Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-20

Chicago They terminate * Bolton. from which
point entrance is made the Belt Line
Whiting. where the OIL freight originates IS not
the lines vi the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
which receives its Whiting lrcigh. from tie Belt
Line 1T Dolton. The former practice now di.
continued. in filing tariffs was to make them
read from point on the line 81 The fling road,
and it was also general 10 state OH the same
sheet that the tariff would apply 10 other points.
c. g, Whiting. The Chicago and Eastern Illinois
followed this practice in filing lis rate from
Doton, and making a note the shee, that il
applied to Whiting. This was in 1905 when this
method Of fling tariffs was in common use.
Now let us see in what way the intending
shipper Of oil could be misled and deceived by
the TACT that the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
had not filed 4 rate reading from Whiting.
Commissioner Smith contends that "conccalment
is the only motive for such circritous arrange
ment." l. e., that this method OF filing the rate
was intended to mislcad intending competitors
OF the Standard Oil Company Suppose such 4
prospective oil rciner had applied to the inter
state Commerce Commission for The rate from
Chicago TO East st. Louis over TIE Chicago and
Eastern Illinois, he would have been informed
that the only rate filed with the commission BY
this company was 6H cents from Doton and
he would have been further informed, if 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
10 all the industrial towns in the neghbortood
of Chicago, he could have his freight delivered
over the Belt Line to the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois at Dolton and transported to East St
Louis at rate Of 81 cents. Where then is
the conccalment which the Commissioner Of Cor
porations makes SO much Of ANY rate-from
Bolton 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 BOLTON in order TO deceive
the shipper it is the Commissioner of Corpora
tons who either betrays his gross ignorance OF
transportation customs i'll Chicago territory or
relies on the public ignorance Of these customs
to deceive the public too apt to accept unqucs-
tioningly every statement made by Govern
mcnt 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 10 oil
were carried at much lower rates than I3 cents,
the Commissioner OF Corporations discusses only
with the remark that "the 'reasonableness' of
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 Mofett
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