The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-01-21

Chicago They terminate at Doltorl, from which
point entrance is made over the Belt Line.
Whiting, where the oil freigh. originates. is not
Oh the lines of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois,
which receives its Whiting freight from the Belt
Line at BOLTON. The former practice, now dis
continued, in filing tariffs was to make them
read from a point on the line of the fling road
and it also general to state on the same
sheet, that the tariff would apply TO other points.
c. g., Whiting The Chicago ard Eastern Illinois
followed this practice in fling its rate from
BOLTON, and making note OH the sheet that it
applied to Whiting. This was in 1906 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 fact that the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
had not filed rate reading from Whiting
Commissioner Smith contends that "concealrnent
is the only motive fer such circuitous arrange
nent," i. e., that this method of filing the rate
was intended to mislead intending competitors
Of the Standard Oil Company Suppose such
prospective oil re6ner 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 GA cents from .Dolton. and
u, IL
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
to an the industrial towns in the neighborhood
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 a rate of GA cents. Where then. is
the concealment which the Commissioner of Cor
porations makes so mitch off, Any rate--frofn
Dolton on the Eastern Illinois or Chappef on
the Alton or Harvey on the Illinois Central. or
Bite 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 Doiton in order to deceive
the shipper, it is the Commissioner, of Corpora
tons who either betrays his gross ignorance of
transportation customs in Chicago territory or
relies OF the public ignorance of these customs
TO deceive the public too apt TO accept unques-
tioningly every statement made by Govern
meflt official as necessarily true although, as in
the present instance. careful examination shows
these statements to be false. - ..e,,. .
The final point made by President Moffett thai
other commodities Of character similar to oil
were carried at much lower rates than, I8 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 Monett
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