Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-01-24
Commissioner Smith VS.. The Standard Oil Go.
From the RatlsOay WorLd January 3, 1905.

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 fling road,
and 1t was also general to state on the same
sheet, that the tariff would apply to other points
e. g. Whiting. The Chicago and Eastern Illinois
followed this practice in filing its rate from
Dolton. aud making note on the sheet that it
applied to Whiting. This was in 1906 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 filed a rate reading from Whiting
Commissioners Smith contends that "concealment
is the only motive for such circuitous arrange
ment," /. G., that this method of filing the rate
was intended to mislead intending competitors
OF the Standard Oil Company Suppose such
prospective oil rciner had applied to the Inter
state 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 filed with the commission by
this company was 6h cents from Dolton, and
he would have been further informed il indeed
he did not know this already. that this rate APP
piled throughout Chicago territory So that
whether he wished to locate his plant at Whit
ing anywhere else about Chicago, under an
arrangement Of long standing and which applies
to all the industrial towns in the neghborhood
Of Chicago. he could have his freight delivered
over the Belt Line to the Chictgo and Eastern
Illinois at Dolton and transported to East St
Louis at rate OF 6H cents. Where then is
the concealment which the Commissioner OF Cor
poratons makes so much OFF Any rate--from
Dolton 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 90 shipments from any other point in
the district So far from the Eastern Illinois
filing its rate from Doton in order to deceive
the shipper, il is the Commissioner Of Corpora
tions who either betrays his gross ignorance Of
customs in Chicago territory or
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. careful examination shows
these statements 10 be false
The final point made by President Moffett that
other commodities OF a character similar 10 oil
were carried AZ much lower rates than TS 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 a discrimination
as against other shippers OF oil,' and he also
makes much OF the failure of President Motfett
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