EH.R: Barriers to entry--France vs. USA

I could use some help on secondary sources that would help me compare barriers to entry in France and in the United States in the late 19th century. I'm especially interested in consumer-oriented light industries (e.g., firearms, bicycles, sewing machines). So far I've found enough to get me past the old, stale "coal v. culture" debate for France, but not much farther. I would appreciate either something comparing them directly or, more likely, two separate literatures (in French is fine). Something that analyzes both institutional (legal, organizational, etc.) and economic (cost structure) barriers would be most helpful. Ideally, it would cover both firm formation and inter-industry entry. Simultaneous participation in multiple industries seems pretty common in both countries, especially for the three industries mentioned above, but I could use more information on them. Thanks. Thomas ***************************************************************************** Thomas Burr 145 Social Science/Humanities Building tcburr@ucdavis.edu University of California (530) 752-7802 Davis, California 95616 >