The Federal Trade Commission's Investigation of Foreign Trade Conditions
| Date | 01 January 1916 |
| DOI | 10.1177/000271621606300105 |
| Published date | 01 January 1916 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
67
THE
FEDERAL
TRADE
COMMISSION’S
INVESTIGATION
OF
FOREIGN
TRADE
CONDITIONS
The
act
creating
the
Federal
Trade
Commission
gives
it
author-
ity
"to
investigate,
from
time
to
time,
trade
conditions
in
and
with
foreign
countries
where
associations,
combinations,
or
practices
of
manufacturers,
merchants,
or
traders,
or
other
conditions,
may
affect
the
foreign
trade
of
the
United
States,
and
to
report
to
Con-
gress
thereon,
with
such
recommendations
as
it
deems
advisable."
In
view
of
the
present
situation
in
international
trade,
the
com-
mission
has
considered
it
to
be
its
duty
to
complete
as
promptly
as
possible
an
investigation
of
foreign
trade
conditions.
While
this
study
relates
particularly
to
the
question
of
combinations
in
export
business,
it
is
not
confined
to
that
subject,
but
inquiry
is
also
being
made
concerning
"dumping"
and
other
matters
of
espe-
cial
interest
at
this
time.
Inasmuch
as
these
subjects
are
of
such
pertinent
import
to
industrial
development
at
this
time,
the
fol-
lowing
statement
has
been
prepared
under
the
supervision
of
the
editor
of
The
Annals
as
to
the
steps
the
commission
has taken
and
will
take
in
this
matter.
The
investigation
comprises
public
hearings
by
the
commission,
the
study
of
published
material,
reports
from
United
States
consuls
and
commercial
attachés,
questionnaires
sent
out
to
American
business
and
professional
men,
and
field
investigations
by
agents
of
the
commission
both
in
the
United
States
and
abroad.
The
public
hearings
were
the
preliminary
step
in
the
investi-
gation
and
the
first
were
held
in
Boston
and
New
York
early
in
June.
Other
hearings
were
held
during
the
summer
in
Chicago,
Detroit,
Cincinnati,
Minneapolis,
Spokane,
Tacoma,
Seattle,
San
Francisco,
Los
Angeles
and
some
other
cities
of
the
West
and
Middle
West.
At
these
conferences
business
men
were
invited
to
discuss
foreign
trade
problems,
and
in
this
manner
much
valuable
infor-
mation
was
obtained.
At
the
same
time
work
was
begun
on
the
systematic
study
of
material
published
in
English,
German,
French,
Italian
and
Span-
ish.
This
includes
trade
and
financial
papers,
reports
of
our
own
and
foreign
governments,
bulletins
of
associations
and
institutions,
books,
treatises
and
other
publications.
When
completed
the
study
will
make
available
for
the
commission
all
the
important
published
data
relating
to
the
subject.
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