Eastern III.
nols at bolton and transported to East ST
LOUIS at rate of Ga cents. Where then is
me concealment which the Commissioner of
corporations makes so much Of? Any rate
from Dolton on the Eastern Illinois or Chan
pen On the Alton, or Harvey on the Illinois
central or Blue Island on the Rock Island
dppHes throughout Chicago territory TO shin.
ments from any other point in the district
90 lar from the Eastern Illinois filing its rate
from Doton in order to deceive the simmer
1t Is the Commissioner of Corporations who
either betrays his gross ignorance of transnor.
tation customs in Chicago territory M roIios
on the public ignorance of these customs TO
uecelVe the public too apt to accept unques-
uohlhgly every statement made by Govern
nlent oihclal as necessarily true, although. as
IN the present instance careful examination
SHOWS these statements &c be false.
Inc maj nrnt made by President AIoffett
that otp"F commodities of a character similar
10 OF were carried at much lower rates than
:" cents the Commissioner of Corporations
discusses only with the remark that "the
reasonableness' of this rate is not in question
me question is whether this rate constituted
discrimination as against other shippers of
OIL ana ne also makes much Of the failure of
president Moffett to produce before the grand
Jury evidence of the alleged illegal acts of
which the Standard Oil official said that other