Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1908-01-30
Commissioner Smith vs. The Standard Oil Co.
From The R0ilvay Uoyla January ), lpos

Chicago. They Terminate a, bolton from which
point entrance is made over the Belt Line Whit
ing where The OIL freight originates is not on
the lines Oh tho Chicago ard Eastern Illinois,
Witch receives MS Whiting freight from the Belt
LING at Dolton he former practice dis
continued. IN filing tariffs was IN make them
read from porn, ON HE line OF the filing road
and Ii was also general to state on the same
sheet. that the tariff would apply to other points
e 9, Whiting The Chicago and Eastern Illinois
followed this practice III filing its rate from Dol
ton. and making note on the sheet that Is M
piled TO Whiting Ihis was in 1903 when lhis
method OF Sling tariffs was in common use.
Now let Ms sec III what WY .lle intending
shipper OF oil could be nislcd and deceived by
the TACT that the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
had not tllcd rate reading from Whiting
Commissioners Smith contends tina. "concealment
is the only motive such cirtuito,is arrange
inent, e. that this method OF fl;ng the rate
was intended TO nslcad intending competitors
OF the Standard Oil Company S,pposc such a
prospective OIL rcilner had ;pplicd to the Inter
state Commerce Commission Tor the rate from
Chicago 10 isas. 81 Lofts oye the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois, he would have pcen Informed
that the only rate lcd with Tie commission bv
tins company was oil cent, iron, DoltoT. and
he would haze been further Informed. ii indeed
he did not know lis already, that this rate ap
piled throughout Chicago ;crriiory SO thar
whether he wished to locate his plaut al Whit
ing, anywhere else about Chicago under an
arranscmeii. OF long standing. and which apples
to all the industrial towns in the pcigllborlood
OF Chicago. he could have his freight delivered
over tie Belt Line 10 the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois at l)olton and transported TO Fast ST.
Lotus at rate OF Ga cents Where then is the
ronccanent which tho Commissioners OF Corpn-
ratlois makes SO much OF ANY rate from
Bolton the Eastern Illinois or Ciappell on
the Altou. or Harvey on the Illinois Central or
Bl,tc Island or the Rock Island applies through
out Chicago erritor4 10 shipments from VIII,
district. SO lar nom the Eastern Illinois fling
its rate from Doton III order TO deceive tho
shipper it is the Commissioner OF Corporations
who either bctra his gross ignorance OF trs1is-
portauon customs III Chicago territory or relies
on the public ignorance OF these customs 10
deceive the public too apt 70 accept uuqtlesion-
inel% every statement made by Government
official a. necessarily true, although as in the
present instance, a careful examination shows
these statements to be false
The final point made by President Nloffet, that
other commodities of character similar to oil
were carried at mich lower rates than IS cents,
the Commissioner of Corporations discusses only
with the remark that the reasonablcness of
this rate is not in question. The question is
whether this rate constituted a discrimination
as against other shippers of oil" and he 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 large shippers in the ter