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Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924

"President Wilson's Addresses"

His business has not grown big enough
to permit him to establish selling agencies. The export commission
merchant, perhaps, taxes him a little too highly to make that an
available competitive means of conducting and extending his business.
The question arises, therefore, how are the smaller merchants, how are
the younger and weaker corporations going to get a foothold as against
the combinations which are permitted and even encouraged by foreign
governments in this field of competition? There are governments which,
as you know, distinctly encourage the formation of great combinations in
each particular field of commerce in order to maintain selling agencies
and to extend long credits, and to use and maintain the machinery which
is necessary for the extension of business; and American merchants feel
that they are at a very considerable disadvantage in contending against
that. The matter has been many times brought to my attention, and I have
each time suspended judgment. I want to be shown this: I want to be
shown how such a combination can be made and conducted in a way which
will not close it against the use of everybody who wants to use it.


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