EXHIBIT IT.

EXCERPTS FROM PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD BY THE
COMMISSION.

Hearings on foreign trade conditions were held by the commission
between June 1 and August 24, 1915, in the following cities: Boston,
Mass.; New York, N. Y.; Chicago, Ill.; Detroit, Mich. ; Cincinnati,
Ohio; Indianapolis, Ind.; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. ; Spokane,
 North Yakima, Tacoma, and Seattle, Wash. ; Portland, Oreg.;
and San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles, Cal.
The purpose of these hearings, or conferences, was to secure information
 as to trade conditions in and with foreign countries where
associations, combinations, or practices of manufacturers, merchants,
or traders, either in their home countries or in other countries, affected
 the export trade of American manufacturers or merchants, or
where other conditions existed that affected the foreign trade of the
United States.
Many interesting facts and valuable suggestions were received
from prominent business men and others acquainted with foreign
trade conditions, who appeared at the various hearings. Excerpts
of the more important matters which relate directly to the investigation
 have been classified as follows:
1. Foreign combinations competing with Americans.
2. Foreign buying combinations. :
3. American export cooperative agencies already existing or proosed.

P 4, Advantages of American export combinations.
5. Disadvantages of American export combinations.
6. Effect that American export combinations would have on competition
 in the domestic market.
7. Essential factors in the export trade.
The excerpts on these topics are given below:
1. FOREIGN COMBINATIONS COMPETING WITH AMERICANS.
(a) Organization and Operation.
H. C. Atkins, president of E. C. Atkins &amp; Co., Indianapolis, Ind..
manufacturers of saws, stated that—

English manufacturers, in dealing with their Government, in dealing with
anybody, have exclusive combinations on prices, as the Germans do under
their Government supervision, and they do it with the consent of the Government.

Francis A. Goodhue, vice president of the First National Bank, of
Boston. said:

In the foreign field I think the Germans have worked that out (combinations)
 nicely, and there are a great many lessons that we could learn from
them, such as the pooling of territory, and the apportioning of orders among
the members according to their size of capital, the number of spindles in the
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