282 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.
This arrangement would leave to the rest of the mills 4.86 per cent
of the Prodameta’s sales.
Some of the mills belonged to several syndicates if they produced
articles which the Prodameta did not market. One of the largest
ironworks of South Russia, the Yuzhno-Russkoe Dneprovskoe
Obshchestvo, belonged to seven different syndicates; another belonged
 to six, five belonged to four, and five belonged to three.”
Having established a central sales agency, first at Kharkov, then
at Petrograd, the Prodameta fixed the sales prices and laid down conlitions
 of payment more favorable to the manufacturers than to the
zonsumers. On the whole the Prodameta raised the prices on the
syndicated article as soon as there was no competition in sight. If
there was a competitor the prices were lowered to force him to go
out of business or to join the syndicate. After that the prices rose
again. This was especially the case when the Prodameta took over
the exclusive right to sell beams and ties in 1907 and assorted bar
iron in 1908.2 The competitive prices used against the Polish iron
syndicate in 1909 forced the latter, consisting of eight works. to enter
as a body into an agreement with the Prodameta.?
The Prodameta comprises the most important works, particularly
in the south of Russia, and controls most of the business in manufactures.t
 The orders received by the syndicate have increased in
volume year by year. Additional capital has been devoted to
strengthening the productive resources of the companies, and to the
acquisition of new coal and iron-ore mines. The orders received by
the syndicate in 1912 were given, provisionally, as 1,959,806 tons.
It supplies more than 90 per cent of the native assorted iron girders
and sleepers, about 80 per cent of the trusses, 88 per cent of the
sheet iron made in Russia, all of the axles of domestic make. and
a large part of the iron rails used in the Empire.
At the beginning of 1912 certain of the agreements were renewed
for three years.
This large combination has been financed by four groups of banking
 interests—Russian, French, German, and Belgian.”
It has been reported that on January 12, 1916, the “ Prodameta ”
was dissolved, owing. to the failure to renew the agreements and

1 Kafengmaus, op. cit, p. 148. .
3 Promyshlennost 1 Torgovlia (Petrograd), 1909. No. 6; also Kafengaus, op. cit, 12
32-84, 86.
2 Torgovo-Promyschlennaia Gazeta (Petrograd), 1909, No. 21,
+ Iron and Coal Trades Review (London), Nov. 27, 1914, p. 676,
5 J, H. Snodgrass, Russia, 8 Handbook on Commercial and Industrial Conditions, Bureau
of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Special Consular Report No, 61 (1913), p. 129:
also Goldstein, op. cit., p. 245.
® Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Special Consular Report No. 61, p. 129,
and Kartell-Rundschau, March. 1912, p. 336,
1 Qoldsteln, op. cit., p. 232.