346 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.

to adequately extend the American bunkering and export trade into
foreign markets in competition with the English coal operators will
require extensive cooperation. In the New River field, for example,
there are about 60 concerns mining coal. Of this number, 10 of the
largest produce approximately 75 per cent of the total output and
one of these companies produces 25 per cent. It has been suggested
that all the operators of this field who wish to take part in the bunker
and export trade form a joint selling organization to handle the business,
 subject to such supervision by the Federal Government as the
latter might deem expedient and desirable. It would have nothing
to do with domestic business, which would be handled by the differant
 companies individually, as now done.
Such a joint selling agency, it is suggested, would fix the grades
»f coal which it desired to handle in foreign trade and would have
a force of inspectors to see that each mine conformed to its requirements
 in this respect and to insure the necessary uniformity of quality
to the foreign consumer. It would also establish coaling stations at
important ports in South America and in the Mediterranean if that
market were also cultivated, and would put on its own fleet of colliers.
 By these means large stores of coal could be maintained
abroad where desired, the selling agency could keep in close touch
with its customers, and could guarantee regular and prompt deliveries
 of high-grade coal, and in quoting prices would be independent
 of the present unfavorable freights charged by foreign ship
owners. The problem of return cargoes for these vessels, it. has
heen suggested, could more and more be met by increasing .shipments
 of South American raw materials, such as iron ore, copper
and tin, rubber, coffee, hides, nitrates, quebracho, tropical woods,
stc., and from the Mediterranean by cargoes of Spanish iron ore
and copper concentrates, together with other European products
that normally cross the Atlantic to our shores. From South America
‘t might even be found advantageous to bring such vessels home
via Europe, taking to that continent the South American grain and
other foodstuffs and raw materials which are imported from the
Latin-American countries in heavy volume.
The advantages claimed for such joint effort are manifold.
Through such an organization the expenses of establishing a profit.
able coal trade abroad could be shared by many operators, and would
not be prohibitive to the smaller concerns. Steady and concerted
offort would be applied to the development of business instead of
the present intermittent attempts to obtain some foreign orders.
Producers would be represented directly by their own salesmen instead
 of by the agents of foreign competitors of American operators,