226 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.

most typical of the French comptoirs. The Comptoir Métallurgique
de Longwy handles the domestic sales of pig iron for its members,
and the Comptoir d’Exportation des Fontes de Meurthe-et-Moselle
\ransacts the business of foreign sales. The membership of the two
is practically the same, as are also the officials, the organization?
and operation? The capitalization of each is comparatively small.
The domestic combination, Comptoir Métallurgique de Longwy,
was organized in 1876 by four pig-iron producers, the central office
being at Longwy, Department of Meurthe-et-Moselle.® In 1915,
18 concerns were members.* Some producers are not affiliated with
the comptoir, because they consume all the pig iron that they proluce;
 hence they have no need for the services of a selling agency.
In general, however, the plants turn out more than they use, and at
certain times those who are not members make a temporary arrangement
 with the comptoir to dispose of their stock. There are also
semiofficial members who do not sign the agreement, but who unreservedly
 carry out its regulations, e. g., certain Belgian concerns
who are prohibited by law from establishing contractual relations
with the comptoir.®
An administrative council in which all the members are represented
 has general direction of the work of the comptoir, and appoints
 a managing director to carry out the measures adopted.’ In
case disputes arise as to the execution of the regulations of the
somptoir, a provision exists for resort to arbitration.”
The comptoir does not in any way restrict the production but
merely divides the domestic orders among the members according te
a fixed proportion. What the members wish to sell abroad may be
disposed of without its mediation.® Members, however, must reserve
a certain amount of space in which to store material for the comptoir
 in order that its deliveries may be promptly made, and a maximum
 and a minimum is set for the stock held in reserve for the
somptoir® While the comptoir fixes the quantities to be sold, it
accepts no commission. To defray the actual expenses of its work,
the members usually deduct from each invoice 2 per cent for the
somptoir and one-half per cent for the reserve fund. At the end of
sach six months overprovisions are returned pro rata.’* It is able to

1 Comité des Forges de France: Annuaire, 1914-15, p. 701.
'P. Obrin, Le Comptoir Métallurgique de Longwy (Paris), 1908, p. 159.
3p, de Rousiers, Les Syndicats Industriels de Producteurs (Paris), 1912, p. 181;
f. Laur, De 'Accaparement, vol. IIL, p. 167; Comité Des Forges de France, Annuaire,
1914-15, p. 699.
t See Pt. II, pp. 97-98, for names of officers and members.
5 Obrin, op. cit, pp. 76-79.
8 Ibid., p. 85.
7 Laur, op. cit., Vol. III, p. 185,
1P, de Rousiers, op. cit., pp. 175, 176, 180, and 181,
) Obrin, op. cit., pp. 51-59, 61-63.
Pt. II, p. 98.