The Washington times., 1908-01-17

recognized as the strongest rebuttaI argument
advanced by the Standard.
In fact. it is as weak and fncorcusive az the
remainder of his argument. The lines Of the
Chicago and Eastern Illinois do not run into
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 BOLTON. The former practice, now
discontinued, in fling tariffs TO make them
read from point on the line IT the filing road,
and it also general 10 state "a the same
sheet, that the tariff would apply 10 other
points. e. E., Whiting. The Chicago and East
ern Illinois followed this practice in filing its
rate from BOLTON, and making note the
sheet that it 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 by
the fact that the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
had not fled rate reading from Whiting.
Commissioner Smith contends that conceal
ment is the only motive for such circuitous
arrangement" j. e., that this method of filing
the rate was intended 10 mislead intending
competitors of the Standard Oil Company,
Suppose such prospective oil refner had APP
piled to the Interstate Commerce Commission
for the rate from Chicago TO East st. Louis
over the Chicago and Eastern Illinois, he would
have been informed that the only rate fled
with the commission by this company was 81
cents from BOLTON, and be would have been
further informed, if indeed he did not know
this already, that this rate applied throughout
Chicago territory. So that whether he wished
TO locate his plant at Whiting, anywhere
else about Chicago, under an arrangement of
long standing, and which applies TO all the in
dustriai towns in the neghbOrhood Of Chicago,
he could have mis- freight delivered the
Belt Line to the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
al BOLTON and transported TO East 81. Louis at
a rate of 6A cents. Where then Is the conceal
meut which the Commissioner Of Corporations
makes much of? Any rate-frOm DoIton on
the Eastern Illinois or Chappell on the Alton.
Harvey the Illinois Central, or Blue
Island on the Rock Island, applies throughout
Chicago territory to shipments from Whiting,
10 shipments from any other point in the
district. So far from the Eastern Illinois filing
its rate from DoitOn in order to deceive the
shipper, il is the Commissioner OF Corporations
who either betrays his gross ignorance of
transportation customs in Chicago territory
relies on the public ignorance of these customs
TO deceive 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, a careful examination
shows these statements TO be false
The final point made by President Nloffett
10 oil were carried at much lower rates than IS
cents, the Commissioner of Corporations dis
cusses only with the remark that 1.-The reason
ableness' of this rate is not in question. The
question is whether this rate constituted dis
elimination against other shippers of oil"
and he also makes much of the failure of Pres