104 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.

great influence in shaping the policies of the organization is the
Blanchisserie et Teinturerie de Thaon. This is a société anonyme
with its head offices at Thaon-les- Vosges, which was formed in the
year 1891, with a capital of 4,000,000 francs ($772,000), divided into
1,600 shares of 2,500 francs ($482.50) each.
The officers, according to a report from a commercial agency, are
Mr. Juillard Hartmann, president, with a board of directors consisting
 of M. Lederlin, sr., Paul Lederlin, J. Bonnet, E. Pinot, M. Pollechu,
 and A. Marchal. The principal director and manager is Mr.
Paul Lederlin.
“This organization controls a large part of the bleaching, dyeing,
and sizing trade of France. Its establishments are scattered over the
country and even include plants for the manufacture of cotton
prints. It has progressively purchased many otherwise independent
factories, closed those not well situated, absorbed others, giving their
former proprietors fixed sums of money annually, and in some cases
making them managing directors of their acquired plants. The company
 Bas also important plants in Iiyon, Villefranche (Rhone),
Gisors (Eure), and at Notre Dame de Bondeville (Eure). The
spinners and weavers are those immediately affected by the operations
 of the company as the prices for bleaching, dyeing, and sizing
their products are determined by the company and have a very decided
 bearing on the cost of production and sales prices of yarns
and tissues.”?
Syndicat des Pétroles Frangais (French Petroleum Syndicate).—
The French petroleum syndicate was established in 1885 by the
three great refining establishments of Fenaille &amp; Despaux, of Bordeaux;
 Desmarais fréres, of Havre; and Deutsch et ses fils, Paris.
The syndicate was formed to regulate the petroleum trade of France,
to steady prices, to control the exportation of American refined
petroleum to this country, and, in general, to protect the interests of
its members. By contract it obtained the exclusive sale in France of
the products of the Standard Oil Co. The syndicate was extended
so as to include a number of the other French refiners. An agreement
 was entered into by which uniform prices were fixed, a limit
placed on the output of each factory based upon the latest returns
of production, term contracts were forbidden, and arrangements were
made not to sell under the price fixed and only in accordance with the
conditions stipulated. The syndicate has divided France into selling
zones, the prices being established for each variety, so as to render
competition of independent concerns difficult. The syndicate holds
about 85 per cent of the trade, which includes imports not only from
the United States, but also from other producing countries like
Russia, Roumania, and Galicia, and in late years From Persia and
the Dutch Indies. In addition to the above-mentioned firms, other
members of the syndicate are Société Lille-Bonniéres &amp; Colombes,
Paris; Georges Lesieur et ses fils, of Dunkirk; Compagnie Générale
des Pétroles, Marseille; and Société anonyme de E Raffinerie de
Pétroles du Nord, Paris.
The syndicate handles only gasoline and refined petroleum.
As to the lubricating oil situation, the market is quite open to competition,
 there being no ‘powerful syndicate controlling a large per-1

 Report from the American consul at Rouen, France.