118 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.
within one of the above-described circles the controlling “consortium”
 immediately drops all its prices with a view to putting him
out of business and simultaneously brings to bear upon him pressure
and influence of various other kinds of a nature to hinder him in the
reception of his consignments and render his operations abortive.
If this system of elimination does not operate sufficiently rapidly,
negotiations are opened with a view to buying him out. The first
scheme has generally succeeded, however, and there are only a few
coal importers in this district who are independent of the “consortium”
 and who are able to thrive. One of these, a branch of the
Paris firm of Charles Le Borgne &amp; Cie., appears to be making considerable
 headway and conditions resulting from the present war
have doubtless wr it very much.
It is said that the heavy cost of continual strife has impoverished
the “consortium?” considerably and may ultimately put it out of business
 again.

NETHERLANDS.

Engels] tenors of Consul General S. Listoe, Rotterdam, Netherlands, November
1, .

Cartels, syndicates, or combinations of the sort included in the
present inquiry do mot exist in the Netherlands.
There are, however, groups of manufacturers, such as salt, soap,
cocoa manufacturers, rice and oil millers, which are believed to
have a mutual understanding as to selling price of their products,
etc. But nobody outside of such special groups knows anything about
the agreements in question, nor is it possible to find out how many
manufacturers of a certain article have made such an agreement.
The above manufacturers are not known to be organized; every one
of them apparently works for his own account, and is not responsible
for his actions to anybody, the agreement regarding prices or production
 not seeming to be a binding one, but merely a friendly understanding.

The following commissions have been appointed and institutions
established by the Netherlands Government to foster the foreign
trade of the Dutch manufacturers and exporters:
(¢) Commissie voor de handelspolitiek (commission for trade
politics), to give advice whenever trade conventions or treaties are
to be made, and in every other instance when trade or industry interests
 are concerned.
(5) Commissie voor den Nederlandsch-Zuid-Afrikaanschen handel
(commission for the Netherlands South African trade), appointed
to foster the trade between the Netherlands and South Africa.
(¢) In every municipality, where the authorities think it desirable
 in the interest of commerce and industry, the Queen can establish
 a chamber of commerce and industries. At present there are
92 such chambers in the 11 Provinces of the Netherlands.
(d) Stattscommissie voor den handeldryvenden en industrieelen
middenstand (Government commission for the commercial and industrial
 middle class), appointed to advise the Government in every
instance when it is thought desirable for the Government to tale
measures to protect the interests of the commercial and industrial
middle class.