340 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.

of British-owned shipping to and from South American ports has
necessitated large coaling stations for general cargo and passenger
steamers. Most of the docks and coal handling facilities in South
American ports are controlled by English companies who have long
had the business of bunkering English ships at ports of call all
over the world. The intimate relation between the bunkering trade
for English ships and the export of coal to different countries for
consumption within those countries is one of the most important
causes of the success of Great Britain in obtaining and keeping the
coal trade of Latin America.
The extent to which this elaborate British mechanism for coal
trading in South America is dependent on the combination or interrelation
 of like and complementary units is self-evident. The size
of companies like the Consolidated Cambrian makes possible the control
 of colliers, docks, storage facilities, distributing agencies, ete.
The interrelation of miner, broker, shipowner, bunkering agent.
Jealer, and foreign consumer gives the combination the advantage
of rebates, concessions, cooperations, conveniences, singleness of
policy, ete.

HIGH QUALITY OF AMERICAN COALS SUITABLE FOR EXPORT.

It is frequently alleged that American coals are inferior in quality
to the British coals with which they must compete in foreign markets.
 It is claimed that Welsh coal is harder and stands shipment
better, that it is freer of sulphur and ash and higher in heating value.
[t is contended that American coal requires more labor in firing
and that grate bars and other equipment must be changed to use it.
For these reasons foreigners prefer the British coal and will even
pay higher prices for it.
It is doubtless true that furnace equipment and firing practice may
have to be altered to use American coal in place of Welsh. Such
alterations must be made for economical use of fuel when different
American coals are used here in the United States, but American
operators contend that the alleged inferiority of their coals is largely
legendary, that the belief in their inferiority among foreign consumers
 is due primarily to ignorance of proper firing methods in
burning American coals and has been fostered by British coal
merchants as a means of maintaining their own trade, and that
there are many coals produced in the United States which are of
sufficiently high quality to enter into foreign trade, some of them
quite capable of competing with Welsh coal.
In fact, there should be no question as to the variety and high
quality of coal that is available for export trade. Pocahontas, New
River, Tug River, Clinch Valley, Birmingham, and central Pennsyl-L
 Daily Consular and Trade Reports, Dec. 18, 1914, pp. 1201-1202.