Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-01-31
Commissioner Smith VS. The Standard Oil Co.
From the Rai11Vay World January >, 1905

Chicago. They terminate at Dolton, from which
point entrance is made over the Belt Line Whit
ing, 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 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,
{. g., Whiting. The Chicago and Eastern Illinois
followed this practice in filing its rate from Dol
ton, and making note on the sheet that is ap-
piled 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 "concealment
is the only motive for such a circuitous arrange
ment," e. that this method of fling the rate
was intended TO mislead intending competitors
Of the Standard Oil Company Suppose such a
prospective oil reflner 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 Oh cents from Doiton, and
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, or anywhere else about Chicago, under an
arrangement of long standing, and which applies
to all the industrial towns i'll 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 6N cents Where then is the
concealnent which the Commissioner Of Corpo-
rations makes so much Off Any ratc-from
DoOn on the Eastern Illinois or Chappeli 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 fling
its rate from BOLTON in order to deceive the
shipper, it is the Commissioner of Corporations
who either betTays his gross ignorance of trans
portation customs in Chicago territory or relies
on the public ignorance Of these customs 10
deceive the public too apt to accept unquestion-
ingly every statement made by Government
official necessarily true, although, as in the
present instance careful examination shows
these statements to be false
The final point made by President MoiTctt that
other commodities of character similar TO oil
were carried at much lower rates than 70 cents,
the Commissioner Of Corporations discusses only
with the remark that the reasonabIeuess 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 MoEsu
to produce before the grand jury evidence Of tie
alleged illegal acts Of which the Standard Oil
ctacial said that other large shippers in the 'er.