172 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.

There is only one class of industry which may come within the
scope of the present inquiry, and that is the sugar industry. This
mdustry can not be said to be controlled absolutely by a trusi, combination,
 syndicate, or cartel, and what control there may be of the
same is merely for internal purposes and works indirectly for the
benefit of all those engaged therein.
There are some five large sugar growers in this combination,
namely, Mercedes v. de Melendez y Cia., producing some 60,000
bags of sugar (100 pounds each); Eugenio Araujo, producing some
85,000 bags of sugar; Alexandra A. de Fiallos, producing some
15,000 bags of sugar; and Francisco Duefias, producing some 30.000
bags of sugar, making a total of 165,000 bags of 100 pounds each.
These growers deliver the sugar which they have to sell in the Republic
 to the firm of H. de Sola &amp; Co., San Salvador, a large wholesale
 and retail store, and here it is sold to the best advantage of all.
The selling agent states that they have no plan of organization and
that the product is sold in any market and by taking advantage of
the large trade of his firm they are in a better position to market the
sugar than those raising sugar who are not in the combination. They
have been able to maintain a stable price for sugar.
Next to coffee growing the manufacture of sugar is the most important
 industry of Salvador, and there is a heavy duty on imported
sugar and an export duty is placed upon sugar so that none is exported
 from the country unless there is plenty for the home consumption;
 consequently there is no market for foreign sugar here.
No sugar has been imported into the country for the last five or six
years.
The following statistics have been obtained from the bureau of
statistics as to the exportation of sugar from this Republic, no other
statistics being available: 1911, 5,831,149 pounds, value, 580,063.42
pesos ($378,536); 1912, 3,792,385 pounds, value 878,559:10 pesos
($165,736) ; 1913, 1,821,239 pounds, value 182,126.90 pesos ($72,852) ;
1914, 1,007,968 pounds, value 209,128.20 pesos ($83,651).
Only refined sugar is exported. The average retail and wholesale
prices of sugar sold by the combination during the past five years
has increased from 6 pesos (approximately $2.40) a quintal (100
pounds) for refined sugar and 4 pesos er $1.60) a
quintal (100 pounds) for unrefined sugar to the prices now in vogue,
namely, 10 pesos (approximately $4) a quintal and 7 pesos (approximately
 $2.80) a quintal. The retail price is generally 25 per
cent higher than the prices stated herein.
The sugar combination, from what I have been able to learn, was
formed for the purpose of marketing their sugar without difficulty,
and in order to maintain a stable price for same, and to be able to sell
for cash. All the sugar in the combination is sold direct to the
buyer for cash.
Those in the combination, I have been told, are fined 5,000 pesos
each time they sell sugar in the country outside of the combination;
that is, it must be sold through the selling agent only. There is no
restriction placed upon those in the combination for the exportation
of sugar. All those in the combination work independently in the
export trade.