REPLIES TO CARD AND SCHEDULE INQUIRIES. 355
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A professor of political economy who has made a study of monopoly,
 declares:
The chief advantages would be that they could regulate supply, prevent
waste both of product and through competition, prevent duplication of salesmen,
 ete. In short, there would be many of the advantages peculiar to monopolies.
 }
An exporter of 50 years’ experience says that advantages would
be attained:
* * * through the greater centralization, large capital, greater reaching
powers, and greater number of efficient officers and salesmen. It is evident
that a concern with millions for capital ean do much more in advertising, pushing
 the sales, employing efficient agents, ete., on a very much smaller percentage
of expenses than one individual concern.

2. ADVANTAGES IN IMPROVED MECHANISM OF FOREIGN TRADE—ErLIM-INATION
 OF MIDDLEMAN.—The president of a bank, referring to export
organization, asserts:

It would tend to centralize the supply and centralize the demand, bringing
customer and merchant together more quickly and more economically, My
opinion is based somewhat on the operations of the Florida Citrus Exchange
which is practically a combination of growers selling to the markets throughout
 the United States. The method has been a wonderful improvement over
the old methods of dealing through commission merchants and is apparently
better for both seller and consumer.
Better transportation rates and facilities.~—In this regard an exporter
 states:
Export combinations * * * would control an immense amount of tonnage
 and this tonnage, they could offer * * * to the railroads * * =*
who would agree to take the best care of them. * * #* In addition to this
such a combination would, of course, have a distinct advantage in dealing with
steamship lines, as they can, in view of the immense amount of freight they
would control, force better terms and rates, *- * * if they are unable to
get proper terms and rates out of the steamship companies (they) would be
big enough to charter their own steamers.

Better handling of banking problems.—One reply suggests:
The advantage would be * * * ability to handle the banking problems
which are too large for a single manufacturer to cope with. Foreign bankers
at present control the field and favor their own countries.
Handling many lines at once—A professor of economics, who has
made a special study of trusts, writes:
The experience of the Steel Corporation proves the need that many lines
of goods be offered at once.
Collective action in large emergencies.—A professor of sociology
and government declares there would be:
* * * gall the advantages which generally come with organization, such
as * * * prompt and decisive action in large emergencies.
Better adjustment to conditions.—An attorney writes: :
The larger organization would possess larger means at all times to be
acquainted with the conditions of supply and demand in different parts of the
world; would thus be able to avoid congestion of goods in some markets and
scarcity in others; they would naturally be better informed and better advised
than would the smaller concerns as to the requirements and desires of foreign
buyers as to packing and method of shipment, and would be better acauainted
with the sometimes eccentric requirements of the foreign purchaser.