270 REPORT ON.COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE,

textile industry, but a majority favor the inclusion of competing
lines as well. Some urged an organization embracing only manufacturers
 of wholly noncompeting and nonkindred articles. (Out of
more than 60 replies of textile manufacturers or exporters to the
schedule question less than 10 favored the exclusion of competing
products from export combinations.) Nearly all of the manufacturers
 and exporters thought that such combinations, if formed,
should be open to everyAmerican-owned concern in the United States,
but should be permitted to exclude any controlled by foreign interests.
 Several respondents asserted that any sort of combination in
the textile industry would be injurious.
Most of the proposals for export organization center upon some
form of joint selling agency, but in several instances looser organizations
 simply for fixing export prices are urged.
Cooperation in competing lines.—In the cotton manufacturing
industry the most complete plan suggested was that outlined by
W. S. Kies, of the National City Bank, at the public hearings in New
York City. This plan, which involves a joint-selling agency and a
system of competitive bidding by members, is printed in Part II
(pp. 272-273).
To cope with the situation in Manchuria described above, a report
of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, discussing the
trade of the United States with China, outlines a plan for an export
organization which would control most of the sales of sheetings,
drills, and other American cotton goods in China. The organization,
 instead of selling to rethilers would deal only with the large
houses in Manchuria, thereby simplifying the problems of credit
and finance. One or two American managers would be employed
vith competent Chinese compradores or agents under them.!
Other proposals for a joint-selling agency came from a number of
manufacturers and exporters of cotton goods, hosiery, knit goods,
and of wearing apparel. =A modification of this plan is the suggestion
of an exporter of cotton goods that cotton manufacturers be permitted
 to combine to the extent of sending a salesman to the actual
field of operations. A manufacturer of ginghams proposes that
existing commission houses, either jointly or singly, should establish
branches in foreign countries.
Combinations which would fix the price for export sales are proposed
 by two manufacturers. One, a manufacturer of men’s clothing,
 would have the organization confined to fixing the price for
export and to matters of legislation and tariffs, leaving the advertising
 and soliciting of business to the individual member. The
other, a manufacturer of flags, thinks export combinations, merely
t Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Special Agents Series, No. 107, 1916. p. 114.