330 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.
of the Ruhr district, which lies on both sides of the Rhine just
north of the Ruhr River. This makes the district readily accessible
to important markets by water transportation. Formerly there
were a number of small unorganized boat lines on the Rhine, and their
operations unsettled coal prices. Moreover, some of the larger lines
had their own coal mines. Therefore, if the syndicate was to control
 prices effectually, it was necessary to control the Rhine transportation
 of coal. The syndicate persuaded the larger shipowners
to join it, offering to help them consolidate the Rhine traffic. This
was done early in 1904 by the formation of the Rhine Coal Dealing
% Ship Line Co. (Rheinische Kohlenhandels &amp; Rhedereigesellschaft)
 usually referred to as the “ Kohlenkontor.” The latter buys
coal from the syndicate, sends it on the Rhine and its affluents and rail
connections to ‘South Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium,
and eastern France, where it sells on its own account as a dealer.
There are now 87 members of the Kohlenkontor with a total
annual quota in the syndicate of over 9,000,000 tons. The small
commercial dealers have been forced out of business, the trade has
been stabilized, and, with the production and transportation of coal
thus controlled along the Rhine, the syndicate has a powerful position
 in the domestic and export trade.
Upper Silesian Coal Convention.—In the important Upper Silesian
 field, lying between Bohemia and Poland, there is a combination
known as the Oberschlesische Kohlenkonvention. This field competes
 but little with the Ruhr district, but serves markets peculiarly
its own because of geographical location. It enjoys cheap water
transportation on the Oder to points in eastern Germany and supplies
 the industries adjacent to that river and in Silesia. Its export
markets are Russia, Roumania, and Austria-Hungary, and its export
shipments are an important part of its business.
The coal convention has played a prominent part in the expansion
of these exports and has conducted the business with such energy that
the producers of Austria-Hungary have been forced in self defense
to combine against the competition of the superior German coal,
vigorously pushed by the united German operators.
BELGIUM.

Belgian coal does not compete to any important extent in export
markets, but prior to the war the organization of the industry in
that country was so comprehensive that it deserves a brief delineation.
 Of the 25,322,419 short tons of coal produced in 1912, 17,-617,471
 tons were mined in the Province of Hainaut, in which lie
the three coal basins of the Centre, Charleroi, and Mons. The remainder
 came from the Provinces of Liége (6,817,048 tons) and
Namur (887.899). The location of the industry was a factor in the