REPLIES TO CARD AND SCHEDULE INQUIRIES, 383
and equipment in many foreign markets thus voices the firm’s
opinion: '

We believe that it would be impracticable, and in some cases defeat success,
to give every person or corporation the right to demand admittance, for many
of the same reasons that it is not permitted for any person to demand inclusion
in a business partnership. Commercial ethics are strongly upheld in the business
 world and safeguard commercial probity and integrity in many delicate
ways that statutes can not reach. There are also business reasons why some
scrutiny as to membership would be necessary, and as these joint associations
are for mutual advantage, it is a good fundamental democratic principle, that
control of such matters shall be left to the will of the people comprising the
association. Also, it must be remembered that the relation between a member
and the association is largely a matter of contract on such points as guaranty
of sales, percentage of commissions, divided cost of advertising, etc, and each
case is so different from all others that no general statutory rule can be wisely
prescribed.
Right to organize and exclude should be determined by mutuality
of interests.—A company engaged in selling supplies and accessories
used in concrete construction answers through its foreign manager
as follows:
Associations of allied producing interests for export trade will be formed only
by and between those who have established their right to the confidence of
their fellows in’ the integrity of their intentions and their products, in their
ability to carry out their obligations to their foreign customers as undertaken
by the combination, and in their resolve to continue to lend their support in
bad times as well as good. This mutual confidence can not be inspired nor
bestowed by any set of rules or regulations which may be enacted by any legislative
 body. It comes of a mutuality of aims and the respect engendered by
long observation of one another. Such combinations must inevitably come
about by a process of natural selection, and any legislation which is framed
upon any other hypothesis will most certainly defeat its own object.
Those abusing foreign trade should be excludéd.—A New York
exporter of 15 years’ experience believes that—
¥ * * any merchants or manufacturers that have abused foreign trade
through illegitimate or dishonorable means should, if possible, be barred from
participating in export combinations.
A question of policy.—The president of a large concern manufacturing
 pile fabrics concludes that—
This is entirely a question of policy. In view of the fact that combinations
are possible without limit, there is no reason why some combinations should
not exclude undesirable (to them) participants, in view of the fact that it does
not prevent such applicants from becoming part of other combinations.
Argument on both sides of the question.—The export editor of a
well-known lumber journal presents the following discussion:

In our opinion this can not be answered categorically either way. A material
degree of freedom in organization is essential to make such action a success,
and yet it should not be so unrestricted as to permit a monopoly in this
country of export trade. If made open to all producers, it should be subject
to such regulations as will be sufficient to keep out concerns who would be an
element of weakness rather than of strength; and we doubt that an organization
 which was required by law to admit all applicants would be practicable
or that responsible firms would care to enter it. Our suggestion would be that
they be permitted to be formed primarily along lines suggested by the views
of their organizers, as to their community of interest, which would no doubt
in many cases lead to a number of organizations in the same line of trade, or
in some cases embracing more than one line. They should then be subjected
to the supervision of the Commission with power to prevent abuses, such as
shutting out any producer who is logically entitled to enter.