The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-07-08
PlPEllNE RATE FOR cARRYlNe CAT CREEK
OIL Is FIXED AT 81 1.2 CENTS A BARREL

The rate for transporting oil by
pipeline from the Cat Greek field to
Winnett will be 321s cents a barrel,
according to an order made by the
Montana public utilities commission.
This was the rate in the schedule
filed by the Montana Independent
Pipe Line company. The Elk Basin
Consolidated Petroleum company Of
fered to transport the oil for Is cents.
The distance is the same for both
pipelines.
The utilities commission rules that
the 15-cent rate is SO low as to be
inadequate. So little evidence was
submitted at the commissions hear
ing at Lewistown in April that the
commission is not prepared to say
that the rate it has prescribed is the
proper rate, but it seems to be fair
rate to try, the commission says.
Oil shippers are to have five days
in which to have tank cars at Win
nett to receive the oil and the pipe
line companies must hold the oil that
long, according to the rules prescrib-
ed by the commission.
The two Cat creek concerns are the
only oil pipeline companies operating
in Montana. Under an act of the re-
cent assembly these enterprises be-
come common carriers. The commits
sion's decision:
In re petroleum pipe lines, report
and order No. -317, II NJ. U. r., this
board entered an order directing
every person, corporation or business
association of any kind whatever en-
gagged in interstate pipeline transpor-
tation of petroleum, to file with the
board, on or before Wednesday, June
l, 1921, all and singular the rates
and charges now exacted or proposed
for gathering. transporting, and de-
livering, by pipeline, crude petroleum
within this state, and for the use Of
storage and other facilities incident
to such business, together with the
rules, regulations and practices pro-
mulga.ed or proposed to govern such
business in its public relations.
ION May 81, 1921, the Elk Basin
Consolidated Petroleum company
filed its local tariff which contained
a rate OF Is cents per barrel of AZ
U. s. gallons for gathering crude Pc
troleum oil from wells in the Cat
Creek field, Montana. within the ter
ritory of the Elk Basin Consolidated
Petroleum company's gathering sys-
tenn, and Transporting same to Win
nett, Montana
ION May 81, 1921, the Montana In
dependent Pipe Line company filed
its pipeline tariffs in Cat Creek oil
fields naming rate of 80 Y cents
per barrel of ~ gallons for gather
ing crude petroleum in the Cat Greek
field, transporting it to Winnett, and
loading it in tank cars or containers
divided as follows: Gathering, 10
cents, transportation Is cents, load
ing 77a cents.
Both companies, and the two
named are the only carriers engaged
in intrastate transportation Of petro-
leum, filed their rules and regula-
tons, and likewise written accept
ances OF chapter OF the laws of the
extraordinary session of the Seven
teenth legislative assembly of the
state of Montana, 1921, an act APP
proved March %, 1921.
Hard to Determine
I'VE are asked now to prescribe
reasonable rates for the service in
question. Rate-making is always
prophecy, the accuracy Of which de-
ponds upon a complete exposure and
developments of all existing relevant
facts and the proper determination
Of the forces to be assigned each fact
or fact group in the construction of
the rate schedule, In the instant
case, there is very little evidence in
the record (and we think that all
facts now available are incorporated
therein) which serves as fact base
for rate prophecy. Aailab!e data
are most imperfect, and for a good
reason: Neither company has been
engaged as matter of practice in the
transportation of crude petroleum to
or for the public for hire beyond
period of twenty days previous here
to. Indeed, explicit profession of
such service, coupled with capacity
to serve, does not antedate the middle
Of May, 1921.