94 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE,

an American car, such smaller units fit the demands of the market
here admirably. When, by chance, excessive amounts of meat products
 reach English ports at a given time, the representatives of the
companies meet and discuss the distribution of cargoes in such a
way as to prevent the flooding of local markets.

i of Consul Howard D. Van Sant, Dunfermline, Ycotland, February
Cooperative societies in Scotland.—Notwithstanding the present
war, marked progress has been made by the various wholesale and
retail cooperative societies in the east of Scotland during the past
year, and, according to the annual report recently issued by the
Scottish Cooperative Conference Association, a considerable increase
in the sales in all branches of the cooperative store trade has been
noted. The total sales of the Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society
(Ltd.) for 1915 amounted to $56,812,450, an increase of $9,720,620,
as compared with the previous year. The conference reports an
increased membership of 2,947 as compared with 1914.
The Dunfermline Cooperative Society (Ltd.) reports an increase
in total sales of $209,330 as compared with 1914. A dividend of
81 cents in the pound ($4.86) was paid in 1915, and according to
the secretary of the society this sum is considered above the average
owing to the trade conditions at present in this district. There have
been 360 new members enrolled, while 142 have withdrawn, leaving
an increase of 218. The total membership of the society is 9,568.
A large majority of the membership is composed of working-class
people, the cooperative moventent not being very largely supported
by the middle and rich classes.
After the war is settled and conditions have again resumed their
normal state, it is confidently expected by experts in the movement
here that cooperative societies in Scotland will make even greater
progress than has been accomplished during the past two years, as
shown by the increased membership.
FRANCE.

Special JSpert of Consul General Alexander M. Thackara, Paris, November
There is a great difficulty in obtaining information regarding
cartels, etc., in France, for these trade combinations do not exist to
the same extent as in other countries—Germany, for instance. In
this country public sentiment is particularly hostile to financial combines
 and understandings the object of which is to more or less corner
 merchandise or food products, and therefore such combines are
in many instances merely understandings, or what might be called
gentlemen’s agreements, between the heads of houses engaged in a
particular line of business, and are sometimes even unknown to the
stockholders.
Then again there is comparatively little information to be obtained
from the French works bearing on trade combinations, especially as
to statistics, as the French writers confine themselves more particularly
 to the study of German and American cartels, trusts, and combines,
 regarding which more complete statistical and other data are
available.