REPLIES TO CARD AND SCHEDULE INQUIRIES. 449

Government in constant touch with the activities of the combination, and it
would seem as if this fact in itself would accomplish enough toward impressing
the wishes of the Government upon the combination, and preventing it from
any activity which might be contrary to the public interest.
A manufacturer of fireless stoves said:

By allowing no balance of power and with the jurisdiction and officership
entirely in the hands of the Government, the danger of monopolies developing
would be greatly lessened.
A student of sociology and economics thought that—

If the members of such boards or commissions were also members of export
organizations of manufacturers or producers they would be in a position to act
intelligently.
Another said:
Let a representative of the trade commission be one of the directing committee
 of each group.
A professor of economics thought the best plan was—

* * For the Federal Government to specify in detail the form that such
organizations are to take, to require, perhaps, incorporation under such law, and
to specify that there is to be one representative of the Federal Trade Commission
on the board of Arsuiory or governing body of each export combination or cooperative
 organization. The Government representative should be compelled to
report all proceedings to the Commission and the Commission should have power
to dissolve the organization in case of illegal action,
Prices, output, and profits to be regulated.—A very large number
of replies were as urging Federal supervision and regulation of
prices, output, and profits as a deterrent to restraint of trade in the
domestic market on the part of these export organizations. Some
advocated the fixing of prices by the Government. A number of
excerpts from typical replies are given below. A lumber producer
sugoested :

A commission of officials under direct supervision of the Trade Commission,
whose duty it would be to receive, from the foreign purchasing agents, inquiries
 and gei prices from the manufacturers direct with an agreement from
them to sell their products direct to the foreign trade, would help trade,
although there was an understanding between the manufacturers as to what
they would sell certain articles for. The publicity and supervision of the
Trade Commission could and would, in my opinion. do away with any possibility
nf oppression.

A teacher who has made a study of foreign commerce said:

I should think that the Federal Trade Commission would naturally supervise
export combinations and would be given power to check any inclination on their
part to extort monopoly prices at home. -

A professor of political economy thought the proper remedy for
any incliration on the part of such an organization to gain profits in
domestic trade would be that—

* * * The Federal Trade Commission supervise all home business of these
concerns and fix their rates on home sales at a point which would yield no more
than a reasonable return. The plan would be about the same as the control of
railway rates bv commissions.

A manufacturer of insulated wire believed that the Federal Trade
Commission should aid manufacturers by allowing them to fix selling
prices:
An authoritative body, such as the Federal Trade Commission, can and ought
to work with the manufacturers of this country honestly, and fearlessly
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