The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-17

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 its 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. e., Whiting. The Chicago and Eastern Illinois
followed this practice in filing its rate from
Dolton, and making note OH the sheet that it
applied to Whiting. This was in 1906 VIXEN this
method OF filing tariffs was in common use.
Now let MS see in what way the intending
shipper Of oil could be misled and deceived by
the fact that the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
had not filed rate reading from Whiting
Commissioner Smith contends that "conccaImcnt
is the only motive Tor such a crcutous arrange
mcnt," l. e. that this method of filing the rate
was intended to misead intending competitors
OF the Standard Oil Company Suppose such d
prospective oil reincr had applied to the Inter
state Commerce Commission for the rate from
Chicago TO Fast ST. Louis over the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois he would have been Informed
that the only rate filed with the commission by
this company was 6H cents from Dolton. and
he would have been further informed, il indceG
he did not know this already that this rate ap
piled throughout Chicago territory So thai
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 ncighborhood
Of Chicago. he could have his freight delivered
over the Belt Line to the Chicrgo aud Eastern
Illinois at Dolton and transported TO East st.
Louis at rate of 6H cents Where then Is
the conccamcnt which the Commissioner OF Cor
porationS makes so much Off Any ratc--from
Doltun 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
tions who either bctrays bis gross ignorance Of
transportation customs in Chicago territory or
relies on the public ignorance of these customs
to dcceiyc the public too apt TO accept unques
tioningly 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 Moffett that
other commodities of character similar 20 oil
were carried at much lower rates than I5 cents
the Commissioner OF Corporations discusses only
with the remark that "the 'reasonabcness' 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 Moffet
to prodncc before the grand jury evidence OF the
alleged illegal acts Of which the Standard Oil
official said that other large shippers in the ter
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