West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-12-07
LEGAL RESTRICTIONS
HAMPER OUR TRADE

their activities both i'm domestic anC
foregn trade. In England and Aus
,tria-Hungary. though freedom 10 com.
bine is considerably abridged under
the law. important combinations have
also been formed
The long established trade i'm Brit.
ish products in many markets OF the
world. due TO their pioneer position
the excellent representation afforded
by British export houses, and the ad-
van.ages OF British chipping and bank
ing facilities. have enabled their man
ufacturers TO hold their foreign mar
kets in many lines without such a
large degree OF combination as charac-
teriZes German industry. But i'm var
ious important industries combina-
tions have grown UP. Thus most OF
the great coal export business is done
by powerful organizations combining
mine operators. marketing companies.
/ coal shipping lires and foreign dts
tributing companies. This gives Brit
ish coal its grip on the important
| South American markets
1T is against such organizations as
these. uniting powerful groups of for
eign concerns. backed by great banks,
aided by railway and ship lines and
assisted by foreign governments that
| hundreds OF comparatively small
American manufacturers and produc-
ers must compete IL they engage in ex-
port trade. Moreover, i'm some indus
tries such smaller manufacturers must
also compete abroad with great Amer
lean companies having most efficient
worldwide selling organizations.
-Four London firms known as the
Fixing Board. daily set the price of
silver for the world, and American
mining companies must sell their sill
yer for either the English or the great
Indian market to one of these four
houses. For years the copper trade
, Of the world has been ruled by vast
German metal buying organization
centering in the Metallbank und Metal
lurgische Gesellschaft A. c.. OF Frank
fort on the Main. This combination
has subsidiary and affiliated compan-
les in Germany. England France,
Spain. Switzerland, Belgium. Africa
and Australia. controls copper and
lead mines and smelters i'm the United
NJ
and works in agreement with other
German metal buying companies.
These combinations naturally make
individual American producers bid
against each other" says the report,
''and are thus able to buy at compara-
lively low prices. According 10 the
president OF one OF the largest Ameri-
can copper companies. the German
metal buying combinations, by such
tactics as these and by the manipula-
ton OF the foreign future markets, has
bought millions OF tons OF American
copper at prices averaging over ser
les OF years. nearly cent a pound be-
low the prices paid by American con-
sumers.
BY its investigation the commission
has established the fact that doubt as
to the application of the antitrust
laws to export trade generally pre-
vents concerted action by American
business men in export trade, even
among producers OF non-competing
goods. In view of this fact and of the
conviction that cooperation should be
encouraged in export trade among
competitors as we'll as non-competi-
tors, the commission recommends the
enactment of deciaratory and permis-
sive legislation to remove this doubt
This recommendation is made subject
to the condition that the legislation
shall be carefully safeguarded and
shall make absolutely clear that the
combinations for export business are
subject to all the rigors of the Sher-
man law II they are used TO restrain
trade in the United States