REPLIES TO CARD AND SCHEDULE INQUIRIES, 443

(2) TARIFF ADJUSTMENT.—A number of respondents propose some
reform in the tariff, in order to prevent restraint of domestic trade.
The following replies are Fr,
From a manufacturer of furniture:
Would have free trade on all articles sold by the association, to prevent raising
 the price to the home trade.
From a manufacturer of wire products:

Most manufacturers of to-day are producing a surplus; that is, they are
producing more goods than the domestic market will consume, and sharp competition
 results, which amounts to little less than a war of extermination. The
commercial business forces of the Nation have not been organized in such a way
as to enable the manufacturer to go out in the foreign fields and secure an
outlet for this surplus. In his effort to survive and make his business remunerative
 during the past, being constantly faced with an overproduction, it
has only been natural that he would resort to measures that would enable
him to secure a better price for his product, and therefore insure him a profit.
If he had at his command at all times the facilities for marketing his surplus in
foreign countries, this sharp competition would not result, but to guard against
any abuse that might grow out of combination for the purpose of -securing
export or foreign trade, a permanent nonpartisan tariff or trade commission
should be established that would be empowered to hear complaints of domestic
consumers, in case there was a tendency to treat them unfairly. In like manner,
this tariff or trade commission should also be empowered to hear complaints
on the part of manufacturers or producers of goods when the prices on these
commodities were being forced to a ruinous level by foreign competition, or
by what is known as * dumping.” In either case, through recommendation of
this tariff or trade commission, the President at his discretion should be authorized
 to reduce the tariff, if any, in order to bring prices to a lower level if
unfairly established, and In the case of “ dumping” to raise the tariff rates
to prevent the demoralization of the American market.

(8) STRICT LIMITATION BY LAW ON ACTIVITIES OF EXPORT COMBINArions.—A
 large number of respondents believe that the proper control
 of the proposed cooperative export organizations would require
strict limitation of their activities.
Limit by law to ewport—The excerpts which follow are typical
of a large number of replies advancing, as a form of remedy, the
idea of limiting the proposed organizations strictly to export business.
From a large manufacturer and exporter of machinery:

These organizations or combinations should be created for export business
alone, and held absolutely to that line of operation, heavy forfeit being the
penalty for using any machinery of the combination for trade in domestic
markets.

By a college professor of transportation and commerce:
It would seem that if the organizations were limited to promotion of foreign
trade and were prevented, by law, from concerning themselves with matters of
domestic trade, they would not be able to restrain trade in the domestic market,
The law might provide that if an organization formed for the development of
foreign trade should be found to have attempted to restrain or monopolize
domestic trade, it should be held to be illegal and its dissolution ordered by
the courts. .
From a manufacturer of farm engines, who exports one-half of
his products: -
It should be stated in their articles of incorporation that they are organized
" for the solicitation of foreign trade only.”

Prohibit export bounties—A college professor and economist said:
If export bounties are not permitted, it is difficult to see just how domestic
supply and price would be affected,